Coursera

Purpose at Work: A Course for Employees and Leaders (Coursera)

Offered by University of Michigan,
Purpose at Work: A Course for Employees and Leaders (Coursera)

Welcome to Purpose at Work: A Course for Employees and Leaders! Why purpose at work? Because most of us spend most of our waking hours working. Many of us spend years of effort to obtain jobs that may give us purpose. But can we find purpose in nearly any job? Are we more engaged and likely to remain in our job if it gives us purpose? Can leaders create a culture that makes it easier for people to find purpose in their work? The answers are ‘yes’ to all of the above and this course shows you how.

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In this course we first examine what purpose is, the benefits of having a purpose, and how to find your own purpose. We then look at purposeful work, including ways of finding purposeful work in the process of leading a more engaged and fulfilling life. Finally, we focus on purposeful leadership, including ways of leading with purpose and managing yourself. Also, in this course I interview business executives, leading organizational psychologists, and even the research director of NASA. These discussions offer real-world insights and strategies to students, employees, and leaders.

What You Will Learn

  • The history of purpose in work
  • Purpose in work and ways of finding greater fulfillment of purpose through work
  • Approaches organizational leaders can take to create a more purposeful organization

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Introduction: What is Purpose and Why is it Important?
In this week, you'll meet your instructor, Vic Strecher, and get a foundational introduction to what purpose is from a historical context through to contemporary times, and why purpose is important. This week of the course is for everyone!

WEEK 2
Purposeful Work
In this week, you can expect to learn more about finding purposeful work and crafting your purpose in your work. This week of the course will be particularly relevant to current and future employees.

WEEK 3
Purposeful Leadership
This week will provide insights into how to develop purposeful organizations and learn how to engage as a purposeful leader. You will hear from several guests in this week as they provide additional perspectives on purposeful leadership. The content in this week will be of particular interest to current and future leaders.

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