Crucial Business Conversations

1.5 units

Conversations are essential in business, entrepreneurial, and consulting work, and they could help you succeed in client meetings, investor pitches, strategy sessions, and staff socials. This course applies synthetic thinking principles to simulated conversations set in business contexts. Students identify norms, rituals, and taboos that prevail in American business culture, as they build their Conversational Intelligence (C-IQ) skills. Students use the PACTS model (Purpose, Audience, Content, Tone, and Style) to guide their planned and impromptu interactions. For the final task, students show their knowledge of a topic they choose in a 10-minute, thought-leader interview. Invited business practitioners will provide feedback and tips throughout the course. Prerequisite: MGT 560F or permission from the instructor.