MSEL-515: Communication in an Environment of Open Organizations
January 26, 2021 2021-01-26 10:38MSEL-515: Communication in an Environment of Open Organizations
MSEL-515: Communication in an Environment of Open Organizations
Course Description and Prerequisites
Explore the formal and informal communication strategies that help leaders influence beyond their formal authority. Topics will include communication tactics for engaging stakeholders, cross cultural communications, managing conflict, building impactful narratives that engage and inspire, and the impact of technology on communication in today’s organizations.
Student-Centered Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Distinguish between a variety of formal and informal communication strategies and their potential impacts
- Appraise the impacts of technologies on communication in organizations
- Analyze how communication strategies impact conflict and its resolution
- Design communications to engage a variety of stakeholders
- Experiment with crafting narratives that inspire and impact desired outcomes
Textbook(s) and Technology Requirements
Required Texts
Jacqueline M. Stavros, Cheri Torres, and David L. Cooperrider, Conversations Worth Having: Using Appreciative Inquiry to Fuel Productive and Meaningful Engagement (Links to an external site.) Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2018, First Edition
Jane Hyun, Audrey S. Lee, Flex: The New Playbook for Managing Across Difference (Links to an external site.) HarperCollings, 2014
Harvard Business Review, Robert B. Cialdini, Nick Morgan, and Deborah Tannen, HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Communication (Links to an external site.), Harvard Business Review Press, 2013
Technology Requirements
Please review the Technology Requirements (Links to an external site.) for Champlain College Online.
Topic Outline
- Week 1: Why Leading is Communicating
- Week 2: Why Communication is Listening & Engaging Others
- Week 3: Conversations Worth Having – Exploring Generative Conversations
- Week 4: Communicating for Building Psychological Safety & Trust
- Week 5: Communicating for Resolving Conflict and Creating Solutions
- Week 6: Communication in a Technology-Mediated World
- Week 7: Communication across Gender and Culture
- Week 8: Leadership as Storytelling & Collective Meaning Making
Methods of Assessment
Your final grade will be determined based on:
| Graded Elements | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Discussions | 40% |
| Weekly Assignments | 35% |
| Video Assignments | 10% |
| Group Assignments | 15% |
| Total | 100% |
| Extra Credit Course Evaluation | 1% |
Discussions
Weekly discussions are an integral part of learning at Champlain College and represent a significant portion of a student’s overall grade. In order to be successful, students should:
- Post a thorough, well-crafted initial response that fully addresses and develops all aspects of the prompt by the due date.
- Engage substantively throughout the discussion period by responding to others with questions or comments that demonstrate interest, build upon the ideas of others, and encourage elaboration.
- Apply and integrate concepts from this course as well as from quality resources including journals, websites, readings from another class, relevant work or life experience, etc.
- Demonstrate attention to style, structure, grammar, etiquette, and proper citation of references to maintain academic integrity.
Discussion grades are determined using the rubric below. The descriptions show what exemplary work looks like for each aspect of an overall discussion.
| Criteria | Description | Max Points |
|---|---|---|
| Application | Explicitly and thoroughly explains, applies, and integrates a) concepts from this or other courses, b) outside resources or research, c) life experiences, and/or d) processes used to solve problems. | 30 pts |
| Critical Thinking | Clearly articulates a desire to a) reflect, b) explore possibility, c) recognize ambiguity, d) question assumptions, and/or e) search for logical relationships among ideas. Selects, analyzes, and synthesizes relevant information to demonstrate original thinking. | 30 pts |
| Collaboration | Fosters collaborative learning while a) problem-solving, b) respectfully challenging others, and/or c) expanding thinking through responses and reflection with other learners throughout the week. Builds on classmate and instructor contributions to deepen the conversation. | 30 pts |
| Presentation | Demonstrates attention to APA/MLA style and structure, adheres to rules of grammar and etiquette, and properly cites references to literature and course materials. | 10 pts |
| Total Points: 100 | ||
Assignments
All written assignments are due no later than 11:59 pm (your time zone) on the stated due date. If you find you need to turn in your work late, communicate ahead of time with the instructor.
- See the the CCO GradingPolicy (Links to an external site.) for complete details.
- Given time zone differences, all submissions deadlines are for your timezone.
- Extenuating circumstances: Sometimes significant life events happen (i.e., serious illness, family death, etc.) that interfere with our best efforts to meet expectations. if this is the case, you must communicate with your instructor for clarification on the way late submissions can be handled and how any late submissions may affect your assessment. If you know of an issue ahead of time, it is important to communicate with the instructor prior to the situation.
It is valuable to submit all individual assignments in Microsoft Word so that formatting remains in place when uploaded to Canvas. However, if you only work in Google Docs, it can be used. Please do not send any attached files in a PDF format.
Student Resources & Policies
Academic Honesty Policy
Champlain College students are expected to be familiar with and adhere to the College’s policy for Academic Honesty. (Links to an external site.) Academic honesty entails creating original assignments, using your own words, and when using the words and ideas of others, documenting those sources using the method specified in this course. Please consult with your instructor if you are in doubt. Violations of the policy could result in a grade of F on the assignment or in the course as well as dismissal from the College.
Grading Policies
CCO Grading Policy (Links to an external site.)
Grading Scale (Links to an external site.)
Course summary:
| Date | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Wed, 28 Oct 2020 | Assignment Week 1: Discussion – Exploring Compelling Communications | due by 23:59 |
| Sun, 1 Nov 2020 | Assignment Introduce Yourself | due by 23:59 |
| Assignment Week 1: Assignment – My Communication Autobiography | due by 23:59 | |
| Wed, 4 Nov 2020 | Assignment Week 2: Discussion – Creating our Own Criteria | due by 23:59 |
| Sun, 8 Nov 2020 | Assignment Week 2 Discussion: Communication Coaching Team Feedforward – group assignment | due by 23:59 |
| Assignment Week 2: Assignment – Persuading & Engaging Others | due by 23:59 | |
| Wed, 11 Nov 2020 | Assignment Week 3: Discussion 1 – Reflecting on our Own Conversations Worth Having | due by 23:59 |
| Sun, 15 Nov 2020 | Assignment Week 3: Assignment – Conversations & Leaderful Reflections | due by 23:59 |
| Assignment Week 3: Discussion 2 – Conversation Coaching with Learning Team – group assignment | due by 23:59 | |
| Wed, 18 Nov 2020 | Assignment Week 4: Discussion – Learning from Our Experiences with Psychological Safety & Trust | due by 23:59 |
| Sun, 22 Nov 2020 | Assignment Midpoint Course Feedback Survey | due by 23:59 |
| Assignment Week 4: Assignment – Reflections on Building Psychological Safety & Rebuilding Trust | due by 23:59 | |
| Wed, 25 Nov 2020 | Assignment Week 5: Discussion 1 – Communication for Conflict Resolution | due by 23:59 |
| Sun, 29 Nov 2020 | Assignment Week 5: Discussion 2 – Conflict Case Analysis with Coaching Team – group assignment | due by 23:59 |
| Assignment Week 5: Assignment – Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument | due by 23:59 | |
| Wed, 2 Dec 2020 | Assignment Week 6: Discussion – Dialogue on Digital Communication | due by 23:59 |
| Sun, 6 Dec 2020 | Assignment Week 6: Assignment – A Communication Technology Experiment | due by 23:59 |
| Wed, 9 Dec 2020 | Assignment Week 7: Discussion – Communicating Across Differences | due by 23:59 |
| Sun, 13 Dec 2020 | Assignment Week 7: Assignment – Exploring & Profiling Fluent Leadership – group assignment | due by 23:59 |
| Wed, 16 Dec 2020 | Assignment Week 8: Discussion 1 – The Stories We Tell | due by 23:59 |
| Fri, 18 Dec 2020 | Assignment Extra Credit: IDEA Survey Quiz | due by 23:59 |
| Assignment Week 8: Assignment – Telling Your Story | due by 23:59 | |
