A Compass for Navigating Professional Challenges
Many successful people know the content of Professional IQ; you should, too!
About This Specialization
In this Specialization, Professional IQ: Preventing Solving Problems at Work, learners use real-world dilemmas and ethical problems experienced by professionals around the world to clarify and articulate their personal values as a foundation for the issues they face. Many successful people use these skills every day—and you should too: making strong decisions; recognizing and avoiding career-damaging pitfalls; preventing and resolving conflicts so as to be value-added members of teams; knowing how and when to apologize effectively; knowing how to ask constructive questions that advance work; and honing leadership skills—whether for being influential at work or holding a position of authority. Learners develop a Personal Leadership Credo, as part of a portfolio applying the skills from the course in situations that learners develop themselves.
This Specialization features guest speakers from the following organizations: The University of Illinois Community Credit Union; ZipDX; Rosentreter Group; University of Kansas; Studio Helix Medical Exercise and Bodywork, LLC; Advanced Micro Devices; Vedder Price, P.C.; Circuit Court of Cook County; Sierra Training Associates Inc.; and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
For the names and biographies of individual guest speakers, please see the "Guest Experts" page within each course.
Created by:
4 courses
Follow the suggested order or choose your own.
Projects
Designed to help you practice and apply the skills you learn.
Certificates
Highlight your new skills on your resume or LinkedIn.
Courses
- Beginner Specialization.
- No prior experience required.
COURSE 1
Foundations of Professional Identity
Upcoming session: Sep 11 — Oct 16.- Commitment
- 4 weeks of study, 2-3 hours/week
- Subtitles
- English
About the Course
Many find themselves frustrated in their careers by lack of preparation for dealing with predictable dilemmas that regularly arise in the world of work. Two in five professionals fired in their jobs after college are terminated for lying, or misuse of technology. Easy to avoid! Or is it? What if you find you have to compromise your values to keep your job? What if they ask you to lie or cheat, even though you know if you are found out you will be fired? What if you find out the company is breaking the law? Successful people know about and have the skills taught in this specialization. You should, too. Those who wish to make a difference, build positive reputations, become leaders, and advance in their careers must cultivate professional success skills, along with their specific job skills. The central themes of this course – knowing yourself and your values, recognizing and meeting ethical challenges, using an analytical decision-making framework, identifying potential pitfalls, and developing tools to use in the moment – are essential soft skills for succeeding at work. In short, an ethical framework is necessary, and not just nice; smart ethics, as we define them, are integral to success.COURSE 2
Shaping Your Professional Brand
Upcoming session: Sep 11 — Oct 16.- Commitment
- 4 weeks of study, 5 hours/week
- Subtitles
- English
About the Course
You've thought about who you are and how you want your career to be. You have some soft skills to deal with situations that could cause problems. What about the team around you? How do you build functional and constructive professional relationships? How can you add value? What do employers look for when they are promoting? Skill-building in this course will include asking questions, listening, developing likeability (you’d better be stellar if you’re difficult), identifying cognitive bias, apologizing, receiving apologies, and the basics of whistleblowing. After this course, you will be able to: - assess your own listening and reactions and retune them in advance or on the spot for a more constructive outcome - add value at work by keeping situations easy instead of difficult - manage your own approach - be prepared when things go wrong The prerequisite for this course is Course One of the Specialization "Professional IQ: Preventing and Solving Problems at Work".COURSE 3
Leadership and Influence
Upcoming session: Sep 11 — Oct 16.- Subtitles
- English
About the Course
The only thing you get to change is yourself, and in the prerequisites to this course we’ve given you real tools to do that. Now, use those tools to influence the course of your future, your team's future, and your organization's future. Make a plan for yourself that will help you help others, and learn skills to make it happen. Listening and being sure of your values underpins everything that comes with professional influencer and leadership soft skills. We’ll go on to look at self-assessment and leadership planning, negotiation, addressing and resolving conflict, and successfully identifying and promoting circumstances you want. After this course, you will be able to: - state your own mission and plan with confidence - negotiate and persuade - deal with difficult people - contribute to crafting a working environment you want to work in The prerequisites for this course are Courses One and Two of the Specialization "Professional IQ: Preventing and Solving Problems at Work".COURSE 4
Professional IQ Capstone
Upcoming session: Oct 2 — Nov 6.- Subtitles
- English
About the Capstone Project
The capstone project, for those wishing to earn a certificate, is to design a Personal Leadership Credo: personal values, quotes and beliefs; a personal dilemma in 2MC style that gets worked through using DMF and TRAGEDIES; some personal scripts; and a personal leadership development plan.
Creators
C. K. Gunsalus
Director of the National Center for Professional and Research Ethics (NCPRE), Professor Emerita of Business, and Research Professor at the Coordinated Science Laboratory
FAQs
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.
