Strategic Communication for Organizations (KACIM-915-5) As you gain seniority, your ability to strategically and effectively communicate becomes increasingly critical. CEOs say they spend the large majority of their time proactively communicating to engage large and dispersed workforces and manage the interests of diverse stakeholders.
As ambitious managers, your communication abilities will quickly be put to the test. Whether you’re managing a cross-functional team, creating strategic alignment, building or shaping culture, or initiating and driving change, the ability to effectively engage, mobilize and gain the support of a broad set of stakeholders is instrumental to your success.
In this five-week course, you’ll gain insight into the leader’s role as a communicator and spokesperson. We’ll focus on how leaders use strategic communication to build employee engagement, drive change and manage through crisis. Through the course, you’ll learn how to create communication plans and strategies to facilitate organizational success while also developing your own communications skills.
Strategic Communication for Organizations (KACI-915-5) Effective communication is essential in the workplace - it contributes dramatically to your ability to succeed at every level of an organization and is relevant across every function. It is through strategic, audience-centered, and compelling communication that you convey your talents and abilities and engage others in accomplishing shared goals and tasks.
Knowledge workers spend more than 60% of their time every day communicating and communication skills are tested further as you grow in seniority and become responsible for leading others and engaging diverse stakeholders. The course will teach you to thoughtfully consider how to leverage communication at key career stages - as an individual contributor, a manager or team leader and as an executive. More specifically, we'll explore how leaders use strategic communication to build employee engagement (one-on-one and in groups), drive change and perform under pressure.
Each class session will combine lecture and discussion with exercises and cases that allow you to apply the concepts we discuss. In summary, this course is about providing you with a strong foundation in communications strategy and the opportunity to gain insights and develop skills that will allow you to be a more aware and effective communicator.
Field Study (KACI-498-0) Field Studies include those opportunities outside of the regular curriculum in which a student is working with an outside company or non-profit organization to address a real-world business challenge for course credit under the oversight of a faculty member.
Personal Leadership Insights (KACI-461-5) This course is a unique opportunity for students who are highly motivated and committed to their personal development and growth as a leader and who value the chance to do this work in a group setting. The Kellogg faculty leader serves as coach and facilitator to guide students through a process that explores who they are (strengths, needs, values), reveals how others experience them (feedback), examines who they want to be (vision/purpose) and identifies actions for moving forward (development planning). Individual reflective exercises will be further explored and shared in small group meetings, full class discussion, and individual coaching appointments with the faculty. Students complete a paper integrating their personal insights. There is no final exam.
Because the course focuses on self-awareness and relationships with others, students rely on interactions with each other to experience vulnerability and growth within an environment of safety and trust. Therefore, students will not receive a letter grade, but rather a "Pass" with 0.5 credits or a "No-Credit" on their transcript. The "Pass" designation will be given if the following requirements are met: 100% attendance (non-negotiable), completion of all assignments, honoring confidentiality, and active participation in class activities and discussions.
Please note that the 100% attendance policy is non-negotiable across all sections and instructors. Only bid on a section for which you are sure you can attend every class session. Review the abbreviated syllabus for that section to confirm the precise meeting dates.