Below you will find the PowerPoint slides from my lectures, along with my lecture notes:

Lecture 1: What is Communication?
Let’s crawl before we can walk. This lecture breaks it down to the basics. What does communication do? What are some conceptions of how people organize institutional life?

Lecture 2: Models of communication and organizations; disruptive technologies
This lecture goes into more detail about models of communication, from monologic to dialogic. We also look at how communication technologies have the potential to make organizations more ‘horizontal’–and how the electronic delivery of information and culture has done away with venerable businesses and institutions.

Lecture 3: Barriers to communication; drafting outlines.  
The are a number of things that get in the way of effective communication, be they interpersonal, linguistic or institutional barriers. Examples are provided. Then we look at a tried and true model for presenting knowledge: The informative speech.

Lecture 4: Cover letter assignment and attitudes, beliefs and behaviors.  
Here we set up some ground rules for the cover letters. Who says they have to be dull? We also investigate chapter 3, and the socially constructed nature of mental categories. The roles of goal setting and value codification in structuring our own ambitions.

Lecture 5: More barriers to communication; social networks; resume/ cover letter tips.
Some systems we are born into are non-democratic. For example, unless they own stock in a company, the average citizen has no say about who is CEO or who sits on the board. Most of the corporate and bureaucratic universe is organized from the top-down and is stratified, sometimes rigidly. However, the alternatives–more lateral, cross connected systems, with decentralized decision-making–come with their own issues. Turning to outlines, cover letters and resumes, these are emphasized: Be specific, give examples, avoid cliches, and “show, don’t tell.”

Lecture 6: Reframing liabilities as assets.
This is a motivational lecture about accentuating the positive. Without distorting the facts of the matter, even those things that we perceive as negative character traits within ourselves can have their upsides. It’s a matter of perspective.

Lecture 7: A model presentation.
In this talk I provide a speaking outline (available here), the form of which I want you to follow. Notice all the necessary component parts in the speech, including the intro, body and conclusion; the three sources cited in three places, etc. Then I will give that very presentation. In my talk, notice my conversational or “extemporaneous” style (not read off of a manuscript). Notice the sparse visual aids without too much text, etc. Now its your turn: Follow this model closely for your presentation.