The Advanced Complete Course in Communications and Media-Intensive Practices and Cases Studies

Courses Syllabus

Introduction

Nowadays, we are experiencing many high-profile scandals in the corporate world. Such scandals create a tough environment for organizations to conduct business, maintain effective communication and safeguard a positive image and reputation. Corporate Communication is based on the belief that sustainable communication is essential for the health of organizations. In this course we introduce and discuss the theories, tools and perspectives of corporate and organizational communication to be used to enhance participants’ development as communication professionals with the practical insight to deal with complex communication issues in modern organizations within a company as well as externally.

Objectives

• Define corporate communication
• Apply different techniques and tools to implement an effective corporate communication program
• Plan and execute corporate communication programs and campaigns
• Employ corporate communication in practice
• Implement PR and media tools in corporate communication
• Use advanced communication tools and skills to deliver various types of messages
• Identify the different personal listening styles and discover their own
• Apply meta programs to improve understanding of people
• Describe and harness the power of body language
• Practice and use assertiveness skills in different situations
• Demonstrate the use of the secrets of influence for effective communication

Course Contents

The business case for corporate communications

• Definition of corporate communication
• Corporate communication in a changing environment
• The new media landscape: challenges and opportunities
• Stakeholder management and communication
• Corporate Identity, branding and reputation
• Importance of corporate identity and reputation
• Aligning identity, image and reputation

Turning strategy into actions

• Corporate communication strategy and strategic planning
• Global aspects of corporate communication
• High and low-context culture
• Cross-cultural aspects of audiences
• Planning and executing communication programs and campaigns
• Research, measurement and evaluation
• Measuring corporate reputation
• Theories on measuring the effects of communication

New developments in corporate communication

• Leadership and change communication
• Effective leadership communication
• Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and community relations
• The case for CSR
• Communicating about CSR
• The 8 areas of focus for CSR
• CSR and PR

PR and the media

• Definition of media
• Types of media
• Recorded and live interviews
• Behavior during media interviews
• PR and the media: the tools
• Press conferences
• Preparing press kits
• Preparing press releases
• Dealing with the media
• Building good relations with the media
• Dealing with the press during times of crisis

Defining effective communication

• Communication: definition and characteristics
• Myths about communication
• Communication functions
• The four laws of communication
• Evolution of communication
• Communicating for results
• Understanding elements of communication
• The element of noise
• Mehrabian’s 55-38-7 rule
• Overcoming communication anxiety and other obstacles
• Communication etiquette

The art of listening

• Common listening issues
• Guidelines for effective listening
• Effective listening and paraphrasing techniques
• Understanding different listening styles: active versus passive styles
• Improving the information recall rate
• Assessing personal listening profiles

Internal listening filters

• Understanding the filter system
• Sensory input channels
• Internal filter systems: the 6 layers
• The 6 listening meta programs
• Overcoming the 6 filters when communicating
• Avoiding the loss of information

Mastering body language

• The art of body language
• Components of non verbal communication
• The power of appearance
• Communicating through colors
• Evaluating your body language skills
• Eliciting thinking patterns through eye movement
• Building rapport using body language

Advanced assertiveness skills

• Understanding assertiveness: definition and values
• Components of passive, assertive and aggressive styles
• Assertiveness rights and responsibilities
• Activities for practicing assertive behavior
• Managing criticism assertively
• The power of influence and persuasion
• Definition and characteristics of influence
• The 6 principles of persuasion: how to apply them
• Bases and sources of power
• Dealing with difficult people using persuasion