Course Description

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To succeed in business settings, it is essential to be an effective communicator. Effective business communication is not just writing and speaking. It is focusing on one’s readers and taking care of one’s audiences. You can’t have your head full of theories and buzzwords when you do these things, so we will focus on using simple, yet powerful, persuasive strategies and critical thinking tools that can be applied to inspire confidence in your own organizational setting.

Course Outline

• Session 1: Organizations and communication concepts and models 
• Session 2: Delivering good and bad news. Introduction to problem-solving
• Session 3: Best practices for speaking in professional settings, simulated meeting scenario
• Session 4: Adding to your critical thinking tool belt, wrap-up

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, learners will be able to:

• Understand the basic principles of professional-looking photography, including composition, light, and color
  Work one-on-one with Professor Piland and in small groups to improve their photo techniques
  Edit professional-looking photos from the palm of your hand
  Deconstruct photos with a critical eye for light, composition, and shooting techniques
  Receive feedback on photos taken and continually iterate to advance photography skills
  Develop a professional portfolio of photos to share
  Apply strategies and techniques to think critically, effectively, and persuasively.
• Recognize the difference between ineffective and effective business writing.
• Consider that taking care of one’s audience may be key to effective speaking.

Instructor Information

Dr. Brian Nienhaus is an Associate Professor of Business Communication in Elon University’s Love School of Business. Brian worked in corporate education and the music industry before earning his Ph.D. in Mass Communication from the University of Michigan. A professor at Elon since 1999, Brian has taught a variety of communication courses, including business and managerial communication in the MBA program, communication theory and research, mass communication, and interpersonal communication.