Communication and Interpersonal Skills Program Track

Last Updated: October 7, 2026 11:55:56 AM PDT

Discover professional development opportunities for communication and interpersonal skills.

Communication and Interpersonal Skills at UC San Diego

Communication skills include both sending and receiving messages as well as elements impacting how we connect with each other to share information. As UC San Diego employees, communication and interpersonal skills come into play on a daily basis in written (email, instant message, Zoom chat, etc.) and verbal forms (audio call, video call, in person). Communication skills are a necessary element of every day work, personal life, and professional development for a successful career. When communication is successful all parties involved experience connection and action.

Additional topics include:

Building self-awareness of your communication style, approach, and potential areas of strength and future growth
Engaging in active listening
Growing your emotional intelligence skills
Exploring communication through a cultural lens

Explore

Communication Basics

Explore the basics of communication in having meaningful interactions, connecting with your audience, and minimizing frustrations.

Resource	Description	Modality
The Art of Effective Communication	Marcus Alexander Velazquez challenges the audience to evaluate their current methods of communicating for the purposes of saving time and emotions, as well as increasing the effectiveness of one’s communication.	TED Talk
Leadercamp On-demand: Intentional Communication	Explore how to build trust and strengthen team relationships through intentional, "other-centered" communication. This Leadercamp will teach you how to connect meaningfully, manage conflict, and give constructive feedback.	Skillsoft
Communication Skills: Verbal, Vocal, and Visual Communication	Learn how to achieve effective and meaningful communication by ensuring the three parts of your message—verbal, vocal, and visual—support each other.	YouTube Video
How miscommunication happens (and how to avoid it)	Katherine Hampsten describes why miscommunication occurs so frequently, and how we can minimize frustration while expressing ourselves better.	TED Talk

Communication Skills

Explore foundational communication skills emphasizing listening, tailoring messages for the audience, and identifying communication barriers.

Resource	Description	Modality
10 ways to have a better conversation	Celeste Headlee shares 10 useful rules for having better conversations that center the ingredients of a great conversation: honesty, brevity, clarity, and a healthy amount of listening.	TED Talk
Conveying Your Message without Words	In this course, you'll learn to recognize the outcomes of nonverbal messages conveyed using facial expressions, body movement, and gestures on your communication. You'll explore how to convey messages of confidence, respect, and sympathy through nonverbal communication means. You'll also learn best practices for communicating nonverbally in a virtual environment and how to identify the nonverbal communication areas that can vary between individuals and in different cultural contexts.	Skillsoft
Overcoming Barriers to Effective Listening	In this course, you'll learn to recognize how good listening habits can increase your effectiveness in the workplace and what listening tendencies interfere with effective communication. You'll also learn to recognize strategies for maintaining focus while listening and identify ways to effectively listen when your emotions have been activated.	Skillsoft
Empathy: The Heart of Difficult Conversations	Michelle Stowe is a restorative practitioner, trainer, and consultant. She is passionate about creating well-being and happiness in the workplace, and particularly interested in re-culturing schools and cultivating a restorative paradigm shift that honors community and connection.	TED Talk
Bridging differences in cross-cultural communication	Learn about two principal dimensions of culture that underlie culturally different ways of communicating and the vocabulary that will allow you to explain differences in communication styles. Explore barriers to communicating effectively across cultures and identify ways to overcome them.	Skillsoft
Expanding Your Communication Skillset	Learn how to build a strong communication skill set that helps you collaborate and convey your message clearly. In this course, you'll explore how to read your audience, choose the right format for different situations, and handle tough conversations.	Skillsoft
The Art of Clear and Confident Communication	Discover practical tools for speaking effectively and confidently in any workplace situation.	Skillsoft

Communication Applications

Explore how to apply communication skills so that building trust and developing effective team communications is at the center of your approach.

Resource	Description	Modality
Adapting your communication style to lead effectively:	Unlock your leadership potential by learning to adapt your communication style to fit different situations. In this course, you'll explore how to build trust, guide structured discussions, and use diplomacy to create a thriving team environment.	Skillsoft
Building a Cohesive Team	Explore strategies for building a cohesive, collaborative, and supportive team environment. In this course, you will learn how to foster trust, build rapport, and navigate constructive conflict resolution for collective success.	Skillsoft
Writing Effective E-mails and Instant Messages	Explore the fundamental elements of written communication that every email should contain and the importance of keeping emails concise. Learn some tried and tested guidelines for writing emails to ensure you get messages across quickly, appropriately, and concisely.	Skillsoft
Developing Diplomacy and Tact	Communicating with diplomacy and tact allows you to be more persuasive and build stronger relationships. In this course, you'll learn about tact and diplomacy: what they are, and how enhancing your business communication skills through their employment can be of value.	Skillsoft

Communication Aspire Journey
	Explore a guided learning path filled with practical strategies for communicating more effectively in your daily interactions. This journey is designed to help any employee, from individual contributors to managers, build confidence and elevate their impact.

Build Skills

Resource	Description	Modality	Icons
Better Conversations Every Day	Opportunity for those in leadership roles or interested in leading teams. Learn how to create a feedback culture where people feel free to hold candid conversations with one another. Scale coaching skills and create a climate of feedback rooted in building trust, psychological safety, collaboration, inclusion and resilience, and emotional intelligence. Fee Required	Center for Creative Leadership
Crucial Conversations: Mastering Dialogue training	Learn to address concerns, navigate disagreement, and reach alignment when it matters most. Offered through Crucial Learning in on-demand, virtual, and in-person formats Fee Required	Crucial Learning

Beyond

Resource	Description	Modality	Icons
Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue Trainer Certification	After completing "Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue" training become certified so you can facilitate the course in person and virtually. Guide your team in learning how to speak truthfully and tactfully, reach alignment when stakes are high and opinions vary, and navigate important interactions at home and work. Fee Required	Course (virtual or in-person)

Key

Icon	Description
	Fee - there is a required fee for this resource
	Hourglass - this resource can be completed in under two hours
	Calendar - this resource requires a time commitment of two days or more
	In-person - this resource requires face-to-face interaction in an in-person setting
	Beginner - this resource works well for new learners
	Intermediate - this resource is most helpful for learners with a brief understanding of the topic
	Advanced - this resource is helpful for learners with a thorough understanding of the topic
	Online - this resource is offered in a virtual setting

Still need help?

If you are a campus employee, and still have questions, please reach out to hr@ucsd.edu.

If you are an employee of UCSD Health, please visit hhr.ucsd.edu or call (619) 543-3200.