Communication Skills - Social Competence

Abstract

Introduction to various communication fields using real life examples from pharmaceutical and medical device industries. Organizational and cultural specificities, social competence, personality, thinking styles, emotions, conflict management, negotiation & intervention techniques, difficult conversations. The course allows students to apply soft skills in their professional careers.

Objective

• Students can describe and apply some basic principles of different communication theories and thinking preferences (e.g. Transactional analysis, Non-violent communication, Hermann Brain Dominance Instrument). • Students can apply communication and presentation skills and are able to communicate more effectively after the course. • Students will be aware of success factors when working in organizational hierarchies and complex matrix organizations. • Students demonstrate self-reflection and awareness about the importance of personal values, cultural specificities, languages, social competence and individual personality. • Students demonstrate self-reflection, especially in difficult interpersonal situations and can propose solutions to overcome them. They can explain the importance of emotions; they can apply conflict management strategies, know about how to build and lead teams and are able to constructively use the diversity of individuals in the management of teams. • Students can explain the roles of stakeholders, leaders and teams and the typical communication patterns in a pharmaceutical or medical device company.

Content

This course introduces a variety of communication fields using mainly examples from the pharmaceutical and medical device industry. It requires openness for self-reflection and involves students' active participation in practical communication exercises. The lecturer will provide an introduction to Eric Berne's and Thomas A. Harris' works on "Games People Play" and "I'm OK, You're OK", verbal/nonverbal communication, and presentation skills (Structuring, Body Language, Self-confidence, Language, Speaking with Microphones, Visualization, etc.). The course also offers an introduction to socio-cultural specificities, successful negotiation techniques and conflict management, and to the principles of non-violent communication.

Resources