Carey Executive Education Re-envisions Business Communication Curriculum for the COVID-Era

From telework to change management, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to challenge businesses and organizations of all types as they find new ways to operate and succeed. To address the evolving work environment, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School has redesigned its executive education business communication curriculum for the COVID-era.

“The pandemic surfaced both the best and the worst in management, which has highlighted the need for managers at all levels to be much better at business communication,” said Rick Smith, vice dean for education and partnership at Carey Business School. “Most organizations now have multiple channels for communication, and we're blurring the lines on where work gets done, when work gets done, and how work gets done. The new ways of working require mastery of communication techniques in business, yet it seems that many managers have not had the opportunity to build these skills.”

The new business communication curriculum takes a competency-based approach and consists of three courses: Team Communication and Conflict Management, Written and Visual Communication, and Public Speaking for Professionals. The courses can be taken independently or bundled together to earn an Executive Education Business Communication Certificate.

To develop the new curriculum, Alexa Chilcutt, an executive education faculty member at Carey Business School, worked with a diverse group of faculty to reimagine the curriculum.

“The previous curriculum primarily focused on presentation and public speaking skills,” explained Chilcutt, co-author of "Engineered to Speak” by Wiley IEEE Press and former Associate Professor of Communication Studies at The University of Alabama. “COVID disrupted the flow and delivery of courses, allowing us to step back and create a curriculum that takes a broader approach to business communication.”

As Chilcutt describes, the new curriculum includes interpersonal and conflict management skills for emerging leaders and written and visual communication for greater self-advocacy, clarity in messaging, and audience engagement.

“Research points to the fact that a professional’s ability to communication to a wide range of audiences, regardless of their profession, directly impacts team buy-in, project success, and career advancement,” explained Chilcutt. “As an example, you can be the most brilliant engineer in the world, but if you cannot share your ideas down the hall, up to management, or out to stakeholders, you're not going to achieve the same success as someone who can communicate their message in a clear and compelling manner.”

The new curriculum will be offered beginning January 2022. For more details, visit the Carey Business School website.