Course Overview
Looking to strengthen your communication, leadership, and people management skills?
This four-session professional development programme offers a practical introduction to person-centred communication and counselling-informed approaches. It is designed to help general managers, team leaders, and professionals develop the confidence, communication skills, and emotional awareness needed to manage workplace conversations effectively. Participants will also learn how to build stronger professional relationships and support employee wellbeing and mental health in the workplace.
Designed for managers and leaders across a range of sectors, the programme focuses on developing effective interpersonal communication skills, leadership communication skills, active listening, and reflective leadership practice. It is particularly relevant for professionals responsible for team management, managing performance, conflict resolution, and fostering positive workplace cultures and staff engagement.
The programme combines practical skills development, theory-informed learning, and reflective practice. Participants will explore core counselling micro-skills and person-centred principles, with a focus on applying these appropriately within managerial roles, workplace communication, and professional boundaries.
By the end of the programme, participants will have developed greater self-awareness, enhanced communication skills, improved emotional intelligence, and increased confidence in managing supportive and constructive workplace conversations.
At a glance
By the end of the programme, participants will be able to:
- Develop effective listening and communication skills to support leadership and team management.
- Demonstrate understanding of core person-centred communication principles, including empathy, authenticity, and respect.
- Apply counselling-informed communication skills appropriately within professional management roles.
- Increase self-awareness and reflective practice in leadership and workplace relationships.
- Recognise the importance of boundaries, confidentiality, and ethical communication in management settings.
- Respond more effectively to difficult conversations, conflict, and emotionally sensitive situations.
- Build confidence in supporting staff wellbeing while recognising the limits of the managerial role.
Session 1 — Foundations of Effective Communication and Leadership
Focus: Building relational leadership skills and counselling informed communication
Introduction to counselling-informed communication
- Introduction to the Person-Centred approach
- The role of listening in leadership
- Introduction to Core Conditions: Empathy, Congruence, and Unconditional Positive Regard
- Building trust and rapport in teams
- Giving and receiving feedback
- Practical communication exercises
Session 2 — Communication of Micro-skills and Emotional Awareness
Focus: Strengthening interpersonal effectiveness, skills, and emotional awareness
- Introducing counselling micro-skills
- Active listening in professional settings
- Open and closed questioning techniques
- Non-verbal communication and emotional awareness
- Understanding paraphrasing, summarising, and reflecting
- Emotional awareness in leadership
- Responding to emotion in the workplace
- Practicing skills and feedback
Session 3 — Boundaries, Professional Relationships and Staff Support
Focus: Ethical and professional communication within emotionally sensitive and difficult workplace communications
- Professional boundaries and confidentiality
- Supporting staff without taking on a counselling role
- Managing wellbeing conversations appropriately
- Managing difficult conversations constructively
- Supporting staff engagement and wellbeing
- Building resilience and psychologically safe teams
- Difference, diversity and inclusive communication
- Reflective practice activities
Session 4 — Integrating Skills into Management Practice
Focus: Applying Person-Centred communication and reflective leadership into ongoing professional practice
- Conflict management and constructive dialogue
- Developing reflective leadership practice
- Action planning for workplace application
- Programme review and consolidation
Teaching and Learning Methods
The programme is delivered through interactive workshops and includes a range of practical teaching and learning methods such as skills practice, role play, group discussions, reflective exercises, case study activities, peer feedback, and facilitated learning.
Progression and Professional Development
This programme provides a strong foundation for managers seeking to enhance leadership communication, staff engagement, and workplace wellbeing practices. It may also support progression into further training in coaching, mentoring, counselling skills, or leadership development