Why Fortify Communications?

Your staff are your front line.  Their communication impacts every facet of your operational success, from corporate image to sales, employee morale to innovation.  With over 20-years operational experience with the Queensland Police Service; 12-years experience as a Police Hostage Negotiator; 10-years experience as a Counter-Terrorism Hostage Negotiator for the Australian Government; and 15-years as a Barrister-at-Law, Patrick Van Grinsven founded Fortify Communications in 2008 in response to requests to share his captivating experiences. 

Through the light-hearted wit of hindsight, he pinpoints his pivotal communications tactics and most importantly demonstrates how these skills can be adapted to his audience's unique circumstances.  Upon completion, your staff will return to their front line with a tailored communications toolkit, empowered to achieve their goals and ultimately your success!

Fortify Communications is a bespoke communications skills consultancy and training provider that develops and delivers various workshops and presentations that are contextualised to the specific needs of any organisation, be that government or private sector.

Why the reference to the game of chess?

The game of chess is one of strategy, persistence, masterful positioning and one where its players become better with practise and learning from their opponents, regardless of victory or defeat.  There is a reason why this widespread and simple to grasp board game has become an ageless and enduring pastime for many, throughout history and around the world. By observing and learning the techniques used to win purposefully at chess; you can learn a great deal on how you can win, purposefully, at life.

Once taught, implemented and practiced, effective communications skills and strategies can greatly enhance a person's ability to not only achieve their personal goals in their private lives, but to also further their professional careers in the workplace and to achieve the operational success for any business. 

Fortify Communications teaches enhanced techniques and tactics for strategic communications positioning that maximises your ability to achieve your goal, and in that way is not dissimilar to the great game of chess. 

strategic communications

The Strategic Communications course provides the base framework and skills for enhanced communications techniques.  The program is purpose designed to contextually fit the specific needs of the client.  The techniques taught have been operationally trialled, tested and proven with its foundations based upon proven crisis negotiation principles and tactics. The program focuses predominately on how to effectively control and manage 'difficult communications' and demonstrates the real-world application of the techniques.

advanced strategic communications

This next level course, building upon the foundation work taught in 'Strategic Communications', focuses on more specific and advanced techniques that are specifically tailored to the client's organisational needs including: communications strategy development; perception management; and de-escalation techniques.

client-centric Practicums

Fortify Communications liaises with the client to identify organisational specific examples of employee communications engagement and expectations.  'Interactive practicums' are then developed and contextualised to the client's needs to provide participants an opportunity to practice the techniques taught in the Strategic Communications and Advanced Strategic Communications courses whilst supervised and guided by experienced communications experts. 

Negotiation 101

Being able to negotiate effectively is a valuable skill in any situation be that in your private lives or in your profession / career. A good negotiator can build better relationships, deliver long-term solutions and avoid conflict. By exploring a variety of proven negotiation techniques and practical tools you’ll gain the skills needed to plan for, and conduct effective negotiations.

negotiation - master class

This next level course, building upon the foundation work taught in 'NEGOTIATION 101', focuses on more specific and advanced techniques.

crisis Negotiator training

An 'in-house' negotiator training course designed to provide government agencies with their own organisation specific 'negotiation capability and response'. 

This course contains 'protected methodologies' and is only available to government agencies within Australia, New Zealand, and upon consultation, the governments of the Pacific Islands (Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia).  The course will be of particular interest to agencies in the law enforcement, corrections, national security and military sectors.

This course involves practical scenarios and exercises and will require joint development and commitment.

The course will be purpose designed to suit specific agency environments and contextualised through a robust consultation process.

Legal practitioners - Continuing professional development (CPD)

Legal practitioners, be that Solicitors or Barristers, are required to complete a minimum of 10 CPD points each year to maintain their practising certificate, stay up to date with legislative changes and the evolution of the ‘business of law’ relevant to their area of practice.

Fortify Communications can assist legal practitioners gain their CPD points through presentations and conferences facilitated by experienced Barristers-at-Law, specifically selected for expertise in their respective areas of practice.

Keynote Speaker

Choosing the right motivational speaker for your event can make or break the occasion.  A world-class speaker does not just become one overnight, it requires timing, relevance, speaking experience, but most importantly it requires the speaker to work with you and complement your message. A great motivational speaker will leave you with some wisdom that you can take away and use for the rest of your life. They should inspire you to be more creative and to communicate better with people. They should make you look inside yourself and teach you how to become a better leader, or how to become a better team player, but they should also teach you how to have some fun at work and in life.