Value Creation and Building Enduring Relationships from Coursera

The most effective leaders in complex technical organizations are successful leading the performance of large-scale technical endeavors. These leaders have generally established a network of professional relationships, supporting them throughout their career. This third Leading Technical Organizations course, "Value Creation and Building Enduring Relationships", explores techniques for building relationships that have a multiplicative impact on business success. The course provides insight into how authentic leadership yields employee engagement that is critical to strategizing, planning and performing large scale technical endeavors.

This course can be taken for academic credit as part of CU Boulder’s Master of Engineering in Engineering Management (ME-EM) degree offered on the Coursera platform. The ME-EM is designed to help engineers, scientists, and technical professionals move into leadership and management roles in the engineering and technical sectors. With performance-based admissions and no application process, the ME-EM is ideal for individuals with a broad range of undergraduate education and/or professional experience. Learn more about the ME-EM program at https://www.coursera.org/degrees/me-engineering-management-boulder.

What's inside

Syllabus

Stakeholder Perspectives

This first module of Leading Technical Organizations examines stakeholders and how meeting the needs of stakeholders is important to business. You will take an in-depth look at the stakeholders for your fictional aerospace corporation, LTO, and identify the specific relationships that exist between each group of stakeholders and the company. Stakeholder mapping will be introduced as a way to make a project or initiative at a company more successful.

Value Creation

This module will focus on how to create value for the stakeholders that were identified and mapped in module #1. We will investigate how value creation has changed over the past couple decades and explore shared value creation where all stakeholders' needs are addressed, creating win – win situations. We’ll see how companies are looking to address the future of value creation by internally disrupting themselves using intrapreneurship.

Building a Competitive Strategy

This module covers different types of strategies that companies have and explorers what a leader’s role is in developing those different types of strategies. It will investigate a very interesting differentiation in strategy, that of a "red ocean" strategy and a "blue ocean" strategy. The importance of well-conceived vision and mission statements and how they can motivate and empower your team will also be discussed. As a conclusion to the module, the idea of building your own personal strategic plan will be introduced.

Establishing Enduring Relationships

There is nothing more important in your career than the professional relationships that you develop. This module features guest speaker Tom Galambos, Global Chief Operating Officer and President of Hitachi Solutions America. He shares how his team partners with their customers to develop win-win outcomes. Developing a mentor-mentee relationship is often one of the most valuable relationships you will develop during your career and at the heart of all relationships is the ability to communicate effectively. This module is designed to help you build enduring professional relationships.

You as an Organizational Leader

This final module of the Leading Technical Organizations specialization brings the core concepts of what we have learned together to give a six-step framework for succeeding as a leader. The module also includes a presentation by Mike Gazarik, the Vice President of Engineering at Ball Aerospace. He tells his career story and highlights the leadership skills that served him best on his journey. Hope you enjoyed Leading Technical Organizations and thank you for investing your time in this specialization.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Taught by Kathryn Tobey, who is a leader in engineering management

Explores topics in engineering management, a necessary field for companies facing modern challenges

Taught by Kathryn Tobey, who has significant experience in engineering management

Provides frameworks for success as a leader

Engages with real-world examples from guest speaker Tom Galambos, Global Chief Operating Officer and President of Hitachi Solutions America

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 Value Creation and Building Enduring Relationships with these activities:

Attend Industry Events

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Expand your professional network and learn from industry experts.

Browse courses on Professional Development

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Research upcoming industry events and conferences.
Register for events and prepare your elevator pitch.
Network with attendees and share your insights.

Read Building a StoryBrand

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Gain insights into developing a clear and compelling message for your business.

View Building a StoryBrand 2.0: Clarify Your Message... on Amazon

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Read the book cover to cover.
Take notes on key concepts and insights.
Reflect on how these concepts apply to your own work.

Learn About Competitive Strategy

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Gain knowledge about different competitive strategies and their implications.

Browse courses on Business Strategy

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Watch videos or read articles on competitive strategy.
Research different companies and their competitive strategies.
Apply your learnings to analyze your own organization's competitive position.

Four other activities

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Join a Study Group

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Engage with peers to reinforce your understanding and challenge your perspectives.

Browse courses on Collaboration

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Find or form a study group with fellow students.
Meet regularly to discuss course materials and assignments.
Work together to solve problems and share insights.

Create a Stakeholder Map

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Develop a deeper understanding of stakeholder relationships and identify potential risks and opportunities.

Browse courses on Stakeholder Management

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Identify all stakeholders involved in your project or organization.
Analyze the interests and needs of each stakeholder.
Create a visual representation of the stakeholder map.

Conduct Stakeholder Interviews

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Practice effective communication and gather valuable insights from stakeholders.

Browse courses on Stakeholder Management

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Prepare a list of interview questions.
Schedule interviews with key stakeholders.
Conduct the interviews and take thorough notes.
Analyze the interview results and identify key findings.

Develop a Personal Strategic Plan

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Create a roadmap for your professional development and career journey.

Browse courses on Career Planning

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Reflect on your strengths, weaknesses, and career goals.
Research different career paths and industries.
Identify opportunities for growth and development.
Create a plan that outlines your goals, strategies, and timeline.

Career center

Learners who complete Value Creation and Building Enduring Relationships will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Product Manager

Product Managers are responsible for the development of various products and overseeing their performance in the market. Developing personal strategic plans is an important part of their job. This course can help aspiring Product Managers understand how to create and refine a strategic plan for new products, features, and more.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Manager

Data Scientist

Data Scientists use mathematical and statistical models to draw conclusions from data. Stakeholders often have different opinions regarding what conclusions data should lead to. This course can help aspiring Data Scientists learn more about managing relationships between stakeholders and understanding different stakeholder viewpoints.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Scientist

Business Analyst

Business Analysts create and implement plans to improve operations within a company. To make effective plans, Business Analysts need to understand how to build enduring relationships with stakeholders. This course can help aspiring Business Analysts learn how to do just that.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Analyst

Project Manager

Project Managers oversee all aspects of a project, including planning, execution, and completion. Building enduring relationships with stakeholders is essential to ensuring project success. This course can help aspiring Project Managers cultivate the skills and knowledge necessary to establish these vital relationships.

See salaries and explore the career path for Project Manager

Marketing Manager

Marketing Managers develop and implement marketing campaigns. To do this effectively, they must understand the needs and interests of different stakeholders. This course can help aspiring Marketing Managers gain a better understanding of stakeholder viewpoints and how to meet their needs.

See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Manager

Operations Manager

Operations Managers oversee the day-to-day operations of a company. To do this effectively, they must be able to build and maintain strong relationships with employees, customers, and suppliers. This course can help aspiring Operations Managers develop the skills and knowledge needed to build lasting and productive relationships.

See salaries and explore the career path for Operations Manager

Sales Manager

Sales Managers are responsible for leading and motivating a team of salespeople. To be successful, they must be able to build and maintain strong relationships with customers and clients. This course can help aspiring Sales Managers develop the skills and knowledge needed to build enduring relationships that drive sales.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sales Manager

Human Resources Manager

Human Resources Managers oversee all aspects of employee relations, including hiring, training, and performance management. To be successful, they must be able to build and maintain strong relationships with employees and managers. This course can help aspiring Human Resources Managers develop the skills and knowledge needed to build enduring relationships that foster a positive and productive work environment.

See salaries and explore the career path for Human Resources Manager

Account Manager

Account Managers are responsible for managing relationships with key clients. To be successful, they must be able to build and maintain strong relationships with clients and other stakeholders. This course can help aspiring Account Managers develop the skills and knowledge needed to build enduring relationships that drive revenue and customer satisfaction.

See salaries and explore the career path for Account Manager

Business Development Manager

Business Development Managers are responsible for identifying and developing new business opportunities. To be successful, they must be able to build and maintain strong relationships with potential customers and partners. This course can help aspiring Business Development Managers develop the skills and knowledge needed to build enduring relationships that drive business growth.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Development Manager

Consultant

Consultants provide advice and guidance to businesses and organizations. To be successful, they must be able to build and maintain strong relationships with clients. This course can help aspiring Consultants develop the skills and knowledge needed to build enduring relationships that lead to repeat business and referrals.

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Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurs start and run their own businesses. To be successful, they must be able to build and maintain strong relationships with customers, investors, and employees. This course can help aspiring Entrepreneurs develop the skills and knowledge needed to build enduring relationships that drive business success.

See salaries and explore the career path for Entrepreneur

Investment Banker

Investment Bankers provide financial advice to companies and individuals. To be successful, they must be able to build and maintain strong relationships with clients and other stakeholders. This course can help aspiring Investment Bankers develop the skills and knowledge needed to build enduring relationships that drive deal flow and revenue.

See salaries and explore the career path for Investment Banker

Financial Analyst

Financial Analysts provide financial advice to companies and individuals. To be successful, they must be able to build and maintain strong relationships with clients and other stakeholders. This course may be useful for aspiring Financial Analysts who want to learn more about building and maintaining relationships with clients and other stakeholders.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Analyst

Lawyer

Lawyers provide legal advice to individuals and businesses. To be successful, they must be able to build and maintain strong relationships with clients and other stakeholders. This course may be useful for aspiring Lawyers who want to learn more about building and maintaining relationships with clients and other stakeholders.

See salaries and explore the career path for Lawyer