COMPETENCIES FOR COMMUNICATIONS PROFESSIONALS (A008)
Atlantic Workshops > Professional Communicators
WHY SHOULD YOU ATTEND?
This workshop is designed for public and not-for-profit sector communications professionals interested in increasing effectiveness across key communications activities. Equally, any communications professional entering a competition for a mid to senior level position as a communications advisor or manager will benefit from this comprehensive and practical overview of the key communications competencies and of the advisor's roles and expectations. The emphasis is on the knowledge, skills and approaches that communications advisors must possess in order to succeed. The competencies profiled are based on accepted government and international communications competencies developed and practiced by communications professionals. The workshop combines an intensive mix of formal instruction with a generous dose of group discussion and practical exercises in order to provide participants with immediately actionable new skills and knowledge.
WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?
The workshop will focus on:
- What are the competencies of mid-level to senior communications advisors?
- What do we need to know of our organization? Policies and procedures that impact on the provision of communications advice and services?
- What are the roles of communications advisors in a regional context and what makes for successful delivery of their services?
- What must we know and do to be effective strategic communications thinkers and planners?
- What are the linkages between issues and crisis management and communicators?
- What are "citizen-centred" communications and how to keep that focus?
- What is the "Challenge Function" and how to exercise it effectively?
WHAT WILL YOU TAKE AWAY?
- Workbook and checklists, how-to procedures/reminders and templates
- Exercise handouts
Agenda |
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|---|---|
8:45 - 9:15 |
Participants' Introductions and Workshop Overview |
9:15 - 9:45 |
Professional Competencies Profile for Communicators What are the recognized skills, abilities and knowledge which constitute a Professional Communicators Competency Profile? Overview of the top 15 competencies. What am I expected to know and be able to do? |
9:45 - 10:30 |
Organizational Policies and Processes with an Impact on Communications What policies, rules, procedures and processes are key to professional communicators and what do they mandate us to do or prevent us from doing? What is the impact of organizational culture and management preferences on our work? How does this relate to my current and future competencies? Mini Exercise: Frequently encountered communications challenges. |
10:30 - 10:45 |
Break |
10:45 - 11:30 |
Roles of the Communications Advisor What roles am I expected to play? How do I go about doing this in an increasingly complex context? What actions and behaviours must I demonstrate in order to be a respected communications advisor? How do I ensure that my clients, my peers and my manager(s) trust me and seek my advice? How do I get client buy-in? |
11:30 - 12:15 |
Group Exercise: Case Study – Three Key Roles of Communications Advisors |
12:15 - 13:15 |
Lunch |
13:15 - 13:45 |
Strategic Communications Thinking What is meant by "being strategic"? What does this mean in the context of the communications function? Where do I find the inside information and "intelligence" that underpins strategic thinking? What knowledge and skills must I consistently demonstrate to be and be seen as strategic? Who should part of my own "strategic circle"? How does all of this link to strategic communications planning? |
13:45 - 14:15 |
Group Exercise: Based on a case study scenario for a communications strategy, participants will identify key communications challenges and determine results to be achieved. |
14:15 - 14:45 |
Citizen-centred Communications What does "citizen-centred" mean? How do polling, research, plain-language, targeted messaging, etc. support citizen-centred communications? How does the citizen-centred imperative influence strategic communications planning and execution? What are the linkages to the organizational policies and programs? How does this link to the Competencies Profile? |
14:45 - 15:00 |
Break |
15:00 - 15:45 |
Guest Speaker - Communications Nova Scotia |
15:45 - 16:15 |
Exercising the Challenge Function What is the "challenge function" in the context of my advisory capacity? What are the keys to exercising this function effectively? Roles of client MOUs and Service Agreements. What is my supervisor's role in supporting me in this function? How do I challenge my clients' assumptions without compromising our working relationship? How does this link to the Competencies Profile? |
16:15 - 16:30 |
Wrap-up and Workshop Evaluation |
Instructor
Josef Jurkovic
Josef Jurkovic is a CEC director and founding partner. He has over 35 years of public and private sector experience across diverse areas of internal and external communications, public consultations, branding and marketing.
When, Where How much?
January 27, 2011
Halifax, Nova Scotia
$675 (+ tax)
Register for a workshop
By mail
The Centre for Excellence in Communications
Suite 214,
223 Colonnade Rd South
Ottawa, Ontario,
K2E 7K3
By email
By telephone
(613) 233 2175
By fax
(613) 233 7617