case study

Berlinda Crowther

Director of SAP Whole Of Government Contract

Canberra, Australia

| Mastering Communication Live

“It’s really helped me identify what I need to do to be a better communicator and influencer.”

As Director in the government’s Digital Transformation division in Canberra, Berlinda Crowther regularly communicates with varied audiences in different forums to deliver key messages. She often felt nervous when speaking, unable to use her hands purposefully and would easily go off track. Since the program, Berlinda feels confident with her delivery and has been able to use our tools to elevate her communication.

Why did you decide to attend the course?

Berlinda’s role requires the engagement of various stakeholders from a broad range of finance, policy, and technical backgrounds, through a number of different platforms. She rightly said “this can make communicating our key messages challenging at times”. Understanding how to communicate to these audiences and ensure they receive the right message is of utmost importance. Berlinda wanted to deepen her skills in this area to optimise this process, which lead her to our program.

Which elements have been the most helpful?

Since the program, Berlinda feels she can use her hands “with purpose” by understanding when and how to use gestures appropriately when she is communicating. Before the program Berlinda said she had a tendency to “wave her hands around a lot and get distracted really easily”. She is now confident that her gestures add weight to her message and support what she says. She is also now able to follow our CPD methodology to design her content and keep her on track to deliver her key messages clearly. She also says she has a suite of helpful tools she can draw on to manage difficult questions.

What impact has the program had in your world?

Before the program, Berlinda felt nervous before speaking in front of others, which would reduce her impact; “I have a tendency to run rabbit holes when asked a question without really strategically thinking about the answer”. Since Mastering Communication, Berlinda is feeling “really confident” about communicating in her role. “I’m feeling less stressed than I normally would be and I’ve got the program to thank for that.” Storytelling is now an important asset to her communication tool belt. “I feel this really helps me get my point across and has helped me influence my stakeholders.” Berlinda has also been able to apply her learnings immediately to design a number of presentations for upcoming divisional meetings, and she is feeling “far less stressed than I would normally be at this point in time”. She credits the program for this change in her energy levels .

Did you have any apprehensions before attending?

Berlinda tells us she was initially concerned about whether or not she could take time off to spend on her own development during such a busy period at work, however she now sees the benefit and is very glad she took the plunge. “I’m really glad that I joined the Mastering Communication program. It’s really helped me identify what I need to do to be a better communicator and influencer.”

How would you describe the learning experience?

“The program is facilitated really, really well.” Any nerves coming in were eased for Berlinda by our facilitators who made things fun whilst also providing a “safe learning forum to explore and try out new ideas”. She enjoyed the experience because she felt comfortable enough to challenge herself in front of others in the group, “everyone’s in the same boat and we all make mistakes.”

Who would you recommend the Mastering Communication course to?

Not only would Berlinda recommend our program to team leaders who also need to “communicate to and influence stakeholders”, she also encourages “anyone who’s terrified of public speaking or gets really nervous” to sign up as well.

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