The complete course for senior technical experts
You’re great at your job. And sometimes you have trouble getting your thoughts together. Particularly when the pressure’s on.
As a senior technical expert, your role requires you to:
- answer questions off the cuff
- explain complex ideas to non-expert audiences
- convince stakeholders to follow your plan
- appear confident when you present to groups
Nobody was born with effective communication skills. You need to learn them, practise and get feedback. Whether you’re an engineer, designer, scientist, researcher or financial expert. The skills that got you here won’t solve this problem.
That’s why we designed this course. It’s tailored to the needs of senior professionals like you:
- work with an expert coach and a small group of peers
- find out where you’re blocked
- learn simple ways to communicate with confidence
Our London course is the gold standard, for three reasons:
- Small groups. Ten people or fewer is the perfect size to learn together and focus on your goals:
- get direct instruction from the coach
- practise realistic scenarios with others
- In person. A studio in central London provides a welcoming space to try new approaches:
- it’s easier to learn the full range of techniques in person
- discover skills you never knew you had
- Intensive. Two days—plus 1-to-1 coaching before and afterwards—means you’ll have plenty of goes, so you can keep trying until it clicks:
- time to push through blockers and embed learning
- work one-to-one with the coach, before and after the course
You’ll transform your impact in the workplace—and have fun doing it.
Clients include:
What are face-to-face courses?
Face-to-face courses provide the ideal environment to learn communication skills. You’ll spend two days working in a small group with an expert coach. There’s time to:
- learn and practise core skills
- rehearse common workplace scenarios
- identify your goals and what’s blocking them
You’ll leave with a playbook of techniques that you can apply to any situation. You’ll have a plan for ongoing practice and you’ll feel confident to get back to work.
Skills we’ll cover
The course starts with a grounding in core communication skills:
- storytelling (public speaking)
- leadership styles
- listening skills
- collaboration
- effective feedback
Let’s take each one in turn.
Storytelling (public speaking)
Storytelling is a way to construct a message so it’s relevant to your audience. Use it when you need to stand in front of people and share your ideas. For example, a conference talk or a weekly team update. Learn to:
- create narratives that capture people’s attention and inspire action
- address people’s concerns and convey your message at the same time
Leadership styles
Leadership isn’t all fancy job titles and big decisions. It’s also about showing people that you know your stuff—and understand their needs. Which is why leadership styles matter for everyone, from new starters to chief execs:
- show confidence in your abilities while listening to people’s views
- learn when to be authoritative or generous, serious or playful
- change your non-verbal communication (body language) to meet the situation
Listening skills
Effective communication isn’t just getting your message across. It needs to be two-way. That’s why listening is the most important skill. Learn active listening, the Swiss Army Knife of communication:
- focus on someone else’s point of view, even when you don’t know the subject
- use it to understand, connect or build trust
Collaboration
Working towards a shared goal is essential for success in most workplaces. But many people find collaboration difficult, because it requires specific skills. Learn the “yes, and…” technique, which lets you:
- accept other people’s ideas and build on them
- respond off the cuff
Effective feedback
Studies show that feedback is essential for learning. But many people don’t know how to give effective feedback. The trick is to separate observations and evaluations. Once you learn to do this, people can use your feedback to improve their work.
How it works
Our face-to-face course makes you more effective in the workplace. You will:
- receive one-to-one coaching
- learn and practise new skills
- play out scenes with others
- apply what you’ve learned to real world scenarios
Read on for the details.
One-to-one coaching, before and after
The course includes 3 × one-to-one coaching sessions via Zoom. The first happens about a week before the course. Jonathan will work with you to identify:
- areas where you’re blocked
- bold, achievable goals
This means that when the course starts, you already know what you’re aiming for. It also lets him adapt the curriculum to suit each person. In the follow-up coaching sessions he’ll show you how to apply your new skills in real life.
Core skills + realistic role plays = impact
Here’s how the course works, in a nutshell:
- Learn skills and try out techniques.
- Rehearse common scenarios with others.
- Apply what you’ve learned to a real workplace challenge.
You’ll take part in exercises to learn each skill. This includes pair work, group activities and games. Then you’ll rehearse common workplace scenarios, like:
- speaking up in meetings
- getting “buy-in” for your ideas
- giving feedback
This lets you apply the techniques and find areas you’d like to develop.
Direct coaching
Finally you’ll apply everything you’ve learned to your own “scene”. This is a simulation of a real challenge you face at work:
- other people will play your colleagues
- Jonathan will show you how to change your approach to get the outcome you want
There’s enough time for everyone to play a scene and receive coaching. People enjoy taking part in each others’ role plays, and they’re fascinated by the scenes. You may learn as much from other people’s examples as your own.
Your coach: Jonathan Kahn
Jonathan Kahn is a communication coach who’s worked with hundreds of people since 2013. He’s trained engineers, designers, accountants, surgeons, research scientists, CEOs and UN Peacekeepers. He works in London and online, with people around the world.
Jonathan is a skilled listener. Clients describe his, “uncanny knack for identifying the major issues to address.” He understands how people learn new skills—and what gets in the way. Which means he can:
- get people using new skills immediately
- show them where to focus to get the outcomes they need
His unique approach comes from an unusual career path, starting as a web developer. He realised that what’s difficult about websites isn’t code—it’s getting people to work together. This insight started him on the path to becoming a communication coach.
Since then he’s learned advanced improvisation and facilitation techniques. He has organised—and presented at—conferences worldwide. He’s also trained the UK’s leading digital teams, like the Government Digital Service. After more than a decade in London, Jonathan now lives in West Wales with his partner and two children.
Benefits of face-to-face courses
The benefits of face to face courses include:
- learning is easier in person
- a safe space to leave your comfort zone
- get to know your group
- personalised guidance
Let’s take each one in turn.
Learning is easier in person
Most people find it easier to communicate in person, compared to calls. You have more information to work with and it feels natural.
Learning is also easier when you’re in the same room. Most of the techniques we cover include moving around the space, like:
- trying different physical approaches (non verbal communication)
- presenting in front of an audience
- playing games
This means that face to face courses let you practise the full range of communication skills.
A safe space to leave your comfort zone
Jonathan creates a space where everyone feels relaxed and safe. This matters, because you can’t learn new skills until you leave your comfort zone. You can’t rush this process. Two days in a small group gives you time to rehearse, get coaching and embed the learning. You’ll leave ready to apply your new skills in real life.
Get to know your group
Your group will be up to 10 people. This lets you learn together while allowing enough time to focus on your goals. Learning communication skills with others is more powerful than doing it alone, because:
- you help each other to learn
- watching others grow gives you insight
- trying new things in a group is less scary and more fun
You’ll also have time to connect with each other during breaks. We include lunch and refreshments to make this easier.
Personalised guidance
Jonathan is an experienced coach who’s trained hundreds of people. As you practise the techniques he’ll give you individual guidance and feedback. He’ll adapt the course to the needs of each person—so you get input that unblocks progress. In this way, the course will address the challenges and opportunities you face.
What’s included
The course includes:
- two days of intensive tuition and coaching in a small group
- digital handout (describes techniques, theory and links to further reading)
- 3 × one-to-one coaching sessions via Zoom (normally …+ VAT)
- lunch and refreshments on both days
Pricing
Payment options
Choose the option that works for your employer:
- Card in full. Pay by card, today.
- Card in two payments. Pay 50% today by card. We’ll charge the balance two weeks before the course.
Book a course 🛒
Reviews from past students
“This is the best course I’ve ever been on. It transformed how I communicate and hard-wired these changes into my day-to-day work (and life) through practice, analysis and repetition. Recommend for anyone who wants to get better at managing stakeholders or influencing change.”
—Scott, Scottish Government“It was insightful to uncover the different mechanisms that shape the way I’m being perceived. Playing the scenario made the theory more practical and listening to how you word things helped me expand my vocabulary and toolset for dealing with these situations.”
—Yaniv, Booking.com“Provides a comprehensive overview of effective communication skills. I found the teacher to be engaging and knowledgeable. Plenty of opportunities for practice and feedback. In role plays I quickly realised what skills I could improve. I am confident that any colleague who takes this course would benefit from it.”
—Marco, FloodFlash“I needed to understand how to communicate clearly with a diverse audience. We learnt communication techniques with targeted demonstrations. The active role-playing and feedback worked well. I will recommend the course to colleagues.”
—Jude, BP“The role-playing exercise imitated real life events and prepared me better for them. Acting out aspects such as high and low status showed me how impactful they are in real life. I learned many things that will improve my professional career.”
—Gil, Unmade“It was great to have the environment and guidance to practise. I liked the improv aspects, the games and practical exercises. Having the group involved in exercises was great and representative of reality. I think the course can make workplaces more humane.”
—Andrew, The Scale Factory“It taught me to be self reflective, to be conscious of others I’m talking to, and that the way I carry myself makes a massive difference to the outcomes I can achieve. I think everyone could benefit from this.”
—Tim, National Lottery Community Fund“I took away lots of practical ways to rethink language and physicality. Also, more broadly I think it has helped with confidence. I think plenty of professionals would benefit from this, and get a lot from how practical it is.”
—Dan, Ministry of Justice
Questions & answers
We’ve answered some common questions about the face to face course:
Who is the course suitable for?
This course will suit you if:
- effective communication part of your job
- you want to increase your impact by learning new skills
How will I get personalised guidance in a group?
We keep groups small (no more than 10) to make sure there’s enough time for individual guidance:
- Before the course starts, you’ll have a one-to-one coaching session via Zoom with Jonathan.
- During the course, you’ll get feedback and direct coaching.
- After the course, you’ll have two follow-up coaching sessions. Jonathan will show you how to apply what you’ve learned to your work context.
How does the course build confidence?
The course will build your confidence by:
- giving you more options to try when you commmunicate
- showing you where you’re blocked
- offering tips and tricks for handling anxiety
- training you in procedures and routines to practise and improve
Why is it easier to learn communication skills in a group?
Communication is different to other skills. You can’t learn it by yourself! You need to practise with other people.
Learning in a group is the most efficient approach, because you can:
- work in pairs and small groups to try different techniques
- play out realistic scenes and apply skills to them
- learn from your peers as well as the coach
How can I convince my employer to fund this?
Employers are happy to pay for training if they understand the business value. When you ask your manager for approval, made a business case. For example you could:
- explain why communication is an important part of your role
- outline how improving your impact will help the business
- commit to practising the techniques after the course
If you’re having trouble convincing your employer, get in touch. We’ll suggest ways to explain the value.
Can you train my whole team?
Yes! Check out in-house training.
What if I can’t spend two days in London?
Check out our live online courses.
Book a consultation
A 30-minute consultation with communication coach Jonathan Kahn.
During the call Jonathan will:
- assess your real-world communication
- show you where you’re blocked
- recommend the best course to meet your needs
Take the first step!