BUS 4040, Communication Skills for Leaders Course Syllabus. Course Description. Course Textbook. Course Learning Outcomes. Credits. Academic Integrity

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1 BUS 4040, Communication Skills for Leaders Course Syllabus Course Description Review of the importance of professionalism in all types of communications. This course provides you with the opportunity to improve your abilities to communicate effectively, regardless of the medium or situation. Emphasis is placed on writing and presentation skills. You will also be given information that will enhance your understanding of factors contributing to group effectiveness to develop skills in working as a member of a group or project team. Course Textbook Barrett, D. J. (2011). Leadership communication (3rd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Course Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this course, students should be able to: 1. Summarize the three primary purposes of leadership. 2. Identify the 10 guidelines to avoid in verbal communication. 3. Explain the 3 P's to remember when preparing a presentation. 4. Summarize common problems with stance and gestures. 5. Define and discuss the meaning of emotional intelligence. 6. Identify and describe the 6 styles of leadership. 7. Generalize the 7 likely attitudes regarding unproductive meetings. 8. Give examples of what should be done to conduct productive meetings. 9. Summarize recommended approaches to handle team conflict. 10. Relate the importance of mission and vision to strengthening internal communication. 11. Give examples of how a university can build and maintain a positive organizational image. Credits Upon completion of this course, the students will earn three (3) hours of college credit. Academic Integrity Honesty and integrity are taken very seriously at Waldorf University. All students should be familiar with the Waldorf University Academic Integrity Policy (found in the current Student Handbook) and the consequences that will result from breaches of this policy. Course Structure The course is divided into eight units. The purpose of the course unit is to create an integrative body of knowledge. Each course unit contains the following activities designed to enhance your understanding of the subject matter. 1. The Unit Lesson highlights, summarizes, and alerts students to areas of importance within selected readings. 2. The Unit Learning Outcomes will help students identify how learning will be demonstrated, supported and evaluated. 3. The Required and Supplemental Reading Assignments may include textbook readings, supplemental books, professional journals, and Internet sites. 4. Information and specifications regarding Discussion Board questions are provided in the Course Policies section. BUS 4040, Communication Skills for Leaders 1

2 5. Students are required to take Unit Assessments at the completion of each unit. These questions reflect all of the material covered in each unit. Unit Assignments Article Critique Search for a peer-reviewed, scholarly article, either in the Waldorf Online Library or another university or virtual library, on Leadership Communication. Begin with an introduction that defines the subject of your critique and your point of view. Defend your point of view by raising specific issues or aspects of the argument. Conclude your critique by summarizing your argument and re-emphasizing your opinion. You will first need to identify and explain the author's ideas. Include specific passages that support your description of the author's point of view. Offer your own opinion. Explain what you think about the argument. Describe several points with which you agree or disagree. For each of the points you mention, include specific passages from the text (you may summarize, quote, or paraphrase) that provide evidence for your point of view. Explain how the passages support your opinion. Write your critique in standard essay form with a minimum of 500 words in APA format. Submit your Article Critique using the link in Unit I. Project 1 Create a 7-10 slide presentation on creating leadership communication. You may use various sources including your textbook. Be sure to cite any sources used in a reference slide utilizing APA formatting. (Title and Reference slides do not count toward the required length of the presentation.) You are encouraged to use the slide notes function when appropriate to clarify the purpose and intent for each slide. Be sure to include the following concepts in your presentation: Comparisons of various written medium. Guidelines for selecting the appropriate medium. Techniques for organizing the communication content. Submit your Project 1 using the link in Unit III. Executive Summary Utilizing the Case Study provided in your textbook Application 4.3 Creating an Executive Summary (Barrett, p ) you have been tasked with reviewing the case and creating an Executive Summary that would provide information needed by Senior Management. Develop a one-page Executive Summary, remembering that your summary may be the only information available to management about this case. Submit your Executive Summary using the link in Unit III. BUS 4040, Communication Skills for Leaders 2

3 Project 2 Choose a topic of interest to you and create a leadership presentation. You may choose one of the following topics or select one of your own. Possible project ideas are: Announcement about an upcoming change in your company s performance assessment process. Information regarding the economic impact of Mardi Gras 2012 on the City of Mobile. Issues and political/economic considerations surrounding national health care. Create a leadership presentation communicating the message. You may (a) prepare a PowerPoint Presentation (7-10 slides), (b) prepare a minimum of three handouts, (c) prepare a podcast, (d) prepare a video, or (e) develop another creative means to present the information. You may use various sources including your textbook. Be sure to cite any sources used in a reference slide utilizing APA formatting. (Title and Reference slides do not count toward the required length of the presentation.) You are encouraged to use the slide notes function when appropriate to clarify the purpose and intent for slides. This file should be saved in a manner appropriate to the medium and uploaded in the assignment box for this unit. Make sure that you are adhering to the guidelines learned in Chapters 5-6. Submit your Project 2 using the link in Unit IV. Essay 1 Write a reflective essay that describes the approaches you have used in presenting this material to your audience. Explain why you chose to present the information using this approach (PowerPoint, handouts, podcast, or another creative means). Did you meet with challenges in preparing this presentation? Explain. You essay should be between words. Be sure to include citations for quotations and paraphrases with references in APA format and style. Submit your Essay 1 using the link in Unit IV. Essay 2 One of the most challenging roles for a leader is to guide an organization through a major change. Adding to the complexity of the process is the fact that individuals within the organization respond to change differently. Kurt Lewin (as cited in Bennis, 2003) stated, If you want to truly understand something, try to change it (p. 133). What does Lewin mean by this statement? Discuss the three major phases of a change communication program. Reflect on an instance in which you tried to bring about change within an organization but were unsuccessful. What did you learn from this experience? Did the change support the organization s mission? Why or why not? If a similar situation were to occur again in the future, describe what you could do, as a leader, to better facilitate the change process. Create an action plan for designing a communication program for this change. Suggested length for this paper is three to five pages. Title page and Reference page are not included in the three page minimum. You are required to use at least your textbook as a source material for your response. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations. Paper formatting, including citations and references, should adhere to APA guidelines. Submit your Essay 2 using the link in Unit VII. Bennis, W. (2003). On becoming a leader. Cambridge, MA: Basic Books. BUS 4040, Communication Skills for Leaders 3

4 Crisis Management Paper You have recently been promoted to the position of Communications Director for XYZ Corporation. A recent explosion in one of your plants has left XYZ in turmoil. As a leader, your task is to develop and present to your management, an external relations strategy for rebuilding XYZ Corporation s corporate image. Include how you will address the needs of the stakeholders, as well as how you will address the news media as you lead the recovery from this crisis. In addition to outlining your strategy, your presentation should include a discussion addressing why/how you feel that your strategy will accomplish the goal of rebuilding the corporate image. Suggested length for this paper is three to five pages. Title page and Reference page are not included in the three page minimum. You are required to use at least your textbook as a resource for your response. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations. Paper formatting, including citations and references, should adhere to APA guidelines. Submit your Crisis Management Paper using the link in Unit VIII. Submitting Course Papers/Projects Once you have completed your papers/projects, submit your completed papers/projects by uploading through the Assignment tab in each unit. Do not your paper directly to your professor. By using the Assignment tab, your record will automatically be updated to indicate you have submitted your papers/projects and the assignment will be provided to your professor for grading. Instructions for submitting your assignment can be found under the Assignment tab in each unit. APA Guidelines Waldorf College requires that students use the APA style for papers and projects. Therefore, the APA rules for formatting, quoting, paraphrasing, citing, and listing of sources are to be followed. Information about using APA style can be found in APA Style Help in the Course Menu. This area provides links to internet sites, tutorials, and guides that provide comprehensive information on APA formatting, including examples and sample papers. Grading Rubrics This course utilizes analytic grading rubrics as tools for your professor in assigning grades for all learning activities. Each rubric serves as a guide that communicates the expectations of the learning activity and describes the criteria for each level of achievement. In addition, a rubric is a reference tool that lists evaluation criteria and can help you organize your efforts to meet the requirements of that learning activity. It is imperative for you to familiarize yourself with these rubrics because these are the primary tools your professor uses for assessing learning activities. Rubric categories include: (1) Discussion Board, (2) Assessment (Written Response), and (3) Assignment. However, it is possible that not all of the listed rubric types will be used in a single course (e.g., some courses may not have Assessments). The Discussion Board rubric can be found within Unit I s Discussion Board submission instructions. The Assessment (Written Response) rubric can be found embedded in a link within the directions for each Unit Assessment. However, these rubrics will only be used when written-response questions appear within the Assessment. Each Assignment type (e.g., article critique, case study, research paper) will have its own rubric. The Assignment rubrics are built into Blackboard, allowing students to review them prior to beginning the Assignment and again once the Assignment has been scored. This rubric can be accessed via the Assignment link located within the unit where it is to be submitted. Students may also access the rubric through the course menu by selecting the Grades link. Again, it is vitally important for you to become familiar with these rubrics because their application to your Discussion Boards, Assessments, and Assignments is the method by which your instructor assigns all grades. BUS 4040, Communication Skills for Leaders 4

5 Communication Forums These are non-graded discussion forums that allow you to communicate with your professor and other students. Participation in these discussion forums is encouraged, but not required. You can access these forums with the buttons in the Course Menu. Instructions for subscribing/unsubscribing to these forums are provided below. Click here for instructions on how to subscribe/unsubscribe and post to the Communication Forums. Ask the Professor This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content questions. Questions may focus on Blackboard locations of online course components, textbook or course content elaboration, additional guidance on assessment requirements, or general advice from other students. Questions that are specific in nature, such as inquiries regarding assessment/assignment grades or personal accommodation requests, are NOT to be posted on this forum. If you have questions, comments, or concerns of a nonpublic nature, please feel free to your professor. Responses to your post will be addressed or ed by the professor within 48 hours. Before posting, please ensure that you have read all relevant course documentation, including the syllabus, assessment/assignment instructions, faculty feedback, and other important information. Student Break Room This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. Communication on this forum should always maintain a standard of appropriateness and respect for your fellow classmates. This forum should NOT be used to share assessment answers. Grading Discussion Boards 2%) = 16% Unit Assessments 10%) = 40% Article Critique = 4% Projects 5%) = 10% Executive Summary = 5% Essay 1 = 5% Essay 2 = 10% Crisis Management Paper = 10% Total = 100% Course Schedule/Checklist (PLEASE PRINT) The following pages contain a printable Course Schedule to assist you through this course. By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted. BUS 4040, Communication Skills for Leaders 5

6 BUS 4040, Communication Skills for Leaders Course Schedule By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted. Please keep this schedule for reference as you progress through your course. Unit I Leadership Communication Chapter 1: What is Leadership Communication? Chapter 2: Leadership Communication Purpose, Strategy, and Structure Supplemental Reading: See Study Guide Assessment by Article Critique by Unit II Language of Leaders Chapter 3: The Language of Leaders Supplemental Reading: See Study Guide Assessment by Unit III Written Leadership Communication Chapter 4: Creating Written Leadership Communication Project 1 by Executive Summary by BUS 4040, Communication Skills for Leaders 6

7 BUS 4040, Communication Skills for Leaders Unit IV Leadership Presentations and Graphics Course Schedule Chapter 5: Leadership Presentations Chapter 6: Graphics and PowerPoint with a Leadership Edge Documents: See Study Guide Project 2 by Essay 1 by Unit V Interpersonal Skills and Cross-Cultural Literacy Chapter 7: Leading Productive Meetings Chapter 8: Cross-Cultural Literacy and Communication Supplemental Reading: See Study Guide Supplemental Websites: See Study Guide Assessment by Unit VI Meetings and Team Leadership Chapter 9: Meetings: Leadership and Productivity Chapter 10: High-Performing Team Leadership Assessment by BUS 4040, Communication Skills for Leaders 7

8 BUS 4040, Communication Skills for Leaders Unit VII Strategic Internal Communication Course Schedule Chapter 11: Leadership through Strategic Internal Communication Essay 2 by Unit VIII Effective External Relations Chapter 12: Leadership through Effective External Relations Crisis Management Paper by BUS 4040, Communication Skills for Leaders 8