Course: The Art of Digital Communication

If a message can travel the world in less than a second, the real question is: who taught it to mind its manners?

Overview
This is a detailed 6 week blended programme outline designed for emerging leaders and frontline supervisors across Australian businesses who need to master contemporary digital communication, not just the tools, but the judgement, ethics and behaviours that make digital exchanges effective and sustainable. Delivery is hybrid: two face to face workshops (Sydney and Melbourne options), four live virtual sessions, and a rich self paced LMS component. Practical constraints: budgeted at $495 inc. GST per participant, maximum cohort size 24 for face to face modules, and suitable for roll outs in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra. Assessment and measurement include pre/post surveys, roleplay scoring, manager observation and a practical capstone project.

Why this course, bluntly
Digital competence is no longer optional. But most corporate programmes teach the tools, Teams, Slack, email etiquette, and leave out the messy human side. That's where the risk lives: misinterpretation, privacy breaches, poor tone, groupthink, burnout. This programme is unapologetically practical. It teaches leaders to shape the digital conversation culture in their teams. Strong opinion: executives who treat digital communication as an IT problem are already losing the war for engagement. Another strong opinion: emojis can be professional, when used with intention.

Target audience and prerequisites (randomised)
- Primary audience: Emerging leaders and frontline supervisors in knowledge work, customer service and operations
- Secondary audience: HR advisors and team leads seeking a refresh on digital norms and escalation pathways
- Prerequisites: Basic familiarity with email, instant messaging and video conferencing platforms. Participants must have manager approval to attend and commit to completing pre work
- Cohort size: 12 to 24 participants for optimal interaction

Programme duration & format
- Total length: 6 weeks
- Format mix: 2 × full day face to face workshops (Week 1 and Week 5), 4 × 90 minute live virtual sessions (Weeks 2 to 4), and ongoing self paced modules with micro learning (videos, templates, short quizzes) available throughout
- Delivery mode: Hybrid (in person + virtual + LMS). Face to face venues rotated between Sydney and Melbourne; virtual sessions use a secure platform with breakout rooms

Learning outcomes (behavioural & measurable)
By programme end, participants will be able to:
- Design and implement a digital communication charter for their team with measurable adoption targets
- Reduce email clutter and unnecessary meetings by 30% across pilot teams (measured via calendar and email analytics)
- Identify and mitigate three common sources of miscommunication online (tone, timing, ambiguous language) with applied techniques
- Respond to cyberbullying, data privacy and misinformation incidents using a standardised workflow aligned to Company policy
- Facilitate psychologically safe digital meetings and reduce perceived meeting fatigue scores by at least one point on a 10 point scale
- Coach peers: each participant will complete two coaching check ins with a peer and submit a manager observation report

Week by week module breakdown

Pre programme (one week before Week 1)
- Admin: cohort welcome pack, LMS access, logistical details for workshops
- Pre workshop survey: baseline measures on confidence, current pain points, meeting overload, perceived clarity of team communication and a short digital footprint audit
- Pre reading: short articles and a 12 minute video on the history of digital communication (a sharp, non academic primer)
- Micro task: submit one example of a recent misunderstood digital message (anonymised). This becomes course material

Week 1, In person workshop: Foundations & Culture (Full day)
Morning (3 hours)
- Opening: scene setting and a candid discussion of current failures participants bring, real and specific
- Module 1: The anatomy of digital messages, tone, structure, and cognitive load. Practical exercises rewriting poorly phrased emails
- Module 2: Principles of a digital communication charter, what it is, why it matters, and examples that work (real templates adapted to participant contexts)

Afternoon (3 hours)
- Module 3: Synchronous vs asynchronous, decision matrix and rules of thumb. When to pick a message, a call, or a video
- Module 4: Privacy, consent and data minimisation, case studies and rapid decision drills
- Action planning: teams draft a one page digital communication charter for their Business unit to test during Week 2 to 4. Homework: finalise charter draft and upload to LMS

Week 2, Virtual session: Meeting design and video etiquette (90 minutes)
- Micro lecture: meeting taxonomy and four rules for humane meetings (start/stop on time, clear agenda, prepared participants, decision record)
- Breakouts: design a 30 minute team meeting to replace a recurring 90 minute session; present back
- Video etiquette drills: lighting, framing, background, and the one surprising rule people ignore that kills presence
- Quick win: a one page meeting template and an automatic calendar setup checklist

Week 3, Virtual session: Tone, clarity and written presence (90 minutes)
- Deep dive: techniques for precision in writing, subject lines, action owners, decision by dates
- Roleplay: handling escalation in writing, three templates (defuse, escalate, document)
- Mini lab: instant messaging protocols, status, channel governance, and the "no assumption" rule
- Assignment: implement IM protocol for two weeks and log incidents

Week 4, Virtual session: Misinformation, moderation and safety (90 minutes)
- Module: recognising misinformation and rumour dynamics in internal comms
- Workshop: building a rapid response checklist for rumours, leaks or harmful posts
- Cyberbullying and harassment: legal and HR contours, support steps and record keeping
- Simulation: participants respond to an escalating social post with competing facts and stakeholders. Manager observation scheduled

Week 5, In person workshop: Leadership in practice & capstone (Full day)
Morning
- Review of charters, IM logs and manager observations from Weeks 2 to 4. Group critiques and refinement
- Capstone brief: each participant must design and present a two week pilot to change one measurable behaviour (e.g., no meeting Mondays, 3 line email rule, channel pruning)

Afternoon
- Presentation clinic: coaching on delivery and stakeholder engagement
- Final assessments: roleplay scoring (peer + facilitator), manager observation reports submitted, post programme survey administered
- Graduation: teams sign off on charter pilots and schedule a 90 day check in with managers

Ongoing support (post programme)
- 90 day pulse survey and data dashboard review
- Optional one hour coaching session for participant and manager
- Access to updated templates and a private alumni channel

Assessment strategy and rubrics
- Pre/post surveys: measure changes in confidence, perceived clarity, meeting fatigue and digital overload. Comparative reporting provided to HR
- Behavioural metrics: email volume and calendar time assessed pre and post pilot (participant consent required). Target reduction: 30% email volume or 20% meeting time within pilot teams
- Roleplay scoring: standard rubric (clarity, empathy, escalation logic, documentation). Minimum passing score 70% to demonstrate competency
- Manager observation: structured form assessing application of charter and coaching behaviours. Two observations required
- Capstone evaluation: judged on clarity of problem, proposed intervention, measurement plan and stakeholder buy in. Pass/Fail with feedback

Learning activities and pedagogical approach
- Active learning: real rewriting tasks, live roleplays, and simulation labs
- Peer coaching: buddy system ensures accountability and reflective practice
- Micro learning: 8 short videos (4 to 8 minutes), downloadable templates, and checklists
- Reflective practice journals: participants complete weekly prompts to build a habit of intentional communication
- Applied projects: every element ties back to an immediate workplace problem

Facilitation team and trainer notes
- Lead facilitator: experienced organisational trainer with background in communication design and HR investigations. Supplementary trainers: an IT security advisor and a behavioural scientist
- Trainer ratio: 1 facilitator per 12 participants for face to face; 1 per 20 during virtual breakouts
- We will bring examples and anonymised case studies from Australian contexts and public sector scenarios that participants recognise. We prefer constructive examples, we don't name companies that were problematic

Materials and technology
- LMS access for all participants, mobile optimised
- Pre workshop workbook (PDF), editable templates (Word/Google Docs), meeting and email audit spreadsheets
- Video conferencing platform with breakout rooms, polling, and recording enabled. Secure channels for sensitive case studies
- Physical materials for face to face: flipcharts, roleplay scripts, quick reference cards

Logistics and practical constraints
- Price: $495 inc. GST per participant. Includes two face to face workshop days, four live virtual sessions, LMS access and assessment reporting. Travel costs for participants not included. Minimum viable cohort: 12 participants. Maximum face to face cohort: 24
- Locations: rotating face to face venues in Sydney and Melbourne with satellite streaming for participants in Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra. One or two cohorts can be run simultaneously with dedicated facilitators
- Accessibility: all video content captioned; materials available in accessible PDF formats

Measurement of impact, what HR will see
- Short term (0 to 8 weeks): improved clarity scores in post programme surveys; reduction in average email length and meeting duration in pilot teams
- Medium term (3 months): managers report improved decision handover and fewer repeated clarifications; employee engagement indicators show improvement where the charter was adopted
- Long term (6 to 12 months): reduction in low value meeting hours and a baseline behaviour change measured by follow up surveys and analytics

Risk management and escalation pathways
- Data privacy: participants must give consent for any email/calendar analysis. All analytics will be aggregated and anonymised
- Sensitive incidents: modules on cyberbullying and harassment include immediate escalation steps to HR and security teams. Facilitators will not mediate formal disputes but will document and advise
- Resistance to change: we teach influence and stakeholder mapping to get leadership buy in; programme includes a one pager for executives summarising ROI

Examples of session activities (select)
- "Rewrite in 60", speed exercise to turn a confused email into a clear one
- "Meeting triage", participants sort recurring meetings into keep/merge/kill
- "Misinfo triage", small groups practice verifying claims and constructing an internal advisory
- "Tone translator", translate a blunt message into neutral, empathetic, and assertive forms
- "Roleplay escalation", handle an internal post that spreads damaging rumours

Templates and deliverables participants take away
- Team digital communication charter (editable)
- Meeting template and calendar etiquette checklist
- Email efficiency template: subject line rules, action owner line, and decision record
- Incident response checklist for misinformation and harassment
- Measurement dashboard template for managers

Facilitator guidance on tricky subjects
- On emojis and humour: teach rules of thumb, only use when you know the recipient; avoid irony in group messages. Some participants will oppose using emojis in professional contexts; that's okay, present data and let teams decide
- On surveillance and analytics: be transparent. If you're measuring mail volume, tell your people why and how you're protecting their privacy. Secret monitoring is counterproductive
- On cultural differences: Australian workplaces are direct; however, respect for hierarchy and cultural norms varies. Encourage teams to surface norms explicitly

Two positive opinions some readers might disagree with
- Opinion 1: Short, focused asynchronous communication is a more potent productivity tool than another manager directing a team, fewer meetings, better outcomes
- Opinion 2: Organisations that invest in structured communication charters see measurable improvements in trust and decision speed; it's not HR fluff

Capstone examples (sample briefs)
- "Reduce internal emails by 30% in Customer Ops by creating a two channel IM system and a weekly digest"
- "Implement a 'meeting hygiene' pilot in Sales to cut recurring meeting hours by 25% and include a pre read requirement"
- "Create a rapid response process for misinformation in the marketing team, reducing time to action from 24 to 6 hours"

Costs, ROI and justification for executives
- Direct cost per participant: $495 inc. GST. For a team of 20, total cost $9,900. Expect a rapid return in time saved: if each participant reduces 1 hour/week of low value meetings or email, the annualised saving easily offsets programme costs. We'll provide a simple ROI calculator as part of the executive summary for stakeholders

Evaluation and follow up
- Post programme dashboard summarising: survey results, behavioural analytics, capstone outcomes, manager feedback and recommendation roadmap
- Recommended 90 day review with HR and cohort manager to determine scaling plan. Optional refresher micro session after six months

Common objections and how to handle them
- "We don't have the time.", Short, sharp modules and immediate wins make time back visible. Pilot a subset of behaviours first
- "This is another policy that won't stick.", We embed behavioural commitments in manager KPIs and run manager coaching
- "We can't measure behaviour.", Start with simple proxies: email volume, calendar hours and survey items

What success looks like (practical indicators)
- Charter adoption rate: at least 70% of participants' teams adopt a version of the charter within 30 days
- Measurable reductions in email and meeting metrics in pilot groups
- Improved clarity and psychological safety scores in post programme survey
- Managers report fewer rework cycles and clearer decision trails

Why run this in a hybrid format (opinion)
Hybrid delivery respects reality: leaders can't always travel, but face to face days are worth their weight in gold for tone and roleplay. The virtual sessions keep momentum. Face to face for culture; virtual for reinforcement

Facilitator toolkit (what trainers need)
- Detailed session scripts, roleplay scenarios, scoring rubrics, facilitator slides, quick reference cards and an escalation playbook
- Access to a secure LMS and a data analyst for simple email/calendar audits (with consent)
- Local venue agreements and AV checklists for face to face days

Optional add ons
- One day internal train the trainer for in house facilitators
- Executive briefing session (90 minutes) to secure leadership sponsorship
- Customisation for regulated industries (financial services, health) with added compliance modules

Final notes, a frank bit of advice
Most organisations treat digital communication as a hygiene issue. It's not. It's a leadership capability. Teach it, measure it, and hold leaders accountable. Do that and you get better decisions, clearer work and, honestly, less stress. We've run similar pilots in Melbourne public sector teams with tangible wins, and yes, people are sceptical at first. The sceptics usually become the champions

Trainer memory: this outline assumes familiarity with corporate LMS systems, basic analytics, and that the commissioning Organisation will provide participant email/calendar datasets under appropriate consent