Getting it right: consulting and communication inside organisations

Communication within organisations can be crucial to business success. Organisations need to communicate formally with a range of stakeholders - including their employees. Engaging employees in positive ways can have unexpected benefits; by harnessing the know-how of the real experts in your organisation, you can improve business results. Effective two-way communication is the key. This online course examines ways of communicating with employees, making the best use of today’s technologies. You’ll discover that surprising outcomes can be achieved by being more open with your employees!

This course will be beneficial to:

• Managers in small and medium sized organisations
• Middle/senior management in large organisations.

What you will study

European legislation requires companies to inform and consult employees on any changes that might affect their working practice, but good internal communication can have considerable benefits beyond compliance with legal requirements. The course examines the way in which effective communication within organisations can offer business benefits. Communicating essential information to employees – and, perhaps more importantly, consulting them – makes business sense. Well-informed employees can be more productive employees and those people who work at lower levels in an organisation often know more than their managers about what would really make a difference to customers.

You will learn to:

• recognise the importance and benefits of effective internal communication in organisations
• understand the benefits of effective consultation in organisations
• apply the principles of open communication within your own organisation
• identify appropriate methods of communication and consultation within your organisation.

In this course there are activities that you can use to help you relate your learning to your organisation and your role within it. These should help you to assemble the basic material for the final work-based activity (WBA), which is to produce a report on a real communication or consultation that takes place in your organisation, using what you have learned on the course to plan and implement it.

The strong link between course learning and your work practice creates relevant, enduring and transferable outcomes. The course will take 30 hours to study and includes web text, interviews, self-assessment questions and activities. The course contains a series of bite-size chunks, each devoted to both technical and managerial topics. Register online today and start tomorrow – no need to wait!

The course features the distinctive strengths of The Open University (OU) from its years of expertise in work-based learning:

• The convenience of accessing its clearly presented and sequenced materials, activities and support whenever suits you and wherever you have access to the dedicated website – if you prefer, you can print key materials to work on them offline.
• The support of an expert learning adviser who can clarify study materials, answer questions and help you relate the course to your specific needs.
• A work-based activity helping you to connect the course to your individual and organisational context and needs. At the end of the course you send this to the learning adviser, who provides personal feedback.
• Certification of completion from the OU for those who complete the course. You can use this to demonstrate your continuing professional development (CPD) activity to your employer and/or professional body. (N.B. The course does not carry academic credit points.)

Entry

Although there are no formal academic requirements to study any of our CPD courses, you are expected to have some experience in the field and the course assumes a familiarity with the subject.

For each course you can register and begin at any time during the life of the course. You can study at your own pace and submit your work-based activity at any date before the final submission date for the course. Information about the final submission date is available when you register for the course.

If you have a disability

The course is delivered online and makes use of a variety of online resources. If you use specialist hardware or software to assist you in using a computer or the internet you are advised to talk to the Student Registration and Enquiry Service about support which can be given to meet your needs. If you are a new learner with the OU, make sure you look at our website.

Study materials

What's included

All learning materials, exercises, study support and work-based activity are delivered entirely online.

Computing requirements

You will need a computer with internet access to study this course as it includes online activities, which you can access using a web browser.

• If you have purchased a new desktop or laptop computer since 2007 you should have no problems completing the online activities.
• If you’ve got a netbook, tablet or other mobile computing device check our Technical requirements section.
• If you use an Apple Mac you will need OS X 10.6 or later.

You can also visit the Technical requirements section for further computing information including the details of the support we provide.

Learner support

Expert, confidential learner support is available when you need it from a learning adviser, who will respond to you direct within 24 hours. Other support is available via the GB043 forum, library, StudentHome website and computing helpdesk.

Work-based activity

The work-based activity for this course is a written report and has been designed as an integrated ongoing activity that you submit at the end of your study. It will allow you to reflect on your learning and how to use it in your professional work.

Professional recognition

Successful completion of the course enables us to recognise your achievement of the course learning by issuing an OU certificate that you can use to document your commitment to continuing professional development in your personal portfolio, or to provide evidence to employers or professional body.

Your questions

Try our frequently asked questions.

Come and meet us at an event near you.

Or contact an adviser by Email or call +44(0) 845 300 60 90 +44(0) 845 366 60 35

Employers' questions

Contact Corporate Enquiries
Visit our website for employers or Email us