Client Overview

This nonprofit service provider, headquartered in Toledo, OH, employs more than 300 staff members across several sites. With a frontline-heavy workforce—including union-represented roles—the organization operates in a fast-paced environment where cross-functional collaboration is essential. We partnered with HR leaders, department directors, and supervising managers to deliver training focused on improving communication and accountability.

The Challenge

Like many organizations with large, distributed teams, this group faced ongoing challenges that impacted both employee experience and service delivery:

• Frequent misunderstandings between employees and supervisors
• A perceived lack of clear direction from leadership
• Project delays caused by misalignment across teams
• Customer service breakdowns rooted in poor communication

The result was a workplace culture in need of better tools for respectful, effective communication.

Our Solution

We designed a customized Communication & Respect training series to help employees at all levels engage more productively. The program emphasized:

• Practical communication tools like active listening, relationship-preserving language, and clarity across all communication channels
• Tailored training for frontline staff and supervisors, focused on giving and receiving feedback, redirecting conversations, and improving collaboration
• Interactive learning experiences using real-world scenarios to help staff immediately apply the skills in their roles
• Supportive reinforcement of a feedback-oriented culture that values openness and mutual respect

Highlights

To meet the needs of such a diverse and dispersed workforce, we took a phased and flexible approach:

• Canvassed departments to identify common pain points and real examples of communication breakdowns
• Developed short, virtual workshops to introduce key concepts
• Followed up with in-person, in-depth sessions for skill-building and practice
• Delivered toolkits and follow-up resources for teams to continue learning on their own

This approach helped reinforce learning and encourage long-term behavior change across departments.

The Results

By the end of the training cycle, participants reported:

• Increased confidence in workplace communication
• Greater clarity when delivering or receiving feedback
• The ability to apply tools and techniques in real-time interactions

The program not only improved collaboration across departments but also laid the foundation for stronger relationships between employees and leadership.

Why It Matters

Investing in communication and respect training across all levels of staff fosters a culture of psychological safety, collaboration, and accountability. When employees are equipped with the skills to engage respectfully and communicate effectively, teams become more cohesive, misunderstandings are reduced, and productivity improves. Most importantly, it builds trust—empowering people to speak up, support one another, and drive long-term success together.

Interested in Creating a Wellness Strategy for Your Organization?

Let’s work together to design a training strategy that strengthens communication, builds trust, and transforms culture.

Contact us at: workspring.org/training/contact-us