In our increasingly complex and internationalized workplaces, communication skills are among the most sought-after competencies employers require of job candidates. Every job posting you see will almost certainly ask for candidates with excellent communications skills and the ability to work effectively in teams. The ability to communicate clearly and effectively in written, verbal, visual, and interpersonal contexts is vital for success and advancement. This ability is equally important in any workplace where information must be conveyed using specific and concrete detail along with understanding and tact. Lending these qualities in your interactions with project teams will facilitate relationship-building and collaboration.

No matter how brilliant or innovative an idea may be, if it is not communicated clearly and promoted effectively to the right audience, it will not become a reality. For an innovative idea to move from concept to project to completion requires many stages in the process (see Figure 1), almost all of which require clear communication and effective teamwork.

If teams cannot work and communicate effectively with each other, their final product will fail to meet its potential.

Communication Essentials for Business introduces the key elements of professional style, document design, collaboration, oral presentation, and research skills needed to design productive workplace documents and presentations for a variety of purposes and audiences. In addition, it engages with new technologies like generative AI (genAI) and large language models (LLMs) like Copilot in particular as these are significantly impacting workflows on both individual and organizational levels. Knowing how to leverage the technology to augment your knowledge and skills will enable you to be well-prepared to meet employer expectations once in the workplace.

Reference

Iconfinder.com. Lightbulb image. [Online]. Available: https://www.iconfinder.com/icons/667355/aha_brilliance_idea_think_thought_icon. Free for commercial use.

Image Description

Figure 1 image description:

Once there is an idea, a project goes through a design process made up of four stages.

1. Pre-project planning.
   • Problem Definition – identifying needs, goals, objectives, and constraints.
   • Define context and do research.
   • Identify potential projects.
   • Public engagement projects; Stakeholder consultation.
2. Project Development.
   • Propose a project (budget, timeline, etc.).
   • Create or respond to a request for proposals, evaluate proposals.
   • Develop or design solution concepts.
   • Project management plan.
   • Feasibility Studies, Recommendation Reports.
3. Project Implementation.
   • Write contracts and apply for permits for construction and building sites.
   • Progress reports, status updates.
   • Documentation of project.
   • Continued research and design improvements.
4. Project completion.
   • Final reports and documentation.
   • Close contracts.
   • Ongoing Support: User Guides, Troubleshooting, FAQs.

[Return to Figure 1]