How to recognize different layers of communication and respond with more clarity, empathy, and constructive intention
Communication in teams often fails not because of a lack of goodwill, but because messages are complex and layered. What one person intends as neutral may be received as criticism or pressure. These mismatches follow patterns that can be understood and actively shaped.
This workshop combines Schulz von Thun’s four-sides model of communication with Marshall B. Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication (NVC). The four-sides model helps analyze messages across factual content, self-revelation, relationship, and appeal, while NVC provides a practical way to translate these insights into clear, constructive language.
Participants will work with real-world examples to uncover how misunderstandings arise when different layers are perceived differently. They will learn to distinguish observation from interpretation, recognize how relationship signals influence reactions, and understand how unmet needs drive tension.
Building on this, participants will practice the core elements of NVC: observation, feeling, need, and request. They will learn to express concerns more clearly, reduce defensiveness, and formulate concrete, actionable requests that enable dialogue instead of resistance.
Through guided exercises, participants will reframe typical workplace situations such as feedback, misaligned expectations, and conflict. The goal is to better understand others and express one’s own concerns in ways that foster clarity, alignment, and effective collaboration.