10-Week Online Course: Oral and Written Communication

This is a 10-week course that runs from June 26 - September 3, 2023. This course examines oral and written communication in the construction context, and how communication deeply impacts the people you work with and work life situation. Communication is multi-faceted. It includes nonverbal communication, body language, listening, inflection, and written communication. Without quality skills in each of these categories you are putting yourself and your career at a severe disadvantage. Excellent supervisors are able to delegate tasks and instruct people in various situations, no matter what is thrown at them. 

Learning Objectives: 

• Learn about the different forms of communication
• Understand how effective communications affect productivity
• Be able to effectively communicate within your company’s communication system
• Be able to recognize and overcome barriers to communication
• Communicate with peers and supervisors effectively
• Harness the techniques of listening
• Apply your listening skills as a management method
• Control the nature and tempo of a conversation
• Learn to use questioning skills
• Learn how to use both open-ended and closed-ended questions
• Establish a negotiation strategy through which you will be able to reach commitment and agreement
• Communicating with difficult people
• Learn to communicate effectively with your crew
• Deliver better, more precise working instructions
• Learn how to offer corrective feedback
• Develop useful writing skills
• Learn to lead a successful meeting
• Understand why others have problems communicating with you
• Understand the basic functions and procedures of electronic communications
• Learn how to use the Internet and WWW for communications
• Be able to develop a plan for improving communications

It is important that the student keep up with the class and not fall behind as this is a requirement to fulfill for the construction supervisor certificate programs. Course modules will be made available to students on Sunday of each week. Class work must be completed by the following Sunday. Students will not be able to work ahead of the class although reading assignments will be made available in advance.

Graded assignments will consist of one quiz for each module and participation in at least two class discussions.  Students learn more and learn better when they discuss the topic at hand. Grades will be posted on a weekly basis.  You will have full access to your grade sheet so you will be able to keep track of how you are doing at all times. Your overall grade in the course will be determined by the total number of points you have accumulated on quizzes and assignments. You will be given more information about the grading and other course matters in the Orientation Module.

Students are responsible for purchasing the textbook. The cost of each hard copy textbook is approximately $155 plus shipping and handling. The textbook is also available on Amazon in a Kindle edition for $50. Order here: ORAL AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATION FOR CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISORS TEXTBOOK

The deadline to receive a refund for event registration is (7) seven business days before the event. Cancellations received after the stated deadline will not be eligible for a refund.