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Leading Teams

Building Effective Team Cultures

Denise Lewin Loyd, Elizabeth A. Luckman, and Kari Keating

4.8

Based on 2,329 ratings

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Denise Lewin Loyd, Elizabeth A. Luckman, and Kari Keating

In this foundational course, you will immerse yourself in the idea of building effective team cultures. You will explore different facets of team culture that are at the root of effective teams. You'll learn more about cultures of safety, engagement, and growth, so that you can lead your teams toward cultures that facilitate the most effective teamwork.

This course is part of Gies College of Business’ suite of online programs, including the iMBA and iMSM. Learn more about admission into these programs and explore how your Coursera work can be leveraged if accepted into a degree program at https://degrees.giesbusiness.illinois.edu/idegrees/.

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What's inside

Syllabus

COURSE ORIENTATION

You will become familiar with the course, your classmates, and our learning environment. The orientation will also help you obtain the technical skills required for the course.

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Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Explores building effective team cultures, which is highly relevant to managers and leaders

Taught by seasoned industry experts, including Denise Lewin Loyd and Elizabeth A. Luckman

Taught by Kari Keating, who is a recognized expert in team culture

Develops skills in building cultures of safety, engagement, and growth, which are core skills for leaders

Coursework is delivered through lectures, readings, case studies, and discussion forums, which provides multimodality

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Reviews summary

Building strong team cultures through practical skills

According to learners, this course is a highly valuable resource for those looking to improve their team leadership skills, particularly in the area of culture building. Students find the content well-structured and the lectures engaging and insightful. A frequently praised aspect is the focus on practical, actionable strategies that can be immediately applied in a professional setting. Key concepts like psychological safety and motivation are explored in depth, providing a strong foundation for leaders. While many appreciate the depth, some more experienced professionals noted that parts of the material felt introductory. Overall, reviews indicate the course delivers on its promise to equip learners with the tools needed for effective team culture development.

Good foundation, might be basic for experts.

"As a new team leader, this course was perfect for building my foundational knowledge."

"Some concepts felt like a review if you have significant prior leadership training."

"Great for someone starting out in team management, potentially less challenging for veterans."

"It provided a solid base, but I was hoping for slightly more advanced strategies."

Well-organized modules and engaging lectures.

"The course is very well structured, moving logically through the topics."

"I found the videos engaging and easy to follow, making complex ideas accessible."

"The materials provided were relevant and supported the lecture content effectively."

"The pace was just right, allowing me time to absorb and reflect on each module."

Explores essential ideas like psychological safety.

"The module on psychological safety was particularly eye-opening and important."

"Understanding concepts like DE&I, burnout, and meaningful work was very helpful."

"The course covered critical modern leadership ideas like psychological safety."

"I appreciated the deep dive into motivation and its impact on team performance."

Provides actionable tools for team leaders.

"I learned practical strategies I can apply right away to foster a better environment."

"This course gave me concrete techniques for addressing common team dynamic issues."

"The focus on real-world application made the concepts easy to implement in my team."

"I now have a clear framework for improving engagement and safety within my team."

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 Leading Teams: Building Effective Team Cultures with these activities:

Compile a resource list on team culture best practices

Show steps

Compiling a resource list helps students organize and synthesize information on effective team culture practices.

Browse courses on Team Culture

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Research and gather resources on team culture best practices.
Organize the resources into categories or themes.
Create a document or presentation to share the compiled resources.

Organize a team culture workshop or discussion

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Leading or participating in a workshop or discussion allows students to share their knowledge and engage in a deeper exploration of team culture principles with others.

Browse courses on Team Culture

Show steps

Choose a topic or theme for the workshop or discussion.
Develop an agenda and materials for the session.
Facilitate the workshop or discussion, encouraging active participation from attendees.
Collect feedback and reflect on the effectiveness of the session.

Read 'The Culture Code' by Daniel Coyle

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This book delves into the characteristics of successful teams, providing insights into how to build a strong and effective team culture.

View Flourish on Amazon

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Read the book and take notes on key concepts.
Identify three main takeaways from the book.
Discuss the book's insights with classmates or colleagues.

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Form study groups for course discussions

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Engaging in discussions with peers helps reinforce concepts and deepens understanding of team culture principles.

Browse courses on Team Culture

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Form a study group with classmates.
Choose a module or topic for each meeting.
Prepare discussion questions and materials.
Meet regularly to discuss the chosen topic.

Explore case studies on effective team cultures

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Analyzing case studies provides real-world examples and helps develop critical thinking skills in evaluating team culture effectiveness.

Browse courses on Case Studies

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Find case studies on effective team cultures.
Analyze the case studies, identifying key factors that contributed to success.
Write a summary or presentation on your findings.

Conduct team culture assessments or surveys

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Conducting team culture assessments or surveys helps students gain practical experience in evaluating and improving team culture.

Browse courses on Team Culture

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Research and select an appropriate team culture assessment or survey tool.
Administer the assessment or survey to a team.
Analyze the results and identify areas for improvement.
Develop a plan to address the identified areas for improvement.

Create a team culture charter or plan

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Developing a team culture charter or plan allows students to apply their understanding of effective team culture principles to a practical scenario.

Browse courses on Team Culture

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Research best practices for team culture charters or plans.
Draft a charter or plan that outlines the team's values, norms, and goals.
Discuss the charter or plan with classmates or colleagues for feedback.
Refine the charter or plan based on feedback.

Contribute to open-source projects related to team culture

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Contributing to open-source projects provides hands-on experience in applying team culture principles to real-world software development.

Browse courses on Open Source

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Identify open-source projects related to team culture.
Join the project community and introduce yourself.
Find an issue or task that aligns with your interests and skills.
Work on the issue or task and contribute your findings.
Collaborate with other contributors to refine your work and merge it into the project.

Career center

Learners who complete Leading Teams: Building Effective Team Cultures will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Project Manager

Project Managers often oversee teams and build team cultures that facilitate effective teamwork. This course can be especially helpful for Project Managers that are interested in team development. It can be especially helpful for developing cultures of safety, engagement, and growth.

See salaries and explore the career path for Project Manager

Organizational Development Manager

Organizational Development Managers help organizations develop effective team cultures. This course can be especially helpful for Organizational Development Managers wanting to build a strong foundation for leading effective team cultures.

See salaries and explore the career path for Organizational Development Manager

Team Leader

Team Leaders build effective team cultures to facilitate the most effective teamwork. Those in this role cultivate a sense of safety, engagement, and growth in their team, helping others feel comfortable bringing difficult issues to the surface for the good of the team. This course may be useful to Team Leaders wanting to build a strong foundation in leading an effective team culture.

See salaries and explore the career path for Team Leader

Chief Executive Officer

Chief Executive Officers often oversee teams and build team cultures that facilitate effective teamwork. This course can be especially helpful for Chief Executive Officers that are interested in team development. It can be especially helpful for developing cultures of safety, engagement, and growth.

See salaries and explore the career path for Chief Executive Officer

Chief Operating Officer

Chief Operating Officers often oversee teams and build team cultures that facilitate effective teamwork. This course can be especially helpful for Chief Operating Officers that are interested in team development. It can be especially helpful for developing cultures of safety, engagement, and growth.

See salaries and explore the career path for Chief Operating Officer

Department Manager

Department Managers often oversee teams and build team cultures that facilitate effective teamwork. This course can be especially helpful for Department Managers that are interested in team development. It can be especially helpful for developing cultures of safety, engagement, and growth.

See salaries and explore the career path for Department Manager

Division Manager

Division Managers often oversee teams and build team cultures that facilitate effective teamwork. This course can be especially helpful for Division Managers that are interested in team development. It can be especially helpful for developing cultures of safety, engagement, and growth.

See salaries and explore the career path for Division Manager

General Manager

General Managers often oversee teams and build team cultures that facilitate effective teamwork. This course can be especially helpful for General Managers that are interested in team development. It can be especially helpful for developing cultures of safety, engagement, and growth.

See salaries and explore the career path for General Manager

Manager

Managers often oversee teams and build team cultures that facilitate effective teamwork. This course can be especially helpful for Managers that are interested in team development. It can be especially helpful for developing cultures of safety, engagement, and growth.

See salaries and explore the career path for Manager

Operations Manager

Operations Managers often oversee teams and build team cultures that facilitate effective teamwork. This course can be especially helpful for Operations Managers that are interested in team development. It can be especially helpful for developing cultures of safety, engagement, and growth.

See salaries and explore the career path for Operations Manager

Product Manager

Product Managers often oversee teams and build team cultures that facilitate effective teamwork. This course can be especially helpful for Product Managers that are interested in team development. It can be especially helpful for developing cultures of safety, engagement, and growth.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Manager

Senior Manager

Senior Managers often oversee teams and build team cultures that facilitate effective teamwork. This course can be especially helpful for Senior Managers that are interested in team development. It can be especially helpful for developing cultures of safety, engagement, and growth.

See salaries and explore the career path for Senior Manager

Vice President

Vice Presidents often oversee teams and build team cultures that facilitate effective teamwork. This course can be especially helpful for Vice Presidents that are interested in team development. It can be especially helpful for developing cultures of safety, engagement, and growth.

See salaries and explore the career path for Vice President

Human Resources Manager

Human Resources Managers help build effective team cultures that facilitate the most effective teamwork. This course can be especially helpful for Human Resources Managers who want to build a foundation for understanding how to develop cultures of safety, engagement, and growth.

See salaries and explore the career path for Human Resources Manager

Consultant

Consultants often work with teams to help them improve their performance. This course can be especially helpful for Consultants who want to build a foundation in helping teams develop effective cultures. It can be especially helpful for developing cultures of safety, engagement, and growth.

See salaries and explore the career path for Consultant

Reading list

We've selected 15 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Leading Teams: Building Effective Team Cultures.

The Culture Code

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Provides insights into the key principles of effective teamwork and how to create a culture of safety, engagement, and growth within teams.

Leading Teams

Building Effective Team Cultures

Here's a deal for you

What's inside

Syllabus

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Save this course

Reviews summary

Building strong team cultures through practical skills

Activities

Career center

Reading list

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