COM 600 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric Overview The final project for this course is the creation of a leadership communication analysis and leadership communication plan. Can we learn from the past to prepare for the future? It is a common refrain in the business world. However, nowhere are the lessons of the past more helpful than in the field of corporate communications. All of us have seen, at one time or another, a company failing to get out the proper message. Whether it is about a product recall or an unforeseen corporate crisis, companies can be slow to react and their reactions are not always the most appropriate for the situation at hand. Being an effective leader is more than just making an impressive speech. The most important aspect of communication is not speaking, but listening. To be an effective speaker, you have to know that your message is being received and is being received in the manner that is expected. This paradox is what leads to most communications problems in the corporate world. In this course, you will explore examples of leadership communications and learn not only how they do or do not effectively reach their audiences, but the impact leadership communications can have on an organization. This experience will expose you to appropriate ways of communicating as a leader and proper strategies and approaches to leadership. For the summative assessment in this course, you will review an example of a leadership communication, discern how the plan could be improved in reaching internal and external audiences, and determine its impact on the organization responsible for the communication. Then you will develop a leadership communication plan designed to inform future leadership communications of the organization. This summative assessment will prepare you to create future leadership communications and take advantage of future leadership opportunities. The project is divided into three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Two, Four, and Six. The final product will be submitted in Module Nine. In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:  Evaluate the effectiveness of leadership communications of an organization for both internal and external audiences  Analyze the challenges and opportunities in creating a positive organizational culture for how they impact organizational growth  Develop strategies for developing future leadership communications directed to both internal and external audiences that are supported by systems theory and best practices  Develop ethical frameworks for leadership for organizational decision-making regarding the development of leadership communications  Recommend improvements to leadership communications for guiding management on effectively delivering c ...

1. COM 600 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric
Overview
The final project for this course is the creation of a leadership
communication analysis and leadership communication plan.
Can we learn from the past to prepare for the future? It is a
common refrain in the business world. However, nowhere are
the lessons of the past more helpful
than in the field of corporate communications. All of us have
seen, at one time or another, a company failing to get out the
proper message. Whether it is about a
product recall or an unforeseen corporate crisis, companies can
be slow to react and their reactions are not always the most
appropriate for the situation at
hand.
Being an effective leader is more than just making an
impressive speech. The most important aspect of communication
is not speaking, but listening. To be an
effective speaker, you have to know that your message is being
received and is being received in the manner that is expected.
This paradox is what leads to most
communications problems in the corporate world. In this course,
you will explore examples of leadership communications and
learn not only how they do or do
not effectively reach their audiences, but the impact l eadership
communications can have on an organization. This experience
will expose you to appropriate
ways of communicating as a leader and proper strategies and

2. approaches to leadership.
For the summative assessment in this course, you will review an
example of a leadership communication, discern how the plan
could be improved in reaching
internal and external audiences, and determine its impact on the
organization responsible for the communication. Then you will
develop a leadership
communication plan designed to inform future leadership
communications of the organization. This summative
assessment will prepare you to create future
leadership communications and take advantage of future
leadership opportunities.
The project is divided into three milestones, which will be
submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold
learning and ensure quality final
submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules
Two, Four, and Six. The final product will be submitted in
Module Nine.
In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the
following course outcomes:
an organization for both internal and external audiences
in creating a
positive organizational culture for how they impact
organizational growth
communications directed to both internal and external audiences
that are supported by systems
theory and best practices

3. decision-making regarding the development of leadership
communications
guiding management on effectively delivering communications
Prompt
For the summative assessment in this course, you will conduct a
leadership communication analysis consisting of a company
overview, the analysis of a
leadership communication, and leadership communication
guidelines. Examples of leadership communication might
include, but are not limited to
memorandums to internal employees regarding organizational
changes or job responsibilities, speeches or presentations by an
organizational leader, interviews
of an organizational leader regarding a crisis event in the
organization, and so on. First, you will review several examples
of leadership communications from the
same organization. You will conduct your analysis by first
reviewing the mission, values, and goals of the organization and
describing some of its important
characteristics. You will use this profile of the organization to
conduct your analysis of its communications. Your analysis will
focus on how effective the
communications were in reaching internal and external
audiences.

4. Then, using the information you discovered in your analysis,
you will develop guidelines for the organization on how to
develop future communications. This will
help guide leadership on how they will develop future
communications that avoid the previous issues in the
communications. For both your leadership
communication analysis and your leadership plan, you will be
expected to support your responses with research and your own
analysis when appropriate.
Specifically, you must address the critical elements listed
below. Most of the critical elements align with a particular
course outcome (shown in brackets).
I. Company Overview: In this section of the summative
assessment, you will develop an overview of the company. This
overview will serve as a profile for
the company, detailing their daily operations and describing
their key characteristics. This profile will be useful in your
analysis and evaluation of their
leadership communications.
A. Provide an overview of how the organization operates from a
systems theory approach. For example, how does the
organization operate on a
daily basis? On a monthly basis? How do individuals with
different roles interact?
B. Explain the mission, vision, and goals of the organization.
For example, what is the mission statement of the organization?
What are the
employees expected to follow and abide by?
C. Determine the role of key leaders of the organization in the
development and delivery of organizational communications.

5. D. Determine the most important internal and external
audiences of the organization and justify your response.
E. Describe the current culture of the organization. Your
response should be a general description of the work
environment and the morale of
employees.
II. Analysis of Leadership Communications: In this section of
the summative assessment, you will analyze the leadership
communications of the
organization. You will focus on how well the messages reach
internal and external audiences, as well as the impact of the
messages on the culture of the
organization. Your analysis should consider both the messages
themselves as well as the role leadership played in the
development and delivery of the
messages.
A. Evaluate the communications for how effectively leadership
met the needs of internal stakeholders.
B. Evaluate the communications for how effectively leadership
met needs of external stakeholders.
C. Analyze the communications for determining their impact on
the culture of the organization.
D. Explain the approach of the organization to issues of ethics.
Your response should be a general explanation regarding the
overall process (or lack
thereof) of the organization regarding issues of ethics. For
example, is it clear how issues of ethics would be handled by
leadership? What steps

6. were or were not taken into account for ethical concerns?
E. Explain how issues in organizational culture inhibit
opportunities for organizational growth. For example, how
might interpersonal issues that
arise from communications inhibit organizational growth?
III. Leadership Communication Guidelines: In this section of
the summative assessment, you will develop strategies that will
serve as guidelines for
developing future leadership communications of the
organization. You will also develop an ethical framework that
will guide the organization in
addressing issues of ethics regarding the development and
delivery of leadership communications.
A. Develop leadership communication strategies that will allow
future leadership communications of the organization to account
for the needs of
internal and external stakeholders.
B. Develop leadership communication strategies that will allow
future leadership communications of the organization to account
for challenges
with the message receiver.
C. Recommend improvements directed to the organization for
developing and delivering communications regarding meeting
the needs of internal
and external stakeholders and overcoming challenges with the
message receiver.
D. Recommend improvements directed to the organization for
developing and delivering communications regarding the role
that leadership will

7. have when following your developed guidelines.
E. Predict the social and cultural impact of the proposed
leadership guidelines on internal and external stakeholders. For
example, how might
leadership communications developed under this plan impact
the organizational culture? How might they influence the
effectiveness of
leadership?
F. Develop an ethical framework that will be used in the
leadership guidelines and justify your framework. For example,
how is this framework an
improvement over the organization’s previous approach to
ethical issues?
G. Develop leadership communication strategies that will allow
future leadership communications of the organization to account
for ethical issues
using the ethical framework you developed.
H. Explain how your leadership communication guidelines are
informed by systems theory and best practices for
organizational leadership
communications.
I. Explain how these developed strategies and recommended
improvements would help guide leadership in effectively
delivering future
leadership communications.
Milestones
Milestone One: Organization Profile
In Module Two, you will compose a paper that shares your
analysis of the company you have chosen from the provided

8. Final Project Subject list or one of your
own choosing. You will conduct some research on the
organization’s culture, leadership, and communications.
Compose a paper that shares your analysis of the
organization. Discuss the organization’s culture (e.g., work
environment, morale of employees), organizational operations,
who the key leaders are and how they
affect communications, the organization’s mission, vision, and
goals, and the internal and external audiences receiving the
communications. This milestone will
be graded with the Milestone One Rubric.
Milestone Two: Leadership Communication Critique
In Module Four, you will discuss the impact of the leadership
communications of your chosen organization. This exploration
will be the next step into the world
of evaluating effective communication processes for a company,
which is a key component of the final project. First, complete a
SWOT analysis for your chosen
organization. Then, compose a paper that shares your analysis.
Critique the company’s process based on your understanding of
systems theory as well as other
leadership evaluative methods. You also have the option of
creating a TED Talk-type video essay (in lieu of a paper) in
which you make the case, as a speaker, for
your position. If you choose the video essay, you may record
your submission with a camcorder, webcam, or even your
smartphone. This milestone will be
graded with the Milestone Two Rubric.
Milestone Three: Recommendations for Optimal Leadership

9. Communications
In Module Six, you will formulate your recommendations on
guidelines for optimal leadership communications, taking into
account considerations such as
company culture, ethics, and systems theory. You will consider
the impact of optimal leadership communications on an
organization and its alignment with your
present understanding of systems theory. Submit your
assignment as a PowerPoint or Prezi media presentation. You
may submit speaker’s notes with your
presentation, if you wish. This milestone will be graded with
the Milestone Three Rubric.
Final Submission: Leadership Communication Analysis and
Leadership Communication Plan
In Module Nine, you will submit your final project. It should be
a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical
elements of the final product. It should
reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the
course. The content generated in the three previous milestones
will serve as the foundation for this
work. This submission will be graded with the Final Project
Rubric.
Deliverables
Milestone Deliverable Module Due Grading
One Organization Profile 2 Graded separately; Milestone One
Rubric
Two Leadership Communication Critique 4 Graded separately;
Milestone Two Rubric

10. Three Recommendations for Optimal Leadership
Communications
6 Graded separately; Milestone Three Rubric
Final Submission: Leadership
Communication Analysis and Leadership
Communication Plan
9 Graded separately; Final Project Rubric
Final Project Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: Your leadership communication
analysis and leadership communication plan should be 12 to 15
pages in length with 12-point Times
New Roman font and double spacing.
Critical Elements Exemplary Proficient Needs Improvement
Not Evident Value
Company Overview:
Organization Operates
[COM-600-03]
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
response demonstrates a
sophisticated awareness of
systems theory and how it

11. relates to organizational
operations
(100%)
Provides an overview of how the
organization operates from a
systems theory approach
(90%)
Provides an overview of how the
organization operates from a
systems theory approach but
provided overview is cursory or
contains inaccuracies
(70%)
Does not provide an overview of
how the organization operates
from a systems theory approach
(0%)
3.16
Company Overview:
Mission, Vision, and
Goals
[COM-600-01]
N/A
100%

12. Explains the mission, vision, and
goals of the organization
(100%)
Explains the mission, vision, and
goals of the organization but
explanation is cursory
(70%)
Does not explain the mission,
vision, and goals of the
organization
(0%)
4.75
Company Overview:
Key Leaders
[COM-600-03]
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
response demonstrates a
sophisticated awareness of how
key leaders of the organization
are involved in organizational
communications
(100%)
Determines the role of key
leaders of the organization in the

13. development and delivery of
organizational communications
(90%)
Determines the role of key
leaders of the organization in the
development and delivery of
organizational communications,
but determination is cursory or
contains inaccuracies
(70%)
Does not determine the role of key
leaders of the organization in the
development and delivery of
organizational communications
(0%)
3.16
Company Overview:
Internal and External
[COM-600-01]
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
justification demonstrates keen
insight into what makes the
determined audiences the most
important for the organization
(100%)

14. Determines the most important
internal and external audiences
of the organization and justifies
response
(90%)
Determines the most important
internal and external audiences
of the organization but
determination is cursory or
contains inaccuracies or
justification is tenuous or
illogical
(70%)
Does not determine the most
important internal and external
audiences of the organization and
justify response
(0%)
4.75
Company Overview:
Culture
[COM-600-02]
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
response demonstrates a

15. sophisticated awareness of the
elements that best describe the
culture of an organization
(100%)
Describes the current culture of
the organization
(90%)
Describes the current culture of
the organization but description
is cursory or contains
inaccuracies
(70%)
Does not describe the current
culture of the organization
(0%)
6.33
Analysis: Internal
[COM-600-01]
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
response demonstrates keen
insight into the specific elements
that contribute to the
communication’s effectiveness in
meeting the needs of internal
stakeholders

16. (100%)
Evaluates the communications
for how effectively leadership
met the needs of internal
stakeholders
(90%)
Evaluates the communications
for how effectively leadership
met the needs of internal
stakeholders but evaluation is
cursory or contains inaccuracies
(70%)
Does not evaluate the
communications for how
effectively leadership met the
needs of internal stakeholders
(0%)
4.75
Analysis: External
[COM-600-01]
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
response demonstrates keen
insight into the specific elements
that contribute to the
communication’s effectiveness in
meeting the needs of external
stakeholders

17. (100%)
Evaluates the communications
for how effectively leadership
met the needs of external
stakeholders
(90%)
Evaluates the communications
for how effectively leadership
met the needs of external
stakeholders but evaluation is
cursory or contains inaccuracies
(70%)
Does not evaluate the
communications for how
effectively leadership met the
needs of external stakeholders
(0%)
4.75
Analysis: Culture
[COM-600-02]
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
makes especially cogent
connections between the
communications and their
impact on the culture of the
organization

18. (100%)
Analyzes the communications
for determining their impact on
the culture of the organization
(90%)
Analyzes the communications
for determining their impact on
the culture of the organization
but analysis is cursory or
contains inaccuracies
(70%)
Does not analyze the
communications for determining
their impact on the culture of the
organization
(0%)
6.33
Analysis: Issues of
Ethics
[COM-600-04]
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
response demonstrates a
sophisticated awareness of how
issues of ethics were handled by
leadership of the organization

19. (100%)
Explains the organization’s
approach or lack of approach to
issues of ethics
(90%)
Explains the organization’s
approach or lack of approach to
issues of ethics but explanation
is cursory or contains
inaccuracies
(70%)
Does not explain the organization’s
approach or lack of approach to
issues of ethics
(0%)
6.33
Analysis:
Organizational Growth
[COM-600-02]
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
response makes especially
cogent connections between

20. issues in organizational culture
and their effect on
organizational growth
(100%)
Explains how issues in
organizational culture affect
opportunities for organizational
growth
(90%)
Explains how issues in
organizational culture affect
opportunities for organizational
growth but explanation is
cursory or contains inaccuracies
(70%)
Does not explain how issues in
organizational culture affect
opportunities for organizational
growth
(0%)
6.34
Guidelines: Internal
and External
Stakeholders
[COM-600-03]
Meets “Proficient” criteria and

21. developed leadership strategies
demonstrate keen insight into
how to meet the needs of
internal and external
stakeholders
(100%)
Develops leadership
communication strategies that
will allow future leadership
communications of the
organization to account for the
needs of internal and external
stakeholders
(90%)
Develops leadership
communication strategies that
will allow future leadership
communications of the
organization to account for the
needs of internal and external
stakeholders but developed
strategies are cursory or contain
inaccuracies
(70%)
Does not develop leadership
communication strategies that will
allow future leadership
communications of the
organization to account for the
needs of internal and external

22. stakeholders
(0%)
3.16
Guidelines: Message
Receiver
[COM-600-03]
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
developed leadership strategies
provide keen insight into how to
account for social and cultural
challenges with the message
receiver
(100%)
Develops leadership
communication strategies that
will allow future leadership
communications of the
organization to account for
social and cultural challenges
with the message receiver
(90%)
Develops leadership
communication strategies that
will allow future leadership
communications of the
organization to account for
social and cultural challenges

23. with the message receiver but
developed strategies are cursory
or contain inaccuracies
(70%)
Does not develop leadership
communication strategies that will
allow future leadership
communications of the
organization to account for social
and cultural challenges with the
message receiver
(0%)
3.16
Guidelines:
Improvements
[COM-600-05]
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
response demonstrates keen
insight into improving the
development and delivery of
leadership communications for a
variety of audiences
(100%)
Recommends improvements
directed to the organization for

24. developing and delivering
communications regarding
meeting the needs of internal
and external stakeholders and
overcoming challenges with the
message receiver
(90%)
Recommends improvements
directed to the organization for
developing and delivering
communications regarding the
meeting the needs of internal
and external stakeholders and
overcoming challenges with the
message receiver but
recommendations are cursory or
contains inaccuracies
(70%)
Does not recommend
improvements directed to the
organization for developing and
delivering communications
regarding meeting the needs of
internal and external stakeholders
and overcoming challenges with
the message receiver
(0%)
6.33
Guidelines: Leadership

25. [COM-600-05]
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
response demonstrates a keen
insight into the role that
leadership must play in
developing and delivering
communications
(100%)
Recommends improvements
directed to the organization for
developing and delivering
communications regarding the
role that leadership will have
when following developed
guidelines
(90%)
Recommends improvements
directed to the organization for
developing and delivering
communications regarding the
role that leadership will have
when following developed
guidelines but recommendations
are cursory or contain
inaccuracies
(70%)
Does not recommend
improvements directed to the
organization for developing and

26. delivering communications
regarding the role that leadership
will have when following
developed guidelines
(0%)
6.33
Guidelines: Social and
Cultural
[COM-600-03]
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
response demonstrates keen
insight into the potential social
and cultural impact of the
proposed leadership plan
(100%)
Predicts the social and cultural
impact of the proposed
leadership plan on internal and
external stakeholders
(90%)
Predicts the social and cultural
impact of the proposed
leadership plan on internal and
external stakeholders but
prediction is cursory or contains
inaccuracies

27. (70%)
Does not predict the social and
cultural impact of the proposed
leadership plan on internal and
external stakeholders
(0%)
3.16
Guidelines: Ethical
Framework
[COM-600-04]
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
response demonstrates keen
insight into how to guide future
leadership in in avoiding ethical
issues regarding
communications
(100%)
Develops an ethical framework
that will be used in the
leadership plan and justifies
framework
(90%)
Develops an ethical framework
that will be used in the
leadership plan and justifies
response but framework is

28. cursory or contains inaccuracies
or justification is tenuous or
illogical
(70%)
Does not develop an ethical
framework that will be used in the
leadership plan and justify
framework
(0%)
6.33
Guidelines: Ethical
Issues
[COM-600-04]
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
response demonstrates keen
insight into how to guide future
leadership in addressing ethical
issues regarding
communications
(100%)
Develops leadership
communication strategies that
will allow future leadership
communications of the

29. organization to account for
ethical issues using the ethical
framework
(90%)
Develops leadership
communication strategies that
will allow future leadership
communications of the
organization to account for
ethical issues using the ethical
framework but developed
strategies are cursory or contain
inaccuracies
(70%)
Does not develop leadership
communication strategies that will
allow future leadership
communications of the
organization to account for ethical
issues using the developed ethical
framework
(0%)
6.34
Guidelines: Systems
Theory and Best
Practices
[COM-600-03]

30. Meets “Proficient” criteria and
response demonstrates keen
insight into how each piece of
the guidelines is informed by
systems theory and best
practices
(100%)
Explains how leadership
communication guidelines are
informed by systems theory and
best practices
(90%)
Explains how leadership
communication guidelines are
informed by systems theory and
best practices but explanation is
cursory or contain inaccuracies
(70%)
Does not explain how leadership
communication guidelines are
informed by systems theory and
best practices
(0%)
3.16
Guidelines: Guide
Leadership

31. [COM-600-05]
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
response demonstrates keen
insight in how the guidelines will
assist leadership in effectively
delivering future leadership
communications
(100%)
Explains how developed
strategies and recommended
improvements would help guide
leadership in effectively
delivering future leadership
communications
(90%)
Explains how developed
strategies and recommended
improvements would help guide
leadership in effectively
delivering future leadership
communications but explanation
is cursory or contains
inaccuracies
(70%)
Does not explain how developed
strategies and recommended
improvements would help guide
leadership in effectively delivering
future leadership communications

32. (0%)
6.34
Articulation of
Response
Submission is free of errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, and organization
and is presented in a
professional and easy-to-read
format
(100%)
Submission has no major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
(90%)
Submission has major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that negatively impact
readability and articulation of
main ideas
(70%)
Submission has critical errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization

33. that prevent understanding of
ideas
(0%)
5.04
Total 100%
COM 600 Milestone Three Guidelines and Rubric
A milestone is designed to serve as a stepping stone to the final
project.
This submission is a PowerPoint or Prezi media presentation.
See the Module Three resources for guidance on how to create a
multimedia presentation.
Specifically, the document should give recommendations on
guidelines for optimal leadership communications. Students
should look for opportunities for
critical analysis of the communications process as well as how
systems theory frames those arguments.
The submission should be drawn from the specific readings in
the course material and must include the following:

34. internal and external stakeholders
the message receiver
and the role that leadership will play
guideline changes on internal and external stakeholders
leadership in the effective delivery of communications in the
future
formed your guideline changes
Guidelines for Submission: Your slideshow must be submitted
as a Microsoft PowerPoint or Prezi.
If speaker’s notes are submitted, they must be formatted as
follows: double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-
inch margins, and sources cited in APA
format.
Critical Elements Proficient (100%) Needs Improvement (55%)
Not Evident (0%) Value
Strategies and
Improvements: Needs of
Internal and External

35. Stakeholders
Provides strategies and improvements
for addressing the needs of internal and
external stakeholders that are specific
and sound
Provides strategies and improvements
for addressing the needs of internal and
external stakeholders that are vague or
unfounded
Does not provide strategies and
improvements for addressing the needs
of internal and external stakeholders
14
Strategies and
Improvements: Message
Receiver Challenges
Provides strategies and improvements
for addressing challenges with the
message receiver that are specific and
sound
Provides strategies and improvements
for addressing challenges with the
message receiver that are vague or
unfounded
Does not provide strategies for
addressing challenges with the message
receiver

36. 14
Strategies and
Improvements: Ethical
Issues
Provides strategies and improvements
for addressing ethical issues that are
specific and sound
Provides strategies and improvements
for addressing ethical issues that are
vague or unfounded
Does not provide strategies and
improvements for addressing ethical
issues
14
Best Communication
Practices and Leadership
Roles
Presents best practices for
communications and clearly describes
the role each leader should play
Presents best practices for
communications but does not clearly

37. describe the role each leader should
play
Does not provide best practices for
communications
13
Social and Cultural Impact Explains the social and cultural
impact
of these guideline changes on internal
and external stakeholders in ways that
are specific and sound
Explains the social and cultural impact
of these guideline changes on internal
and external stakeholders in ways that
are vague or unfounded
Does not explain the social and cultural
impact of these guideline changes on
internal and external stakeholders
13
Help to Leadership in
Future Communications
Explains how the guideline changes will
help the leadership in the effective
delivery of communications in the
future in ways that are that are specific
and sound
Explains how the guideline changes will

38. help the leadership in the effective
delivery of communications in the
future in ways that are vague or
unfounded
Does not explain how the guideline
changes will help the leadership in the
effective delivery of communications in
the future
13
Systems Theory and Best
Practices
Explains how systems theory and best
practices have formed guideline
changes in ways that are that are
specific and sound
Explains how systems theory and best
practices have formed guideline
changes in ways that are vague or
unfounded
Does not explain how systems theory
and best practices have formed
guideline changes
13
Articulation of Response Submission has no major errors related
to citations, grammar, spelling, or syntax
Submission has major errors related to
citations, grammar, spelling, or syntax

39. that negatively impact understanding of
ideas
Submission has critical errors related to
citations, grammar, spelling, or syntax
that prevent understanding of ideas
6
100%