How Managing Communications in Organisations equipped me to thrive

Christopher Joseph Tsui

I recently completed the Managing Communications in Organisations unit as part of the People Management and Organisations specialisation within the Master of Commerce. As someone who has never been away from my home country for more than four months, I found there was nothing more exciting than sharing and hearing the perspectives of my fellow group members and how their experiences and cultural upbringing shaped their views on business concepts.

For the unit's final project, we had to produce a recommendation to improve the University of Sydney's value proposition in attracting prospective students. Having only started in Semester 1, 2019, this was an amazing opportunity for us to provide fresh insights stemming from our recent experiences throughout the application process.

What made the project so interesting was how the group's diversity was reflected in our different approaches to tasks throughout the application process, which ranged from information gathering to defining course structures and pathways support. While a few students relied exclusively upon the University website, others such as myself relied on educational expos and roadshows to narrow our options down through more personalised communication.

Ultimately, the group decided to improve communication channels through these personalised events, which we considered make-or-break opportunities for the University to capitalise on convincingly delivering its program availability and structures.

The content covered in the project, and throughout the unit, has provided me with references that I'll be able to apply upon entering any organisation. Whether the focus is on managing conflicts within teams, understanding the reason and purpose behind our non-verbal communication skills and what messages these may project, or even on thriving within a culturally rich multinational organisation, the takeaways of the unit will allow me to understand and adapt to the little nuances that make each organisation unique.

More importantly, my learnings will equip me with the skills to thrive in a business environment that is rapidly changing, with an understanding of advancements in technology and machine learning as well as continuous innovation and the effective management necessary to facilitate it.

Written by Christopher Joseph Reyes Tsui
Master of Commerce student