CL 5113 - Strategic Communication for Civic Leaders (3)

Strong leadership is fundamental to the success of community change. Leading civic initiatives successfully requires helping stakeholders at every level clearly understand where the civic leader is going, support the initiative, and do what is required to achieve the civic leader’s goals. Poor communication is repeatedly cited as a key contributor in the failure of major change efforts. Not surprisingly, communication skills are increasingly regarded as a critical skillset for leaders, particularly in situations where the leader is an instrumental driver of change. This course aims at helping the students

Develop a communication plan/ strategy that guides their change efforts and their capstone’s implementation;
Know exactly what their stakeholders need to understand, think and do in response to their communication efforts through the use of stakeholders analysis tools;
Consistently align the messages with the vision, values and objectives of your initiative;
Incorporate appropriate technology into their communication efforts. This will include helping students use digital cases studies as one method of communicating;
Understand communication as a two-way process; and
Measure the effectiveness of their communication efforts.