Communicating Under Pressure

Overview:

We have all felt pressured, at one time or another, to respond to a difficult question, opinion, or request.  It may be that we require more time to reflect about what is being asked, or we struggle with how to say no.  Or maybe we are unsure of what we think or what we need. 

In this course, we will explore situations where you feel pressure and learn practical strategies for communicating when under pressure.

Course Content:

In this course, you will learn about:

• Four communication styles and how each uses power
• Difficulties with being assertive
• Categories of stress
• Stress arousal cycle and its impact on cognitive functioning
• Managing your reaction
• Managing the reaction of others
• The power of self-talk and the role it plays in stress escalation/de-escalation
• Value of shifting your perspective to better manage the stress response
• Human needs/values and the impact when they are in conflict with what we are being asked to do
• Saying no in a constructive way
• Balance between listening and asserting
• Listening skills to elicit information and open up dialogue
• Asserting skills to express yourself
• Tips for communicating under pressure
• Pitfalls to avoid

Learning Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Identify your communication style
• Recognize the difficulties with being assertive and circumstances where pressure occurs
• Understand the stress arousal cycle and the impact on cognitive ability
• Manage the conflict within
• Be able to saying no to requests while saying yes to alternatives that meet your needs and the needs of the person making the request
• Understand your own needs and assertively express them

Who Will Benefit: 

CPAs, accounting and finance professional who have felt pressure to respond and have struggled with responding.