BUS 204 Managerial Communications
Course description: A study of the rhetoric of managerial communications. The student learns to improve his or her ability to communicate in such management situations as conflict resolution, negotiation, conducting meetings, making presentations, and working with teams using multiple genres-- listening, written, oral, multimedia, and the internet.
Required textbook: Management Communication: Principles and Practice, by Michael E. Hattersley and Linda M. McJannet, McGraw-Hill/Irwin; 4th edition
Instructional objectives: 1) Develop an understanding of the communication process in order to improve organizational effectiveness 2) Develop confidence in using written, oral, and multimedia communications-- the intent of the course is not to teach you how to communicate but rather to give you the opportunity to communicate with a new awareness—the focus of the course is on the conceptual aspects of communication rather than on the technical aspects of communication 3) Develop skills necessary to use power within the organization through communication 4) Develop a sensitivity to the rhetoric as it relates to the art of persuasion
Teaching procedure: This course combines classroom presentation of key unit themes followed by in class individual and group work. For each unit there is a writing assignment. During the course there will also be individual and group presentations.
Course topics and assignments:
1) Introduction to Managerial Communications
a) Overview of the course
b) Baseline Self-Assessment
c) Mayor of Detroit
d) Memo advising the mayor
2) Pitfalls for Those Lacking Knowledge of Managerial Communication
a) Boston incident
b) Deval and new car incident
c) Gun Ho
d) Read Johari window and write report
3) Communication Self-assessments
a) Channels of Communication
b) Your Personal Communication Style
d) Overview of the Tests
e) Write memo on assessments
4) Foundations of Managerial Communication
a) Hattersley chapter One
b) Apply model to Patton and Henry V
c) Read Fair is Fair in Hattersley
5) Apply model to Fair is Fair
a) Discuss case
b) Prepare letter for the Dean
c) Read Hattersley Chapter Sixteen
6) Basic Writing Skills
a) Clear and Concise Writing
b) Good Business Writing
c) Composing Efficiently
7) Setting Goals and Analyzing Audience
a) Read Hattersley chapter two and three
8) Introducing Yourself to the Class
a) Read Yellowtail Marine in Hattersely and answer questions at the end
9) Discuss Yellowtail Marine
a) Prepare a memo summarizing what you learned from the Yellowtail Marine case
10) The Communication Process
a) Basic Communication Skills
b) Basic Model of Communication
c) Memo outlining a communication incident—apply model
11) Communication Process continued
a) Listening
b) Active Listening
c) Listening Blocks
d) Pseudo Listening
e) How to Listen
f) Read Weymouth Steel in Hattersely
g) Memo on results and reactions to online tests
12) Communication Styles
a) Assessment of Three Styles
b) Communications Styles
c) 5 Styles of Decision Makers
d) Prepare a memo on how this knowledge of communication style could help you better persuade someone at work.
13) Non Verbal Communication
a) The World of Gestures
b) Non verbal Communication
c) Body Language
d) Paralanguage
e) Whole Messages
f) Practicing Regulators
g) Professional Image
h) Memo outlining your nonverbal communication
14) Communication Between Men and Women
a) Gender Awareness
b) Culture and Gender
c) Memo outlining your communication with member of the opposite sex
15) Intercultural Communication
a) Read Hattersley chapter 13
b) Communicating Across Cultures
c) Intercultural Communication Tips
d) Intercultural Communication Assessment
e) Spy Plane Case and memo advising President Bush
16) Intro to Rhetoric
a) Rhetorical Analysis Tool
b) Intro to Rhetoric
c) Julius Caesar
d) MLK: Letter from Birmingham Jail
e) Gettysburg Address
17) How People Persuade
a) Cildani
b) Persuasion
c) Persuasive Analysis
d) The Merchants of Cool
e) Powerpoint Presentations
f) Memo applying Cildani analysis
18) Pathos
a) Read Hattersely chapter eight
19) Ethos
a) Read Hattersely chapter four and fourteen
b) Presence
20) Logos
a) Read Hattersley chapter five
b) Toulmin method
c) Fallacies in argument
d) Prepare a memo applying the Toulmin method to article that I distribute in class
21) Oral Communication Skills
a) Read Hattersley chapter 18
b) Speak Like Churchill
c) Lost Art of Great Speech
d) How to be Heard
e) The Greatest Speeches of All Times
f) Jesse Jackson speech and analysis
g) Prepare an outline of your speech
22) Applying the Communication Analysis Model
a) Read Smith Financial in Hattersely
b) Apply the model to what happened and then use the model to advise Frank Miller
23) Power and Politics
a) Power Profiles
b) Political Configurations
c) Networking
d) Power and Influence
e) Prepare a memo identifying which political configuration best fits where you work and then explain how this knowledge can help you be more persuasive.
24) Negotiation and Assertiveness
a) Read Hattersley chapter eleven
b) I/YOU Statements
c) Assertiveness Training
d) Dealing with Anger
e) Assertiveness Tips
f) Negotiating
g) The Art of Criticism
h) Prepare a memo outlining a recent conflict and how knowledge of I and You statements could help you in the future.
25) Selling Cycle
a) Selling Cycle
b) Prepare a simple sales demo using the FAB approach discussed in class
Tentative Test/assignment schedule: For each topic there will a writing assignment. The assignment is due the next period. At the beginning of each class I will briefly review the student’s work and make comments that will benefit the entire class. The student then has the opportunity to rework any assignment to receive a better grade. All class writing assignments are due the last day of class. A book review or movie review is due on the last day of classes. There will be a final exam.
Basis for Student grading: Class assignments are weighted 65% of the grade. A book review or movie review is weighted 15% of the grade. The final exam is weighted 20% of the grade.
Attendance policy: The student is expected to be in class on time. Three unexcused absences will result in the loss of ½ a letter grade. The class starts on time and unexcused tardiness is disruptive to the flow of the class. Being tardy three times is counted as one unexcused absence. The student may discover that missing classes or being late will jeopardize their learning experience as well as being disruptive to the class members.
Special needs: If you have any learning disability or any other special needs or requests, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible so that we can discuss any assistance that would be helpful.