Communicating in Critical Situations

Training objectives of the course

After passing the exam, the student should:
- Know the principles of communication in critical situations such as disagreement and negotiation.
- Decipher different context and apply the correct strategies to foster change and problem solving
- Understand the value of listening and empathy as key factors in communicating in hard context and giving feedback
- Be able to express his/her point of view constructively without being aggressive or passive. 

Course programme

Content of the course revolve around some situations where relations and communication are critical and require sophisticated strategies.
- Listen, i.e. the anagram of “Silent”: how to create the proper environment and setting to prepare the best communication
- The agreement language: how to foster the reciprocal understanding
- Interpreting ambiguity, managing and leading interpersonal dynamics as a key factor to succeeding in communication
- The positive NO: how to express your dissent in the proper way without generating conflict
- Bad news and negative feedback: defending a good relationship, even giving critical messages
- Mistakes: how to admit yours and encourage other people to admit theirs, even your boss
- Change and resistance: two forces that shape human behaviors
- Human elements of problem-solving and change management
- Diversity language: gender / age / culture / disability. Bias and factors that influence communication and negotiation. Finding a common ground for an inclusive solution.

Didactic Methods

The lessons are organized in an interactive and practical way, based on continuous feedback.
The comments of the group and the teacher are valid as a comparison and as identification of the most effective solutions, also to encourage students to become familiar with the dynamics of feedback, positive or negative, with useful repercussions also on professional awareness and on the sense of teamwork.
The course will use an online community to share information and materials.

Learning assessment procedures

The exam is an individual test.
It consists of a blended test:
- a written part answering some basic questions, such as analyzing the critical interaction in a movie-clip;
- an oral part explaining the sense of a certain behavior in a critical situation, and/or playing a role.
Consistently with the learning objectives and method, the active participation in lessons and exercises will be considered an important part of the assessment.
The final grade is expressed on a scale from insufficient to 30 cum laude