How can you make professional communication training at once more engaging, easier to understand, and more memorable?
That question was central to a research project that ran from December 2022 to December 2023. All participants took part in a communication training programme based on an interaction model developed from recent research. This model was implemented differently across groups: some groups worked exclusively with cognitive knowledge transfer and exercises, while others combined the model with explicitly embodied movements and principles drawn from aikido.
From Training to Publication
The analysis of the results has since been published. This process took time, as is typical of rigorous academic research. The article went through a double-blind peer-review procedure: independent experts assessed the study anonymously, without knowing who the authors were, while the authors in turn did not know the identity of the reviewers. This procedure guarantees a critical, careful, and fair evaluation, but it also requires patience.Key Findings
The results show that embodied communication training has effects on several levels. In the groups where the interaction model was complemented with aikido movements and principles, the following effects emerged:participants felt more strongly engaged;
they reported a clearer understanding of the content;
learning gains, especially in the first month after the training, were both perceptible and measurable.
In addition, satisfaction with the underlying interaction model was high in all groups, including the comparison groups without explicit embodied exercises. This indicates that the model itself was experienced as meaningful and workable, while the embodied approach provided clear added value.
The Full Article
Those interested in the research design, the comparisons between groups, and the results can read the full article here:De Baets, G. A., Plevoets, K., Decock, S., & Van Praet, E. (2025). The Potential of Aikido in Intercultural Business Communication Training: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Embodied Pedagogy. Journal of Experiential Education, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/10538259251397872
Acknowledgements
My thanks go to all participants in the study. Their engagement and feedback made this analysis possible. The research was also supported by close collaboration with co-authors and experts.I am no longer affiliated with Ghent University. I currently work part-time at UCLouvain in Brussels and, in parallel, part-time as a Communication Doctor, offering training, workshops, and lectures on professional communication, plain language, and interaction in practice.
Author
Greet Angèle DE BAETS
Communication Doctor
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