Employee Engagement and Leadership Communications

(Elective Course)

In Employee Engagement and Leadership Communications, students will approach the subject of how to communicate strategically with employees so they help their organization accomplish its goals. Companies need to engage and persuade employees to be brand ambassadors with customers, the community where they work and among fellow employees. A key part of reaching employees results from effective leadership communications using trusted leaders.

The world has changed over the past few years, making the task of aligning, engaging and motivating employees even harder. Today’s workforce is more diverse and companies need to seek greater diversity and inclusion. There are different levels, education, ethnic and generational cohorts in most companies. There are different languages spoken (even in the United States, English may not be the primary language). Employees may be in one location or spread out around the globe, a growing number in virtual offices. Many companies expect to continue to offer greater flexibility after the threat of Covid 19 is over.

Reaching employees and communicating with them requires a strategic approach along with a variety of skills. Students will learn how to understand a dynamic employee audience, how to determine what’s important, how to create a workplace environment conducive to mobilizing the employees to act effectively and in concert, how to deal with change in the organization and in the work environment, and how to lead when there’s a great deal of turbulence and uncertainty.

Beyond the employees, companies need to be active participants within the communities where they operate. This requires an ability understand strategically which NGOs to reach out and collaborate with, and ways to collaborate to benefit both organizations. Often, employees want to participate because they know maintaining healthy communities helps them keep social structures functioning well. Millennials and Gen Z entering the workforce are looking for companies, which have strong social responsibility commitments and offer ways for employees to participate.