Advanced Strategic Problem Solving and Communication

Advanced Strategic Problem Solving and Communication

FRIEDRICH-ALEXANDER
UNIVERSITÄT
ERLANGEN-NÜRNBERG
FACHBEREICH WIRTSCHAFTSWISSENSCHAFTEN
Institut für Management
Lehrstuhl für Unternehmensführung
Prof. Dr. Harald Hungenberg
Lange Gasse 20
90403 Nürnberg
Hungenberg@wiso.uni-erlangen.de
Nürnberg,
Advanced Strategic Problem Solving
and Communication
- Overview Two challenges are fundamental to managerial success: (1) innovative, team-based problem
solving, and (2) powerful communication. The goal of this highly interactive seminar is to provide
upcoming managers and entrepreneurs with effective tools to meet these challenges.
For this course, participants join on Tuesdays, 13.15 – 16.30h in room 0.225 (first session on
May, 15).
Below, you find the exact dates and an outline of the content discussed in each session:
Session 1 Structuring innovative problem solving
May 15
Topics:
Overview of seminar
Soft Skills as fundament of managerial success
Approaches to problem solving
Logical trees / pyramid principle
Challenging managerial assumptions
Literature: Minto (2003)
Session 2 Brainstorming-based problem solving in teams
May 22
Content:
Problem solving in teams
Creating an innovative team environment
IDEO-Deep Dive
Literature: Kelly (2008)
-2-
Session 3 Fundamentals of Communication
June 12
Content:
Cialdini model of persuasion
C-R-E structures
Literature: Cialdini (2006)
Session 4 Communication Structures
June 26
Content:
S-C-Q-A Introductions
Introduction to formal logic
Using syllogisms to build effective logical chains
Literature: Copi (1998), Weston (2000)
Session 5 Story telling in managerial communication
July 3
Content:
S-U-C-C-E-S framework
Process of Analogy building
Literature: Heath & Heath (2007); Denning (2008)
Session 6 Stage presence and speaking skills
July 10
Content:
Voice and diction
Body language, gesture and mimic
Dealing with stage fright
Literature: t.b.d.
Session 7 Student presentations
July 17
Content:
Student teams present their ideas to a board of investors
Literature: t.b.d.
-3-
The course handouts are going to be downloadable from the Lehrstuhl Homepage on April 19.
Grading:
Class participation is mandatory. Students are graded based on the combination of two
elements:
1. Presentation (in session 7, 40% of final grade)
Teams of participants together present an innovative idea to a board of investors. Goal of the
presentation is to use to tools discussed throughout the course to persuade the board to invest
in the team’s innovation.
2. Term paper (to be handed in by August 31st, 60% of final grade)
Each participant writes a short paper (max. 8 pages). The paper should analyze the
communication style of a person you choose as a role model. Details are explained in class.
-4-
Recommended readings
Presentation – Story Telling
Cialdini, R.: Influence: The psychology of persuasion. Harper Business, 2007.
Denning, S.: The Secret Language of Leadership: How Leaders Inspire Action Through
Narrative: How Leaders Inspire Change Through Narrative, New York, 2007
Detz, J.: It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it, New York 2000.
Heath, C. und Heath, D: Made to Stick. Why some ideas survive and others die. Random
House, 2007.
Pöhm, M.: Präsentieren Sie noch oder faszinieren Sie schon?, Heidelberg 2006.
Argumentation / Logic / Rhetoric
Copi, I.M.: Introduction to Logic, 7. Aufl., New York 1986.
Minto, B.: The Pyramid Principle, 3. Aufl., Harlow 2002.