Improving Communication Skills

  • 4.7
Approx. 10 hours to complete

Course Summary

Learn effective communication skills and techniques from Wharton School professors to help you succeed in both personal and professional settings.

Key Learning Points

  • Learn how to communicate with clarity and impact
  • Understand the psychology behind effective communication
  • Gain insights into cross-cultural communication

Related Topics for further study


Learning Outcomes

  • Understand the key principles of effective communication
  • Develop communication strategies for different situations
  • Improve your ability to persuade and influence others

Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course

  • No prior knowledge or experience required
  • Access to a computer and internet connection

Course Difficulty Level

Beginner

Course Format

  • Online
  • Self-paced

Similar Courses

  • Effective Communication: Writing, Design, and Presentation
  • Interpersonal Communication

Related Education Paths


Notable People in This Field

  • Simon Sinek
  • Brené Brown

Related Books

Description

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.

Outline

  • Cooperation, Competition, and Comparisons
  • Introduction
  • The Thin Line Between Cooperation and Competition
  • The Three Principles of Cooperation and Competition
  • The Mechanics of Comparisons
  • The Misery of Upward Comparisons
  • Comparisons and Motivation
  • Comparisons and Cheating
  • Comparisons: Finding Your Balance
  • Module 1 Slides
  • Module 1 Practice Quiz
  • Module 1 Quiz: Comparisons, Cooperation, and Competition
  • Trust
  • The Cooperation Challenge
  • Building Trust: Vulnerability
  • Building Trust: Rapport, Warmth, & Equality
  • Building Trust: Interdependence, Common Goals, & Common Enemies
  • Building Trust: Communication and Institutions
  • Signaling and Trust
  • Trust, Emotion, and Limited Feedback
  • Module 2 Slides
  • Module 2 Practice Quiz
  • Module 2 Quiz: Building Trust and Cooperation
  • Deception
  • Fundamental Truths about Deception
  • The Challenge of Lie Detection
  • Cues to Detect Deception
  • Matching the Content and Context
  • Practical Steps
  • Nature of Violations
  • Learning from Bad Apologies
  • The Apology Formula
  • Preparing the Apology
  • Module 3 Slides
  • Module 3 Practice Quiz
  • Module 3 Quiz: Deception and Apologies
  • Effective Communication
  • Conveying Ideas
  • Make Messages Memorable
  • Asking Questions
  • A Deeper Look at Questions
  • Active Listening
  • Nonverbal Communication
  • Communication Media
  • Threats
  • The Benefits of Goals
  • Goal Setting Pitfalls
  • Making the Most of Goal Setting
  • Crossing the Finish Line
  • Course Conclusion
  • Module 4 Slides
  • Survey for those who have finished the Specialization
  • Module 4 Practice Quiz
  • Module 4 Quiz: Effective Communication and Strategies

Summary of User Reviews

Discover effective communication skills through this Wharton course. Learn about the best practices in verbal and written communication, and how to navigate difficult conversations. Overall, users found this course to be informative and engaging.

Key Aspect Users Liked About This Course

Many users appreciated the practical approach to teaching communication skills.

Pros from User Reviews

  • Practical tips and techniques for better communication
  • Engaging and interactive course material
  • Excellent instruction from knowledgeable instructors

Cons from User Reviews

  • Some users found the course material to be too basic
  • Lack of personalized feedback on assignments
  • A few technical issues with the online platform
English
Available now
Approx. 10 hours to complete
Maurice Schweitzer
University of Pennsylvania
Coursera

Instructor

Maurice Schweitzer

  • 4.7 Raiting
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