Professor of Health Behavior and Health Equity, School of Public Health and Professor of Health Behavior, Department of Family Medicine
Purpose at Work: A Course for Employees and Leaders
What You'll 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
3 Modules
6 Hours
2 hrs per module (approx.)
Rating
About Purpose at Work: A Course for Employees and Leaders
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.
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.
Skills You'll Gain
- Employee Motivation
- Leadership
- Team Motivation
What You'll Earn
- Certificate of Completion
- Certificates of completion acknowledge knowledge acquired upon completion of a non-credit course or program.
Course content developed by U-M faculty and managed by the university. Faculty titles and affiliations are updated periodically.
Welcome Message
Welcome to Purpose at Work: A Course for Employees and Leaders! This course helps employees and leaders explore the concept of purpose and apply it to the workplace. You will learn to align your work with personal values, craft meaningful roles, and develop purposeful leadership skills. Engage with practical strategies, research-backed insights, and expert perspectives to enhance your work, health, and performance.
This abbreviated syllabus description was created with the help of AI tools and reviewed by staff. The full syllabus is available to those who enroll in the course.
Course Schedule
Module 1: What Is Purpose and Why Is It Important?
- What Is Purpose and Why It Matters
- Health and Performance Benefits of Purpose
- Finding Your Personal Purpose
- Graded: Module One: Understanding Purpose — Graded Quiz
Module 2: Purposeful Work
- Aligning Work with Personal Values
- Crafting Purpose in Any Role
- Purpose and Workplace Engagement
- Graded: Module Two: Purposeful Work — Graded Quiz
Module 3: Purposeful Leadership
- Purpose-Driven Leadership
- Building Purposeful Organizations
- Insights from Experts and Industry Leaders
- Graded: Module Three: Purposeful Leadership — Course Reflection
Grading Policy
Course materials and assignments will remain open and available for self-paced learning. You must earn an overall grade of 80% in order to pass the course and earn the certificate. The Module One and Module Two quizzes require a score of 80% or better to pass and may be retaken if the initial passing score is not achieved. The Module Three Course Reflection is worth 30% of the final grade.
- Quiz: Module One: Understanding Purpose — 35%
- Quiz: Module Two: Purposeful Work — 35%
- Graded: Module Three: Purposeful Leadership Reflection — 30%
Beginner Level
No prior experience required
