Professor of Health Behavior and Health Equity
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.
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?
- Reading: Welcome to the Course / Meet Your Instructor
- Reading: Course Syllabus
- Reading: Course Pre-Survey
- Video: Introduction to Purpose
- Video: What is a purpose and why is it important?
- Video: Health Outcomes Associated with a Strong Purpose
- Video: Who is Purpose for?
- Video: Self-affirmation
- Discussion Prompt: Self-Affirmation
- Video: Becoming Purposeful and Week 1 Summary
- Discussion Prompt: Week 1 Takeaways
- Graded: Week 1 Quiz: What is purpose and why is it important?
Module 2: Purposeful Work
- Video: What We're Facing
- Discussion Prompt: What are you facing?
- Video: Purpose and Resilience
- Video: Domains of Purpose
- Video: Finding Purpose in Work
- Video: Growth Mindset and Work
- Video: Finding a Purposeful Culture at Work
- Video: Being Purposeful At Work
- Video: The #1 "do" Goal: Managing Our Emotions
- Video: Week 2 Summary
- Discussion Prompt: Week 2 Takeaway
- Graded: Week 2 Quiz: Purposeful Work
Module 3: Purposeful Leadership
- Video: Introduction to Purposeful Leadership
- Video: What is a purpose-driven leader? Interview with Bob Quinn
- Video: Bigger Title Than You?
- Video: Interview with Ari Weinzweig
- Video: Purposeful Leaders
- Video: Interview with Thomas Zerbuchen, Director of Research at NASA
- Video: Leading with Purpose: Model
- Video: Leading with Purpose: Empower
- Video: Leading with Purpose: Connect
- Video: Managing Yourself: Interview with Ari
- Video: We're small, but...: Interview with Thomas
- Video: Purposeful Leadership Summary
- Reading: Course Post-Survey
- Graded: Purposeful Leadership Reflection
Grading Policy
To complete the course, learners must earn an overall grade of 80% or higher. The course grade is based on two quizzes worth 70% of your final grade and a peer review assignment worth 30% of your final grade. Each quiz requires a minimum score of 80% to pass, with retakes available.
Course content developed by U-M faculty and managed by the university. Faculty titles and affiliations are updated periodically.
Beginner Level
No prior experience required
