Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Apply structured frameworks for communicating about problems and decisions
• Frame issues in ways that promote constructive problem-solving approaches
• Present data and evidence to support decision-making processes effectively
• Facilitate discussions that surface diverse perspectives and build consensus
• Communicate decisions and their rationale clearly to stakeholders
• Use questioning techniques to uncover root causes and challenge assumptions
• Adapt communication style to different decision-making contexts and cultures
• Manage conflict and disagreement constructively during decision processes
• Create communication plans that support implementation of decisions

• Managers and team leaders
• Project managers and business analysts
• Executives and senior decision-makers
• Consultants and strategic advisors
• Product managers and development leads
• Operations and process improvement specialists
• Committee members and governance roles
• Anyone involved in organizational problem-solving

This course employs a case-based methodology with real-world scenarios drawn from various organizational decision contexts. Participants will analyze case studies of successful and problematic decision communication across different industries and decision types. Group activities will include simulated decision meetings, role-playing exercises, and collaborative problem-framing sessions. Individual exercises will focus on developing decision briefs, creating stakeholder communication plans, and practicing difficult decision conversations. Mini-case studies will examine specific decision contexts such as resource allocation, strategic direction changes, and personnel decisions. Syndicate discussions will explore the relationship between communication quality and decision outcomes, developing criteria for effective decision communication.

Foundations of Decision-Focused Communication

• Types of organizational decisions and their communication requirements
• Stakeholder analysis for decision communication
• Decision rights and governance structures
• Ethical considerations in decision communication

• Articulating problem statements that promote solution focus
• Distinguishing symptoms from root causes
• Using analogies and metaphors to explain complex problems
• Setting decision criteria and constraints

Structuring Decision Communication

• Situation-Complication-Resolution framework
• Issue-Action-Result structure
• Hypothesis-driven communication approaches
• Options and recommendation presentations

• Selecting and presenting relevant data for decisions
• Communicating uncertainty and risk effectively
• Visualizing data for decision support
• Balancing quantitative and qualitative information

Facilitating Decision Discussions

• Socratic questioning techniques for problem exploration
• Challenging assumptions without creating defensiveness
• Drawing out diverse perspectives and expertise
• Testing understanding and shared meaning

• Managing divergent and convergent thinking phases
• Techniques for building agreement
• Handling disagreement and conflicting priorities
• Decision-making protocols and when to use them

Communicating in Complex Decision Environments

• Mapping stakeholder interests and influence
• Communication strategies for conflicting stakeholder priorities
• Building coalitions and managing opposition
• Transparency and information sharing boundaries

• Crisis decision communication protocols
• Communicating under time pressure and uncertainty
• Managing stress and emotions in decision discussions
• Post-decision evaluation and learning communication

Implementation and Change Communication

• Announcing decisions and explaining rationale
• Tailoring communication for different audience impacts
• Addressing concerns and resistance proactively
• Maintaining transparency while managing sensitive information

• Creating action-oriented communication plans
• Assigning roles and responsibilities clearly
• Establishing feedback mechanisms during implementation
• Progress reporting and milestone communication

Advanced Decision Communication Techniques

• Communicating for board-level and executive decisions
• Mergers, acquisitions, and restructuring communication
• Investment and resource allocation decision support
• Long-term strategic planning communication

• Communicating to foster innovation and creativity
• Design thinking communication approaches
• Experiment and pilot program communication
• Learning from failure communication strategies

Personal and Organizational Development

• Developing personal decision communication style
• Receiving and incorporating feedback on communication
• Building credibility and trust as a decision communicator
• Continuous improvement planning

• Establishing decision communication standards and protocols
• Training others in effective decision communication
• Creating decision documentation and knowledge management systems
• Measuring and improving organizational decision communication