The calendar below provides information about the course sessions (S) and labs (L).
| WEEK # | SES #/ LAB # | TOPICS | OBJECTIVES | KEY DATES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | S1 | Course Introduction Communication Strategy | Introduce course and its requirements; define characteristics of management communication and their relationship to leadership; explore the components of a communication strategy and how to create one. | |
| 2 | S2 | Persuasive Communication | Examine how structure is related to strategy, review elements of logical and persuasive arguments and the power of story. | |
| L1 | Communication Style | Clarify individual communication style and establish baseline for team work. | User's Manual due | |
| 3 | S3 | Persuasive Communication / Writing | Examine the tools you will need to hone your business writing so that it's persuasive and clear. | |
| L2 | Building an Argument | Improve ability to develop a persuasive argument by previewing selected topic and argument outline of your Persuasive Presentation. | Argument Outline due | |
| 4 | S4 | Persuasive Communication / Presenting | Examine the skills and the practical frameworks involved to clarify your message and make your case in a persuasive and effective oral presentation. | Persuasive Writing Assignment due |
| L3 | Persuasive Pitches | Practice persuasive communication. | ||
| 5 | S5 | Visual Persuasion | With a focus on design, identify and review key best practices in data visualization. | 2‐minute Persuasive Pitch due |
| L4 | Presentation Visuals | Building on data visualization best practices, share draft slides for your Persuasive Presentation. | ||
| 6 | S6 | CDO Collaborative: Communicating to Get Noticed | Discuss how to get yourself noticed via a range of tools such as LinkedIn and a cover letter. | Draft Presentation Slides due |
| 7 | S7 | Enhancing Leadership Presence | Examine through a holistic lens how strategic communication, physical cues and an authentic voice contribute to leadership presence. | Persuasive Presentation Assignment due |
| L5 | Q&A Practice | Practice how to respond effectively to a range of questions in preparation for your Persuasive Presentation Assignment. | ||
| 8 | S8 |
Persuasive Communication / Listening and Feedback Speaker; TEDTalk: Amy Cuddy | Examine characteristics and effective framework for active and reflective listening and giving and receiving feedback | |
| L6 | Giving and Receiving Feedback | Understand the language of feedback to increase effectiveness, build trust, and avoid defensiveness Improve ability to speak descriptively and specifically, ask clarifying questions, and to listen | Feedback Scripts due | |
| 9 | S9 | CDO Collaborative Class: Communicating to Get Hired | Examine different types of interviews and best practices before, during and after the interview. | Intra‐team Feedback Survey due |
| 10 | S10 | Communicating Across Cultures | Examine norms and values that govern differences in communication styles; identify cultural variations in business communication; increase individual effectiveness in intercultural communication through an in‐ depth case discussion. | Team Presentation with Q&A due |
| L7 & L8 | Intra‐team Feedback | Help you and your teammates learn about your abilities to work in and lead teams by giving and receiving individual feedback on your contributions to the team this semester. Bolster team's collaboration in advance of the OP project presentation. | Intra-team Feedback Survey due | |
| 11 | S11 | Building Your Social Media Brand | Understand and assess the value of managing an effective personal social media strategy. | |
| 12 | S12 | Mastering Impromptu Speaking Cultural Insights | Practice creating and delivering a persuasive, logical argument in real time. | |
| L9 | Team Presentation Rehearsal | Practice delivering your persuasive presentation based on OP client project with each team member speaking. | ||
| 13 | S13 | Team Presentation | Teams deliver presentations. | |
| L10 | Strategic Reflection | Reflect on and assess the progression of your strategic communication skills over the semester and identify goals for your continued leadership communication development | ||
| 14 | S14 | Course Finale | Summarize and synthesize key concepts from 15.280. | Reflection Report due |