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All about the Influence Skill 'Meta-communication'

Meta‑communication is a key influence skill. It’s all about noticing and naming what’s happening in a conversation like saying, “I notice we’re getting off track.” This helps create clarity, resolve misunderstandings quickly, and build trust. Learn to use meta‑communication to improve teamwork and deepen connections.

The challenge with Meta-communication

Sometimes what’s being said isn’t the real issue. But calling that out – talking about how we’re communicating – feels awkward or disruptive.

What is Meta-communication?

It’s communication about communication – discussing the underlying patterns, tone, assumptions, or dynamics of how people interact.

Why is Meta-communication important?

Meta-communication helps surface misunderstandings, clarify intent, and improve relational dynamics. It increases awareness and enables deeper, more effective conversations.

Developing the skill of Meta-communication

  1. Pause and Reflect: Observe the interaction, not just the content.
  2. Name the Dynamic: Gently highlight patterns (e.g., “I notice we keep interrupting each other”).
  3. Stay Curious: Ask, “How are we communicating right now?”
  4. Stay Neutral: Avoid blame—focus on improving the interaction.
  5. Use Humor (when appropriate): Lighten the mood to ease tension.
  6. Practice in Safe Settings: Build comfort before using it in high-stakes conversations.

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Other Influence Skills

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How The Influence Company can help

In our training sessions, metacommunication is an important topic. You’ll learn how to talk about the way you communicate — for example, by naming what’s happening in a conversation or clearing up misunderstandings. This helps you create more clarity, strengthen trust, and improve how you work and connect with others.

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Discover the theory of the Influence Model®

Influential people have the ability to ‘read’ a situation when it unfolds itself. They think about the different ways of responding to the situation, then use the behaviour that achieves the best result for everyone involved. You are influential when you can apply the right style of communication in the right situation.

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Tailored to your learning goals

No standard programmes, but courses fully tailored to the needs of your organisation. We develop a tailor-made training programme together with our experienced trainers to suit your learning goals.

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Keep track of your personal results

You will have your own online learning environment (the hub), where you will complete an intake, evaluation, impact assessment, and explore additional learning subjects. We provide the materials—do you have the discipline?

Dates and Locations

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Practical exercises with specialised trainers

No endless theoretical courses, but directly applicable knowledge and skills. You will learn to take action, by intense practical exercises and apply the received feedback from our experienced trainers. All our trainers have at least 1.000 hours of experience before they are standing in front of a group alone.

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Discover how influential you are.

We will start with an easy question: What's your name? *
Pleasure to meet you, . The result of your test will be sent by e-mail. This way you can always read it again later. You will also receive e-mails with tips to help you become even more influential. You can always unsubscribe from this at any time. Also check our privacy policy at https://influencecompany.com/privacy-statement/. Do you agree? *
Please enter your email adress *

Okay, let's begin! We’re now going to show you 16 statements and you can indicate on a five-point scale how much each one applies to you. Answer as accurately as you can.

1. I enjoy sharing my opinion or point of view *
2. I make clear proposals that address the problem at hand *
3. I easily come up with arguments for both sides in a discussion *
4. I’m well-prepared, and I know what I’m talking about *
5. I clearly indicate to others what I need from them *
6. I honestly tell others what I think of their behaviour *
7. I assertively defend my own boundaries, standards, and values *
8. I am clear about the consequences if someone doesn’t adhere to our agreement *
9. I ask others for their opinion and ideas *
10. I listen to others with an open mind and genuine interest *
11. In a conversation, I actively summarise what the other person has said *
12. I am open about my insecurities and feelings *
13. I tell others what we can achieve together *
14. I look for common interests within a team *
15. With my enthusiasm and optimism, I persuade/convince others of my ideas *
16. I have a clear vision of what I want to achieve in the future *
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Pricing Structure

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Learn more about the In-House possibilities

Curious about what an In-House edition of our Meta-communication course could look like for your organization? We would love to explore the possibilities with you. Schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your needs.