Having well-developed communication skills is crucial for making a meaningful impact and driving positive change within an organization. Effective communication can facilitate collaboration, enhance problem-solving, and support informed decision-making in today's ever-changing and unpredictable environment. Regardless of the sector or industry, leaders must leverage communication to achieve their objectives, engage stakeholders, and create a positive impact. To enhance your team's communication abilities, the Communicating for Influence and Impact online short course offered by the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) provides valuable insights and tools. Through this course, your leaders will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to communicate purposefully, overcome obstacles to success, and assess their leadership styles. Additionally, they will learn various communication techniques that will help shape the future you envision for your organization and earn a digital certificate upon course completion.
• Become familiar with your new virtual classroom
• Meet your success team and get to know your
fellow classmates
• Identify why business professionals are increasingly
operating in a VUCA environment
• Discuss why communication and influence are
important for leadership in a 21st century context
• Explain the business case for developing high-impact
influence
• Outline how effective communication can address
the challenges faced in a VUCA world
• Describe how different types of communication
can influence societal change.
• Discuss how communication can shape society as
a whole
• Interpret the role that media has in shaping societies
• Articulate the relationship between power and
influence
• Determine the role that divergent thinking plays in
building influential societies
• Identify the need for a new type of leadership and
influence
• Discuss the attributes and capabilities required to
be more influential
• Articulate your personal leadership style
• Investigate how your leadership style impacts how
you communicate and influence
• Analyze the role of bias, values, and beliefs in
effective communication
• Distinguish the components you need in your
ecosystem to be influential
• Discuss how storytelling has shaped communication
through the ages
• Determine the importance of listening in authentic
dialogues
• Illustrate how persuasive storytelling principles
shape a narrative
• Investigate ways of shaping stories for different
audiences.
• Identify how an enabling environment for effective
communication and influence can be created
• Discuss the benefits of building a nurturing organizational
culture to facilitate effective communication
• Identify the role of psychological safety in advancing
influence, experimentation, and innovation
• Determine how the alignment of individual and organizational
purpose influences change
• Analyze the impact of purpose-led communications
• Evaluate the role of organizational purpose and culture
in enhancing influence
• Identify your skillset and the role you play in your
different teams
• Determine strategies for infusing confidence and
presence in your interactions with others
• Analyze how to facilitate effective interactions between
your stakeholders and networks
• Evaluate ways to overcome barriers and resolve
conflict
• Justify how you can communicate to overcome
barriers to change
• Discuss why cooperation is vital in the current
world context
• Articulate how collaborations and partnerships
can benefit from diverse stakeholders
• Analyze the importance of power and influence
within stakeholder engagements
• Investigate a range of stakeholder tools and models
to achieve impact
• Reflect on different ways to measure influence and
impact
• Create your Personal Impact Plan to influence change
• Critique Personal Impact Plans and provide feedback
• Evaluate your Personal Impact Plan using the feedback
you receive from your peers
• Reflect on what you have learnt about effective
communication for influence and impact
This online short course aims to support both established and aspiring leaders within your organisation in enhancing their communication skills and ability to effect change within and beyond their networks. The course benefits teams committed to achieving positive social and environmental outcomes while also driving business success. The curriculum is tailored to build on your team's previous training and experience, equipping them with communication tools and techniques to increase their influence and impact, all while emphasizing authenticity and integrity.