Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Syllabus
MCOM-GB.2122
KMC 4-50
Course site found at http://sternnewclasses.nyu.edu
Course Overview
Effective managers must motivate and inspire others to follow their lead. This course will explore the
seemingly elusive quality often referred to as personal charismathat hard to pinpoint ability to not only set
a clear direction in an organization, but also, communicate the energy and passion to forcefully engage others
in a process.
The Performing Manager will also focus on developing your ability to tune in to other peopleto attend
to and respond to the multitude of messages that come our way every minute of the daywithout falling
victim to information overload.
You will engage in a number of active exercises and performance techniques, borrowed from theatre, sports,
music, and even stand-up comedy in order to:
Facilitate, in Aristotles words, the dynamic unfolding of the self within you.
Class will be held in large, carpeted rooms without desks. A lot of the time, you will be up and moving about,
not sitting passively. Come wearing some comfortable clothes that you dont mind roughing up a bit!
Specifically, you will participate in physical, vocal, and verbal improvisations; deliver presentations at every
class; watch video examples of passionate speakers; explore an array of disciplines that develop focus and
concentration; and learn to use engaging language that holds an audiences attention, highlights important
points, and motivates listeners. Every student will deliver an individual, final leadership communication
speech on the last day of class.
Leading Out Loud by Terry Pearce. Prentice Hall, 2003. (revised addition). Available at Stern
Professional Bookstore.
Henry V (recommended only) by William Shakespeare. Buy any edition (some available in
bookstore), use your own collection, or obtain it free online at http://thetech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/henryv/full.html
Pre-Work
READ: Leading Out Loud by Terry Pearce (a quick and easy read).
Henry V by William Shakespeare
PREPARE:
1) A short (2 - 3 minutes max.) speech about your greatest personal passion or passions. Tell us about
what you really LOVE or LOVE to DO (within boundaries, of course!). This speech will serve as a
benchmark of your current speaking skills and allow you to set goals for personal development over
the three class sessions. The speech will be taped on streaming video and available online for your
use. You will deliver this speech during the morning of day 1.
2) A second short speech (2 3 minutes) about a very thrilling experience. You will deliver this
speech during the afternoon of day 1.
WRITE: Complete the Student Information Sheet, available in Blackboard under Course
Documents. Include, on the Information Sheet, a short memorandum about your current strengths in
communication as well as why you are taking this course.
Class Participation
Due to the nature of this class, participation is everything. All of the value of the course will be gained
from the classroom activities. Thus, absence from any class will require you to drop the class. And, as
you can see from the table below, participation counts for 50% of your class grade.
Description
Due date
Points
1.
March 25 in BB
2.
Benchmark Presentation, My
Passion
March 29 in class
3.
March 29 in class
4.
April 2, 12 noon in
BB
10
5.
April 5 in class
6.
7.
Intention Model
10
8.
April 19 in class
20
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9.
50
TOTAL PTS.
100
Note: * items are not graded, but evidence of full preparation and completion in class will
count as part of your participation grade.
Class-by-class Overview
Class
#
1.
Date
Sunday,
March 29
Morning
Afternoon
Activities
2.
Sunday,
April 5
Morning
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Assignments
Due
READ: Leading Out
Loud by Terry Pearce
DELIVER:
Benchmark
Presentation (2 minutes
maximumno visual
aids)
DELIVER:
Thrilling Experience
Presentation (2 minutes
maximumno visual
aids)
READ: Henry V by
William Shakespeare.
PREPARE: to read
aloud or recite one
speech from Henry V.
Afternoon
Class
#
3.
Date
Sunday,
April 19
Morning
Activities
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DELIVER:
The Business Narrative
Presentation (3 minutes
maximumno visual
aids)
Assignments
Due
DELIVER: Leadership
Speech (maximum 7
minutes with 2
additional minutes for
Q&A).
Assignments
Assignment #1: Pre-class Information Sheet with memorandum
Goal:
To enable students to set specific, personal objectives for the course.
Task:
Fill out the Student Information Sheet and save it as a Word file. On the sheet, you are asked to include a
short memo to me describing your current strengths in communication and the reasons why you are
taking the Performing Manager class. This document is very important, as it will help me guide your
progress in the course as well as help you set specific goals for improvement.
Deliverable
Upload your completed Student information Sheet file to Blackboard Assignments. You will find a link
in the assignment itself that will allow you to upload directly to BB. Be sure to click Submit after you
attach your file.
______________________________________________________________________________
Fill out the Video Self-Evaluation form, posted in BB, Course Documents.
Deliverable
Post your completed evaluation via the Assignments section in Blackboard by the date indicated on
page two. Be sure to include YOUR NAME when you name your file (e.g., BSmith Self Eval). Also,
put your name on the actual form when you fill it out.
______________________________________________________________________________
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Propose a more socially responsible business model that could, at least in the short term, reduce
earnings;
Propose a controversial change in the pension system that could put some older workers and
current retirees in jeopardy;
Propose increasing charitable contributions as a means of managing negative corporate image
but which would also strain the bottom line;
Suggest reforms in accounting, promotion, organizational structure, culture, etc.
You can choose any topic that you wish. Realistically, all of the above topics are very complex, so to fit
in the seven-minute time slot, you will need to pare the message down to its essentials.
You will address an audience, face-to-face, who will be difficult to persuade. Assume that your
presentation audience knows the situation and background events leading up to the communication.
Consider the following questions in preparing your speech. Use the Intention Model to design your
communication:
What is your objective? What do you want your audience to think, believe, and do as a result of this
presentation?
Who are your audience? What do they care about? What interests lie behind the issues at stake, and
how might their interests seem contradictory to yours?
What does your audience have invested in the status quo? What is at stake in this communication?
How will your audience react to your speechthink about the pro-con neutrality scale.
How can you employ the techniques of visual and verbal imagery, as taught in the class, to gain your
audiences trust, engage their attention and enlist the support of their first brain?
You may use a few visual aids, but again, use them only to illustrate or add impact to persuasive points.
Your real task is to be with your audience. Its not about your slides.
Deliverables
Individual presentation lasting 7 minutes plus 2 minutes Q&A.
Completed Intention Model Planner
Option 2: Be yourself, but assume an important student leadership position in the Stern School
President of the MBA Class of 2008, perhaps. Or SCORP leader. Oryour choice. Present a
controversial idea to an internal Stern School audience proposing a change regarding curriculum, School
mission or strategy, admissions policy, teaching vs. research agenda, etc. Your audience must not
already be sold on this idea.
You must have something personally at stake in this communicationyour position, your support from
constituents, your reputation, your future ability to network with fellow students, etc. It has to be
importantnot just, lets add a new concentration inX.
All of the above questions about audience and deliverables apply.
Option 3: Be yourself and assume a leadership role in an external organization such as a civic group,
professional or religious organization, corporate setting, or political action group. Present a controversial
proposal that suggests an important change of policy or direction.
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