Strategic Communication Skills Training Course

Duration 5 days 10 modules · 33 contact hours
Level Advanced Certificate on completion
Who attends Senior Managers, Programme and Project Directors and others
Fee from USD 1,100 KSh 95,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 9 Nov 2026 Course code SD-CS-096

Before you join: Participants should have several years of professional experience and regular responsibility for influencing colleagues, leaders, clients, partners or public stakeholders.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Strategic communication is the disciplined use of messages, evidence, channels and relationships to secure understanding and action on important matters. Senior professionals must often explain difficult decisions, obtain approval for competing priorities, address resistance, manage sensitive stakeholders and maintain trust when information is incomplete. Poorly structured messages, unclear ownership, untested assumptions and weak listening can delay decisions, create avoidable conflict and expose organisations to reputational or operational risk.

This advanced course develops the judgement and practical methods required to communicate with influence in high-stakes settings. Participants learn to diagnose stakeholder interests, map decision-makers, build message architectures, frame recommendations, prepare executive briefings and lead difficult conversations. The course also addresses change communication, meeting leadership, written decision papers, crisis messages and communication measurement. Participants apply Stakeholder Salience, RACI, SCQA and ADKAR to realistic situations involving board decisions, transformation programmes, policy implementation, service disruption and cross-functional conflict.

Teaching combines short instructor briefings with case analysis, group work, simulations, peer critique and structured application planning. Participants practise converting complex material into decision-ready messages, responding to objections, leading contested discussions and drafting communications for different audiences. Each participant leaves with a practical strategic communication plan, stakeholder analysis, message architecture, executive briefing template and 90-day application plan. A certificate of completion is issued to participants who complete the course.

The course is suited to experienced managers, programme leaders, advisers and specialists whose work depends on securing alignment beyond their formal authority. It is particularly relevant where decisions involve multiple stakeholders, political sensitivity, regulatory obligations, organisational change or significant public scrutiny.

What you will be able to do

  • Diagnose communication barriers using stakeholder analysis, decision-flow mapping and communication risk registers
  • Construct message architectures using SCQA, message houses and evidence hierarchies
  • Segment stakeholders and develop targeted message matrices, channel plans and communication calendars
  • Influence senior decision-makers through concise executive briefings, recommendation framing and objection handling
  • Conduct difficult conversations using interest-based preparation, de-escalation language and commitment statements
  • Produce decision papers, briefing notes and executive emails using Pyramid Principle structures
  • Plan change and crisis communications using ADKAR messaging, notification sequences and Q-and-A preparation
  • Measure communication outcomes and create a 90-day strategic communication application plan

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Greater confidence framing recommendations for senior decision-makers
  • A repeatable method for preparing difficult stakeholder conversations
  • Stronger written briefs, decision papers and executive updates
  • Improved ability to identify resistance before it delays action
  • A personal 90-day communication improvement plan

For your organisation

  • Faster decisions through clearer recommendations and defined approval requests
  • Better stakeholder alignment during programmes, policy changes and operational transitions
  • Reduced rework caused by ambiguous messages, unclear ownership and missed objections
  • More consistent manager communication during sensitive or disruptive events
  • Earlier identification of communication risks, rumours and stakeholder resistance

Course modules

10 modules over 5 days

Participants can diagnose communication problems, identify decision-makers and prioritise stakeholder risks.

  • Communication audit using stakeholder interviews, artefact review and decision-flow mapping
  • Stakeholder Salience Model scoring power, legitimacy and urgency
  • RACI analysis clarifying message ownership, approval rights and escalation routes
  • Separating stated positions from underlying interests, fears and constraints
  • Decision-maker maps identifying formal authority, informal influence and gatekeepers
  • Communication risk register prioritising misunderstanding, delay, resistance and reputational exposure
  • Baseline measures for message recall, decision speed and stakeholder confidence

Participants can build concise, evidence-based messages that prompt a defined decision or action.

  • SCQA structure turning complex issues into a decision-ready narrative
  • Message house defining core proposition, proof points and supporting messages
  • Framing choices tested against audience values, risks and desired action
  • Three-message discipline preventing overloaded briefings, speeches and leadership updates
  • Evidence hierarchy distinguishing facts, interpretations, assumptions and recommendations
  • Plain-language editing removes abstraction, hedging, jargon and unsupported claims
  • Call-to-action design specifying owner, decision, deadline and next step

Participants can tailor communications to stakeholder needs, channels and decision timing.

  • Audience segmentation combining influence, attitude, information needs and channel preference
  • Stakeholder personas built from interviews, operational data and observed objections
  • Message matrices matching stakeholder concerns with evidence, benefits and requests
  • Channel selection using reach, richness, confidentiality and feedback criteria
  • Sequencing communications around decision gates, dependencies and political sensitivities
  • Two-way listening plans capturing questions, rumours, objections and emerging risks
  • Communication calendars coordinating leader messages, team briefings and written updates

Participants can prepare and deliver persuasive communications for high-stakes decisions.

  • Interest-based preparation identifies objectives, concessions, boundaries and BATNA
  • Executive briefings structured for attention, choice, consequence and recommendation
  • Advocacy-inquiry questions test assumptions without triggering defensiveness during high-stakes exchanges
  • Strategic silence, pacing and signposting improve control during contested discussions
  • Objection handling separates valid concerns from status, emotion and misinformation
  • Commitment language records decisions, owners, deadlines and unresolved issues
  • Upward communication frames risk, options and required executive sponsorship

Participants can handle disagreement, give feedback and restore productive working relationships.

  • Behavioural feedback separates situation, conduct and impact from personal judgement
  • Inference checks distinguish observed data from assumptions, meaning and conclusions
  • De-escalation language acknowledges emotion while maintaining boundaries and procedural fairness
  • Crucial-conversation openings state purpose, mutual respect and disputed facts
  • Conflict styles assessed against urgency, relationship value and decision authority
  • Repair statements address missteps, rebuild trust and reset working agreements
  • Meeting interventions surface unspoken concerns before positions harden publicly

Participants can write concise, action-oriented documents for senior and operational audiences.

  • Decision papers begin with recommendation, rationale, implications and required approval
  • Pyramid Principle sequencing gives senior readers conclusion before supporting analysis
  • Briefing notes distinguish background, current position, options and preferred action
  • Email architecture uses informative subjects, front-loaded requests and explicit deadlines
  • Editing passes test logic, evidence, tone, readability and actionability
  • Red-team review identifies ambiguity, unintended inferences and approval vulnerabilities
  • Version control protects message integrity through drafting, review and release

Participants can design meetings and presentations that secure decisions and accountable follow-through.

  • Meeting charters define purpose, participants, decisions, inputs and timeboxes
  • Pre-wiring aligns key stakeholders before formal decision meetings
  • Executive presentation arcs connect context, stakes, recommendation and consequence
  • Slide titles state conclusions rather than describe topics or data
  • Facilitation techniques balance airtime, test consensus and expose dissent
  • Decision logs capture agreements, owners, due dates and escalation triggers
  • Virtual meeting protocols manage participation, chat signals and technical disruption

Participants can plan communications that build understanding and commitment during organisational change.

  • Change narratives connect operating rationale, personal impact and future state
  • ADKAR messaging addresses awareness, desire, knowledge, ability and reinforcement
  • Manager cascade plans specify messages, materials, briefing order and feedback
  • Resistance mapping distinguishes information gaps, loss concerns and trust deficits
  • Rumour-control responses correct misinformation without repeating unsupported allegations
  • Communication cadence aligns announcements, milestones, decisions and stakeholder listening
  • Adoption measures track understanding, commitment, behaviour change and unresolved questions

Participants can communicate clearly and credibly when facts, trust and time are constrained.

  • Crisis message triage separates confirmed facts, working assumptions and unknowns
  • First statements acknowledge impact, state actions and avoid speculation
  • Stakeholder notification sequences prioritise safety, legal duty and operational continuity
  • Q-and-A preparation anticipates hostile questions, uncertainty and accountability demands
  • Spokesperson protocols establish approval routes, holding lines and update intervals
  • Apology decisions distinguish regret, responsibility, remedy and legal exposure
  • Post-incident reviews convert communication failures into corrective actions

Participants can evaluate communication effectiveness and implement a focused improvement plan.

  • Communication objectives translated into observable stakeholder behaviours and decisions
  • Outcome metrics combine recall, sentiment, participation, compliance and decision velocity
  • Pulse surveys produce actionable feedback without overclaiming statistical certainty
  • Listening data coded into themes, sentiment, source and response priority
  • After-action reviews compare intended messages, received meaning and resulting action
  • Personal communication charter sets priorities, behaviours, measures and review dates
  • 90-day application plan assigns stakeholders, milestones, evidence and accountability

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Stakeholder Salience analysis template
  2. Strategic communication plan template
  3. Message house and SCQA worksheet
  4. Executive briefing and decision paper template
  5. Communication risk register
  6. 90-day communication application plan

Who should attend

  • Senior Managers — communicate recommendations, risks and decisions to demanding stakeholders
  • Programme and Project Directors — maintain alignment across complex change initiatives and governance structures
  • Policy and Public Affairs Advisers — frame evidence and advice for senior officials and external audiences
  • Corporate Communications Managers — coordinate high-stakes messages, channels and stakeholder responses
  • Operational Leaders — lead difficult discussions and secure commitment during service or performance issues
  • Technical and Subject-Matter Experts — translate complex analysis into clear decision-ready communications

Skills and tools covered

Stakeholder analysisMessage architectureExecutive influenceDifficult conversationsChange communicationCommunication measurement

Tools and standards

Stakeholder Salience Model, RACI matrix, SCQA framework, ADKAR model

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings to introduce methods, followed by case work, group analysis, simulations and individual application. Participants assess stakeholder scenarios, build message structures, critique executive communications and practise conversations involving resistance, uncertainty and competing interests. Simulations focus on decision meetings, change briefings, conflict resolution and crisis updates. Facilitated feedback identifies choices of language, evidence, sequence and channel. Individual application planning connects the methods to a current workplace challenge and produces reusable communication materials.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have several years of professional experience and regular responsibility for influencing colleagues, leaders, clients, partners or public stakeholders. They should already be comfortable contributing to meetings, writing workplace emails and reports, and presenting operational or technical information. The course assumes participants have encountered challenging communication situations, such as resistance to change, conflicting priorities or senior-level decision-making. Formal communication qualifications, public speaking training, media relations experience and prior knowledge of the named frameworks are not required. Participants should bring examples of current communication challenges they can use during application planning.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

Participants should have professional experience communicating with colleagues, managers, clients, partners or other stakeholders. No formal communication qualification or previous study of the course frameworks is required.

Participants should bring details of one or two current communication challenges, such as a pending decision, change initiative, stakeholder conflict or difficult briefing. Sensitive information can be anonymised before being discussed.

The course is designed for experienced managers, programme leaders, advisers, communications professionals and technical specialists. It is most valuable for people who need to gain support beyond their direct reporting line.

Presentation and writing courses focus mainly on delivery or document quality. This course addresses the wider strategic task: stakeholder priorities, message framing, decision pathways, resistance, channel choice and follow-through.

Participants develop materials for a real workplace issue, including a stakeholder analysis, message architecture and communication plan. The methods can be used for board papers, change briefings, decision meetings, conflict discussions and incident updates.

The five days provide approximately 32.5 contact hours, with ten modules taught in sequence. Time is divided between instructor input, case analysis, simulations, group discussion, feedback and individual application planning.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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