Professional development: Improve yourself, always from Coursera

What's inside

Syllabus

Self-directed learning

Rapidly changing environments by their nature means that people must be continually thinking about their skills and adapting them in order to carry out their work. In this lesson you will look at the big picture of influences that are compelling us to be continuously updating skills. In particular, you will explore the importance of self-directed learning as an approach to your development and review a model to guide you in taking responsibility to adapt yourself always.

Self-awareness

The first step in any process of change is self-awareness. You have to understand what you do now and be aware of its consequences for your goals and behaviour for the future. You would think we should be good at self-awareness, but there are challenges to the process. This week you will explore those challenges and look at ways to deal with them. One aspect, in particular, is managing the emotions that arise with self-awareness and how you can reduce their influence during the self-awareness process.

Self-reflection

An important aspect of self-awareness, and an important process in self-understanding, is the action of self-reflection. You will examine its nature and how to encourage it in your self-development. This week you will examine the various tools of reflection and the steps to increase effective self-reflection. The aim of self-understanding is to appreciate your leadership style and the skill and development needs you may need to address. You do not have to make changes as a result of this process, but you do have to accept the consequences of your decisions about what you do with these insights.

Self-change problems

This week you will look at the process of self-change. Psychologists refer to this as self-regulation: taking control of improving your performance by learning new skills and knowledge. However, this process is not as easy as we would like. This week you will examine the self-change process in more detail to support efforts to adapt yourself always. You will explore the nature of why it is hard to change, the impact of habits on your behaviour and the role of willpower in the process of development, and begin to look at the practices you can apply to increase the likelihood of successful change.

The process of change

This week you will focus on the process of making changes. You will look through a step by step approach of issues that are needed to be worked on to maximise the likelihood that change will be successful. Contemporary self-regulation research emphasises behaviour, cognitions, and environmental aspects in successful change. You will explore this approach through the underlying concept of social cognitive theory. You will examine the role of behaviour, cognitions, and environment in change and the insights that can be applied to the change process.

Action plan for personal change

This week you will go through the mechanics of developing an action plan that will address an area that you would like to develop. The first step in your action plan is to clarify the action plan goal. The action plan process also needs to incorporate your reflection on why you want to change. Action strategies related to environmental change, cognitions, and specific behaviours in relation to improving listening to colleagues. Actions to evaluate and modify the plan also need to be built into the plan.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Explores practices you can apply to increase the likelihood of successful change

Examines nature of self-awareness and how to encourage it in self-development

Focuses on rapid ongoing change in the world of work

Develops self-awareness and the change process, core for personal skill development

Addresses strategies related to environmental change, cognitions, and specific behaviors to improve listening skills

Taught by Associate Professor Paul Nesbit, whose work in the field is recognized

Reviews summary

Professional development skills

Learners say this professional development course emphasizes professional and personal self-improvement. Topics engaging assignments include the importance of self-awareness, self-understanding, and self-reflection as well as how to manage feedback and welcome challenges that help you grow. The course is largely positive, especially its focus on setting achievable goals, understanding cognition and emotions, and exploring factors that can improve teamwork and communication.

The instructor, Professor Nesbit, is praised for his clear teaching style, examples, and engaging delivery.

"Professor Paul Nesbit is a great speaker showing during this program several concepts to improve ourselves."

"I have to admit it can be blurry at the beginnig with all those "self-something" expressions but the teacher is providing good explanations, useful examples and usable tricks."

The course provides practical tips, tools, and strategies that learners can easily use to improve their professional and personal lives.

"The professor who's delivering lectures is pretty good and he has excellent speech delivering concepts."

"The lessons were very informative, attractive and easily understood."

Learners self-reflect to better understand themselves, work towards goals, and improve their professional skills.

"This course has provided me clear insight about how to direct my efforts towards self development for successful outcome."

"This course is very helpful, to make decision and understand yourself, peoples and develop and better understanding towards career and growth"

A few learners felt that the course started slowly and could have provided more examples earlier on.

"The course begins a bit slow (in first 2 weeks or so there are limited examples or cases)."

Some learners found the practice exams and quizzes to be too difficult or unclear.

"On top of that, a couple of misspellings and grammatical errors in quizzes."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Professional development: Improve yourself, always with these activities:

Create a personalized resource library on leadership development

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Organize and curate resources that you find valuable for your ongoing leadership development journey.

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Gather articles, books, videos, and other resources on leadership development
Create a digital or physical library to store and organize your resources
Regularly review and update your library with new and relevant content

Read 'Leaders Eat Last' by Simon Sinek

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Explore the concept of servant leadership and its impact on team dynamics and organizational success.

View The Infinite Game on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of the book and set aside time for reading
Read the book thoroughly, taking notes and highlighting key passages
Reflect on the principles presented in the book and consider their applicability to your own leadership style

Review self-directed learning principles

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Establish a solid foundation in self-directed learning to enhance your ability to adapt and thrive in the dynamic work environment.

Browse courses on Self-Directed Learning

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Research and gather resources on self-directed learning techniques
Identify your strengths and weaknesses as a self-directed learner
Develop a plan to enhance your self-directed learning skills

Five other activities

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Create a personal development plan

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Outline your areas for improvement and establish a roadmap for your ongoing professional development.

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Reflect on your current skills and identify areas for growth
Research and explore different development opportunities
Create a plan that includes specific goals, timelines, and strategies

Join or start a self-development study group

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Connect with peers, share experiences, and provide mutual support for your professional growth journey.

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Reach out to your network or join online platforms to find potential study partners
Establish a regular meeting schedule and decide on the group's focus
Facilitate discussions, share resources, and provide feedback to each other

Attend workshops on leadership development

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Gain practical insights and engage in interactive exercises to enhance your leadership capabilities.

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Research and identify relevant workshops in your area or online
Register and attend the selected workshops
Actively participate in discussions, exercises, and networking opportunities

Contribute to open-source projects related to leadership

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Engage in practical leadership experiences by collaborating on open-source projects and solving real-world challenges.

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Identify open-source projects that align with your leadership interests
Join the project community and learn about their development process
Contribute to the project by suggesting improvements, reporting bugs, or resolving issues

Mentor junior professionals or students in leadership development

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Share your knowledge and experiences to help others grow and develop their leadership skills.

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Identify opportunities to mentor others through your network or professional organizations
Establish clear goals and expectations with your mentees
Provide guidance, support, and feedback to your mentees on a regular basis

Career center

Learners who complete Professional development: Improve yourself, always will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Change Manager

A Change Manager leads and manages organizational change initiatives. They work with stakeholders to identify and assess change needs, develop and implement change plans, and evaluate change outcomes. This course may be useful to a Change Manager because it helps them to understand the change process and how to lead others through change.

See salaries and explore the career path for Change Manager

Human Resources Manager

A Human Resources Manager oversees the human resources department of an organization. They are responsible for recruiting, hiring, training, and developing employees. They also manage employee benefits and compensation. This course may be useful to a Human Resources Manager because it helps them to understand the change process and how to lead others through change.

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Leadership Coach

A Leadership Coach helps leaders develop their skills and abilities. They provide support, guidance, and feedback to help leaders reach their goals. This course may be useful to a Leadership Coach because it can help them to understand the change process and how to lead others through change.

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Organization Development Specialist

An Organization Development Specialist helps organizations improve their performance and effectiveness. They analyze organizational processes, develop and implement change programs, and facilitate team development. This course may be useful to an Organization Development Specialist because it helps them to understand the change process and how to lead others through change.

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Professor

A Professor teaches and conducts research in a specialized field. They prepare course materials, deliver lectures, grade assignments, and advise students. This course may be useful to a Professor because it helps them to continually develop their skills and abilities.

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Instructional Designer

An Instructional Designer creates and develops instructional materials and programs. They work with subject matter experts to identify learning objectives, develop learning activities, and evaluate learning outcomes. This course may be useful to an Instructional Designer because it helps them to understand the change process and how to adapt to different situations.

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Psychologist

A Psychologist studies the behavior of people and how they think, both individually and in groups. They design and conduct research projects, collect data, and perform statistical analyses to contribute to the understanding of human behavior. This course may be useful to a Psychologist because it can help them understand the change process and how to adapt themselves to different situations.

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Technical Writer

A Technical Writer creates and develops technical documentation. They work with subject matter experts to gather information, write technical manuals, and develop online help systems. This course may be useful to a Technical Writer because it can help them to understand the change process and how to adapt to different situations.

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Learning and Development Manager

A Learning and Development Manager plans and implements training and development programs for employees. They work with stakeholders to identify training needs, develop training programs, and evaluate training outcomes. This course may be useful to a Learning and Development Manager because it can help them to understand the change process and how to adapt themselves to different situations.

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Social Media Manager

A Social Media Manager plans and implements social media campaigns. They work with marketers and other stakeholders to identify social media goals, develop social media strategies, and track social media results. This course may be useful to a Social Media Manager because it can help them to understand the change process and how to adapt to different situations.

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Digital Marketing Manager

A Digital Marketing Manager plans and implements digital marketing campaigns. They work with marketers and other stakeholders to identify marketing goals, develop marketing strategies, and track marketing results. This course may be useful to a Digital Marketing Manager because it can help them to understand the change process and how to adapt to different situations.

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Project Manager

A Project Manager plans, organizes, and manages projects. They work with stakeholders to define project goals, develop project plans, and track project progress. This course may be useful to a Project Manager because it helps them to understand the change process and how to adapt to different situations.

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Content Writer

A Content Writer creates and develops content for websites, blogs, and other online platforms. They work with marketers and other stakeholders to identify content needs, develop content strategies, and create engaging content. This course may be useful to a Content Writer because it can help them to understand the change process and how to adapt to different situations.

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Sales Manager

A Sales Manager plans and implements sales strategies. They work with salespeople and other stakeholders to identify sales goals, develop sales strategies, and track sales results. This course may be useful to a Sales Manager because it can help them to understand the change process and how to adapt to different situations.

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Consultant

A Consultant provides expert advice to organizations and individuals. They analyze problems, develop solutions, and help clients implement changes. This course may be useful to a Consultant because it helps them to understand the change process and how to adapt to different situations.

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