Overview

Build a toolkit of communication skills that will give you the knowledge and confidence to be an effective engineering leader. Engineers who want to advance in their profession need to be effective communicators. They need to clearly communicate complex ideas and technical project plans. They also need to be strong persuaders. Engineers who are good communicators get recognized by their supervisors and by their clients. In this three-course Specialization, you will practice designing and giving strong, persuasive presentations; you will learn how to communicate across cultures, genders, and generations, how to create your personal brand and leadership presence, how to hold effective meetings with global teams; you will learn how to handle difficult conversations, and how to handle crisis communication; you will also learn writing skills immediately applicable in your daily activities. Courses are taught by faculty from the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership (RCEL). RCEL is focused on developing engineering leaders within Rice University at the undergraduate, master's and PhD levels. It is home to one of a very few academically approved Certificates in Engineering Leadership.

Syllabus

Course 1: Oral Communication for Engineering Leaders
Course 2: Interpersonal Communication for Engineering Leaders
Course 3: Writing Skills for Engineering Leaders

Courses

0 reviews
1 day 28 minutes
View details

Taught by Rice University communication faculty from the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership (RCEL). This course covers core topics in oral communication: Communication strategy, content, data visualization, and delivery. You’ll learn key principles in • Creating a communication strategy • Developing a clear message and organizing persuasive content • Creating strong visual support • Presenting data effectively • Presenting professionally and confidently • Handling formal presentations, giving pitches, speaking extemporaneously, managing online presentations, and lowering public speaking anxiety Selected materials courtesy of Communication Faculty at Rice University - all rights reserved.
0 reviews
22 hours 12 minutes
View details

This course covers communication skills that engineering leaders use every day to motivate, inspire, and support the people in their organizations. Speaking and writing are basic leadership communication skills. (We covered these topics in the Specialization course 1 and 3.) However, leaders also need to be skillful interpersonal communicators. Modern business requires communication skills that are effective across cultures, generations, and genders. Communication is also a key skill in building your personal brand. Leaders need to look, act, and speak like leaders. Another important leadership skill is the ability to handle difficult, emotional communications with employees, supervisors, and colleagues. Finally, engineers are often at the center of crisis communication. In this course, you will learn 1. How to communicate in a global environment, 2. How to communicate across cultures, generations, and genders 3. How to use communication to build your personal brand, communicate your values, and your leadership promise 4. How to handle high-stakes, emotionally charged, difficult conversations with employees, supervisors and your colleagues 5. How to handle crisis communication Required Material Disclaimer- The purchase of a case study is necessary to complete this course, as it is tied to an assessment. This case is an excellent illustration of the typical business situations requiring skillful handling of difficult conversations. Currently, the cost associated with this case study is $8.95 USD and is subject to change. Selected materials courtesy of Communiation Faculty at Rice University - all rights reserved.
0 reviews
16 hours 33 minutes
View details

Engineering leaders must write extensively for their jobs, and their writing needs to be professional, reader-focused, and error-free. What leaders write in particular can affect productivity and the bottom line, so the written communication that leaders create must be clear and concise. In this course, you’ll learn essential writing skills that you can apply in your daily activities on the job as an engineering leader. You’ll learn key principles in • Approaching various engineering genres • Using the writing process to create quality documents • Making your writing structured • Making your writing clear and concise • Handling style, tone, and voice Selected materials courtesy of Communication Faculty at Rice University - all rights reserved.