MAIOP 515 - Communication Theory and Pract

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This course focuses on being an effective consultant. Acting as an effective consultant requires various skills including accurate self-awareness and effective interpersonal communication skills. This course is designed to assist you to become a ‘conscious’ practitioner in your professional role by employing reflective practice to increase your awareness of your communication style and skills, as well as set goals for development in this area. Further, this course offers opportunities to view how you present yourself in interpersonal and group interactions. The goal here is to enhance the likelihood of your success in all types of interactions and relationships both with individuals and in working to mobilize group performance. This course will introduce basic theoretical concepts and skills designed to improve your communication competence and provide an opportunity to apply and practice these concepts and skills effectively in all aspects of interpersonal interactions. This course is specifically focused on communication skills that are necessary in carrying out the role of an organizational psychology consulting practitioner. Skills related to group communication will focus on how to use Liberating Structures and other creative strategies to transform a group’s capacity for creative and collaborative action towards a desired future. Interpersonal conflict management tests our ability to practice communication skills to build mutual understanding and work towards collaborative agreements. Theory and practice of collaborative process and skills will be focused on to build competence in addressing interpersonal conflicts both personally and professionally. Designing and delivering contextually based, experientially driven learning events for the Vancouver business community is a key experiential component of this course. Ultimately the goal of this course is to raise the student’s awareness of basic tools for effective communication in all aspects of the consultant/ client relationship as well as in engaging active participation in a group setting.