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There are 4 modules in this course
Learn how to communicate more effectively at work and achieve your goals. Taught by award-winning Wharton professor and best-selling author Maurice Schweitzer, Improving Communications Skills is an essential course designed to give you both the tools you need to improve your communication skills, and the most successful strategies for using them to your advantage. You'll learn how to discover if someone is lying (and how to react if they are), how to develop trust, the best method of communication for negotiation, and how to apologize. You'll also learn when to cooperate and when to compete, how to create persuasive messages, ask thoughtful questions, engage in active listening, and choose the right medium (face-to-face conversation, video conference, phone call, or email) for your messages. By the end of the course, you'll be able to understand what others want, respond strategically to their wants and needs, craft convincing and clear messages, and develop the critical communication skills you need to get ahead in business and in life.
In this module, you'll learn when to compete and when to cooperate to achieve success. You’ll explore the three key principles of cooperation and competition: scarcity, sociability and dynamic instability, and learn how to determine which approach to use based on your situation. You'll also discover how to use comparisons to provide motivation, and how to avoid "invidious" comparisons which can lead to discouragement or unethical behavior. By the end of this module, you'll be able to attain a better balance between competitive motivation and cooperative satisfaction to make your interactions more productive and successful.
What's included
8 videos1 reading3 assignments1 discussion prompt
Show info about module content
8 videos•Total 54 minutes
Introduction•1 minute
The Thin Line Between Cooperation and Competition•7 minutes
The Three Principles of Cooperation and Competition•3 minutes
The Mechanics of Comparisons•8 minutes
The Misery of Upward Comparisons•12 minutes
Comparisons and Motivation•7 minutes
Comparisons and Cheating•6 minutes
Comparisons: Finding Your Balance•9 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
Module 1 Slides•10 minutes
3 assignments•Total 90 minutes
Module 1 Practice Quiz•30 minutes
Practice Quiz #1•30 minutes
Module 1 Quiz: Comparisons, Cooperation, and Competition•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
Module 1 Discussion•10 minutes
Trust
Module 2•3 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, you'll explore how to gain and built trust to develop cooperation, and understand why this critical step can be so challenging. You'll examine the factors that develop a trusting relationship: demonstrating vulnerability, building rapport, and expressing warmth, and learn how to increase trust by uncovering common goals, common enemies, and interdependence. You'll also learn how to communicate with team members, friends, and opponents in a way that encourages trust. By the end of this module, you’ll understand how to build trusting relationships to achieve cooperation and mutual satisfaction.
What's included
7 videos1 reading3 assignments1 discussion prompt
Show info about module content
7 videos•Total 55 minutes
The Cooperation Challenge•11 minutes
Building Trust: Vulnerability•5 minutes
Building Trust: Rapport, Warmth, & Equality•9 minutes
Building Trust: Interdependence, Common Goals, & Common Enemies•5 minutes
Building Trust: Communication and Institutions•7 minutes
Signaling and Trust•7 minutes
Trust, Emotion, and Limited Feedback•10 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
Module 2 Slides•10 minutes
3 assignments•Total 90 minutes
Module 2 Practice Quiz•30 minutes
Practice Quiz #2•30 minutes
Module 2 Quiz: Building Trust and Cooperation•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
Module 2 Discussion•10 minutes
Deception
Module 3•3 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, you’ll learn what deception is, how to detect it, and what to do once you know it's taken place. You'll examine the most common cues that indicate deception and explore practical steps to take when you discover deception. You'll also be able to evaluate deceptions and transgressions to determine whether they are core or non-core violations. Finally, you'll analyze the components of successful apologies, so you can create your own, if necessary. By the conclusion of this module, you'll be able to better detect deception, and devise an appropriate reaction that will help you achieve your objectives.
What's included
9 videos1 reading3 assignments1 discussion prompt
Show info about module content
9 videos•Total 66 minutes
Fundamental Truths about Deception•7 minutes
The Challenge of Lie Detection•5 minutes
Cues to Detect Deception•9 minutes
Matching the Content and Context•9 minutes
Practical Steps•8 minutes
Nature of Violations•9 minutes
Learning from Bad Apologies•7 minutes
The Apology Formula•6 minutes
Preparing the Apology•5 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
Module 3 Slides•10 minutes
3 assignments•Total 90 minutes
Module 3 Practice Quiz•30 minutes
Practice Quiz #3•30 minutes
Module 3 Quiz: Deception and Apologies•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
Module 3 Discussion•10 minutes
Effective Communication
Module 4•3 hours to complete
Module details
This module was designed to teach you both the key principles of effective communication, and how to harness the power of setting goals to improve your performance. You’ll learn how to create memorable and persuasive messages, ask thoughtful questions, engage in active listening, and choose the right medium (face-to-face conversation, video conference, phone call, or email) for your messages. You'll also learn the how to use goal setting for maximum benefit while avoiding the common pitfalls of overly ambitious targets. By the end of this module, you'll be able to communicate effectively using the right medium, and use goal-setting to increase your productivity and boost your performance.
The University of Pennsylvania (commonly referred to as Penn) is a private university, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. A member of the Ivy League, Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and considers itself to be the first university in the United States with both undergraduate and graduate studies.
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AC
5·
Reviewed on Jun 11, 2020
Loved it! Learned a lot and the professor provided clear and informative videos. Definitely suggest for anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of effective communication.
D
DC
5·
Reviewed on Jan 5, 2021
I liked so much this course. The examples were so good to connect the concept and the real scenarios. Soft skill are so important and I'll use it to increase my communication with my colleagues.
A
AJ
5·
Reviewed on Mar 9, 2018
What a great class!! I enjoyed every bit of it! and learned alot about how trust and deception work. The mechanism of Goal setting and ideas about how to have an effective conversation.
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.