Get a Certificate of Excellence in Communication

Learn how enhanced communication skills can help you thrive in your role

Tomeka Everett is presented with her Certificate of Excellence.
From left to right, Learning & Organization Development’s Keisha Williams and Marjorie Siegert celebrate with Tomeka Everett, an Administrative Specialist at Duke, who received a Certificate of Excellence. Photo by Les Todd.

Maggie Elliott, a senior program coordinator for Duke Faculty Advancement, regularly sends emails, including invitations to faculty, to participate as speakers in upcoming events.

In this context, she said, effective communication is paramount, encompassing everything from precise wording to overall tone of a message.

“I definitely need to be a clear communicator when it comes to talking with faculty and getting straight to what I need their help on,” Elliott said.

Last year, Elliott enrolled in the Certificate of Excellence program in communication offered by Learning & Organization Development (L&OD), a unit in Duke Human Resources. The communication certificate is one of six certificates of excellence and two nationally recognized certificates available through L&OD. Each certificate is crafted to facilitate growth in skill domains such as self-leadership, technology, and supervisory excellence. Each certificate requires the completion of four-to-six  courses within three years of application submission.

“Communication is the fundamental skill we need to be successful at work,” said Senior Learning & Organization Development Consultant Don Shortslef, who leads the communication certificate program.

The communication certificate, which focuses on building emotional intelligence, requires five courses. Here’s a look at several of the classes, which will be offered by L&OD in 2024.

Communicating with Diplomacy and Tact I and II

Earlier this year, Carlos Lewis, an orthopedic technologist, took Communicating with Diplomacy and Tact I. He gained a valuable insight: facial expressions and body language are on par with the importance of spoken words.

This lesson prompted him to become more mindful of smiling, establishing eye contact, and cultivating a sense of relaxation before entering the room of pediatric patients.

“People listen to your actions more than what you say,” Lewis said.

The course, offered in two parts, teaches participants how to have meaningful interactions in professional settings.

“You have to create an environment where people feel welcome to share their honest thoughts,” said Shortslef, who teaches the course.

Conflict Resolution

Danielle Woods, team lead and human resources specialist for Nursing Payroll Services, took Conflict Resolution this
year to learn what to do when a miscommunication or misunderstanding arises.

The course uses the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) to assess five modes for responding to conflict, from avoidance to confrontation.

“The class will help anyone take a look at themselves and understand other people and how to think from a different perspective,” Woods said.

Personality & Effective Communication

The Personality & Effective Communication course highlights the importance of communication for building positive and productive working relationships and uses the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment to verify your personality type.

By the end of the course, participants have greater awareness of the impact of their personality type when communicating with others.

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