Summary

A comprehensive communication skills training program was developed and implemented using the ADDIE model, addressing the specific needs of educators and business owners in mastering both presentational and interactive communication styles.

Responsibilities: Instructional Design, content creation (use cases, videos, visuals), workshop facilitation
Target audience: educators and business owners
Tools used: Articulate Rise, Camtasia, PPT, Canva, mentimeter
Instructional design method: ADDIE
Client: KoHo, B2B and B2C solutions

Problem Statement

KoHo, a professional training and education company delivering B2B and B2C solutions in Croatia, identified that trainers/educators and business owners often seek their services were struggling with effective communication in their respective businesses. These professionals needed to enhance their ability to deliver both one-way presentations and facilitate two-way dialogues with their own clients and teams.

Solution

I designed and delivered a specialised one-day training program focused on one-way and two-way communication skills for 20 external trainers and business owners. The training session combined theoretical knowledge with practical exercises, enabling participants to immediately apply new communication techniques in their business environments.

The Process

Analysis

• Conducted needs analysis through pre-training surveys with registered participants
• Identified key pain points: difficulty transitioning between presentation styles, managing audience engagement, and handling interactive sessions
• Gathered data on participants' experience levels and specific business contexts
• Defined learning objectives based on participant profiles and needs
• Determined appropriate training duration and group size (20 participants)

Design

• Created learning objectives:
  • Distinguish between one-way and two-way communication scenarios
  • Master essential presentation techniques
  • Develop skills for facilitating interactive discussions
  • Practice transitioning between communication styles
• Selected training methods: interactive activities (mentimeter), group activities, practice presentations
• Designed assessment methods: practice sessions, peer feedback, self-evaluation

Development

• Created training materials:
  • Pre-recorded elements (Camtasia)
  • Participant workbooks with exercises
  • Presentation slides (Canva and PPT)
  • Practice scenarios for role-play
  • Feedback forms
  • Post-training reference guides

• Developed practical exercises for both communication styles
• Created evaluation forms for immediate feedback
• Prepared trainer's guide with detailed session flow

Implementation

The training session included:

• Introduction and communication styles overview
• One-way communication techniques
• Practice presentations with feedback
• Two-way communication strategies
• Interactive exercises and role-play
• Group discussions and facilitation practice
• Action planning for skill application

Evaluation

• Immediate feedback collected through:
  • End-of-day evaluation forms
  • Participant self-assessments
  • Observer notes on practice sessions
  • Group discussion on key learnings

Results:

The training session achieved:

• Improved understanding of different communication approaches
• Increased confidence in handling interactive sessions
• Practical tools for immediate implementation
• Network building among professional trainers

Key Takeaways

The project revealed the complex challenges that educators and business owners face when transitioning between different communication styles in their work, particularly when working with parents.Working in education myself helped design an even more practice-oriented session.

Online training session came with its own challenges. The participants' preference for keeping cameras off during our online session provided unexpected insights into virtual training dynamics. This created additional challenges in gauging engagement, reading non-verbal cues, and ensuring active participation. However, it also highlighted the importance of developing alternative engagement strategies such as:

• Using more frequent verbal check-ins
• Incorporating interactive tools like polls and virtual whiteboards
• Designing activities that work effectively without visual cues
• Creating comfortable spaces for participation through chat and voice options