Training and intervention

Communication competence is unquestionably crucial to personal and career success, so it is not surprising that its development has generated tremendous interest among training professionals. This chapter reviews efforts to enhance communication competence through training. We examine methods of training and the contexts of relational, organizational, and community life where training has been called for, attempted, and (sometimes) assessed. In general, the studies we located supported the efficacy of communication training. Across contexts and training methods significant improvements were reported, often on multiple measures of effectiveness and appropriateness. Despite recent improvements in research rigor, convincing evaluation research remains scant. Small sample sizes and ill-defined training "treatments" are among the most obvious methodological limitations. As we found relatively few comparative studies, it is difficult to determine which training methods are superior. Few studies fully "teased out" the unique effects of improved communication practices on training outcomes. The effects of training must be considered in light of larger organizational or social conditions that mute or even nullify its effects. Finally, we found little interest in evaluating the degree to which training yielded more ethical communication practices. This dimension of communication competence deserves additional training and research.