Minnesota State University, Mankato
Public University • US
Showing 13 courses from Minnesota State University, Mankato
Organizational Design
Minnesota State University, Mankato (via Coursera)
By the end of this course, learners will be able to evaluate organizational structures, design efficient workflows, manage change effectively, and foster a positive organizational culture that drives employee engagement. Learners will develop practical strategies to improve communication, decision-making, and productivity while navigating real-world organizational challenges. This course equips learners with essential skills to analyze how different organizational structures—such as functional, divisional, and matrix—impact efficiency, collaboration, and performance. Learners will gain hands-on experience identifying workflow bottlenecks and redesigning processes to streamline operations and improve clarity. Through focused exploration of change management principles, learners will learn how to plan, implement, and sustain change while addressing resistance and common implementation challenges. What makes this course unique is its integrated, applied approach. Rather than examining organizational design, workflows, change, and culture in isolation, the course connects these elements to show how they work together to shape organizational success. Learners will also explore strategies for building a positive culture and increasing employee engagement, enabling them to create workplaces that are both high-performing and people-centered. This course is ideal for aspiring managers, HR professionals, and organizational leaders seeking practical, transferable skills.
Core Human Resources Functions and Strategic Impact
Minnesota State University, Mankato (via Coursera)
By the end of this course, learners will be able to analyze core human resource functions, apply employment laws ethically, design effective talent strategies, and use HR data to inform strategic decisions. Learners will gain practical skills to align HR practices with organizational goals while supporting employee development, compliance, and performance. This course provides a comprehensive foundation in the strategic role of human resources within modern organizations. Learners will explore how recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and employee relations directly impact organizational strategy and workforce effectiveness. Through real-world scenarios, learners will apply key employment laws—including FMLA, ADA, and Title VII—while navigating ethical dilemmas and advocating for fair, compliant HR practices. What sets this course apart is its balanced focus on people, compliance, and data. Learners will develop talent management and retention strategies, including succession planning and employee engagement initiatives, to build sustainable, high-performing teams. The course also emphasizes HR metrics and analytics, empowering learners to interpret key performance indicators and make evidence-based decisions that improve workforce planning and organizational outcomes. Ideal for aspiring HR professionals and managers, this course bridges strategic thinking with practical HR application.
Technical Communication Essentials
Minnesota State University, Mankato (via Coursera)
This course is for: -People who need to brush up on technical communication (tech comm) skills within their current role -People who are interested in pursuing a career as a technical communicator, technical writer, usability specialist, project manager, content writer, or related role. Course Objectives: Define technical communication, its processes, and its ethical considerations. Analyze and adapt to audiences for technical communication. Write and revise technical content for different audiences. Apply design, usability, and accessibility to technical communication examples. This course isn't meant to present formulas or rules for "correct" writing. Tech comm is too complex for that! Instead, the course will help you hone your strategic thinking and decision-making skills so that you can create the most effective technical communication for your particular situation. First, we'll address the importance of audience, integration with AI, and strategies for analyzing your tech comm situation when you don't know where to begin. Second, you'll practice research and plain writing strategies. Third, you'll learn to design pages, test for usability and accessibility, and revise your communication.
Managing and Motivating Teams
Minnesota State University, Mankato (via Coursera)
This course is designed for new and aspiring managers who want practical, hands-on tools to lead and motivate their teams effectively. Throughout the course, you'll learn how to: Delegate with purpose by prioritizing tasks and matching responsibilities to the right team members. Diagnose what truly drives motivation and apply strategies to sustain it. Coach and develop employees through growth-focused conversations and continuous learning initiatives. You’ll hear from organizational consultants who specialize in work psychology and share research-backed best practices for new leaders. Interactive, scenario-based exercises let you practice delegation, motivation, and coaching skills in realistic workplace situations, giving you the confidence to apply what you learn immediately. By the end of the course, you’ll be prepared to lead your team effectively and create a culture that drives performance and growth over the long term.
Communication and Relationship Building
Minnesota State University, Mankato (via Coursera)
This course is designed for managers who want to master the interpersonal and professional communication skills necessary to lead high-performing teams. Throughout the course, you’ll learn how to: Communicate with clarity and professionalism across verbal, written, and digital channels Apply active listening and empathy to build deeper rapport and mutual understanding Identify diverse communication styles and adapt your approach to navigate personality differences Navigate difficult conversations and manage conflict while maintaining trust and psychological safety You’ll hear from organizational consultants with expertise in work psychology who share research-backed best practices to help new leaders succeed. You will demonstrations on how to rewrite unclear messages into professional communications and walk through real-world examples of effective listening. You'll also have access to interactive, scenario-based activities giving you the opportunity to practice navigating tension and building trust in a safe environment. By the end of the course, you’ll feel more confident in your ability to communicate effectively and build the strong professional relationships required for leadership success.
Brand Positioning and Strategy
Minnesota State University, Mankato (via Coursera)
Brand Positioning and Strategy focuses on how to define a clear, differentiated place for your brand in the minds of your audience. You’ll learn how to move from insight to positioning by identifying your audience, understanding your competitive context, and making the strategic trade-offs required to stand out. The course walks through how to translate positioning into a clear brand promise and structured positioning statement. You’ll explore how functional and emotional value shape perception, and how positioning influences personality, voice, and communication. Through hands-on exercises, role play, and applied frameworks, you’ll test your ideas for relevance, credibility, and clarity. You’ll evaluate your positioning against competitors, refine it based on feedback, and strengthen its ability to resonate with real audiences. By the end of the course, you’ll be able to define a strong brand position, articulate a clear brand promise, and develop a cohesive positioning and personality guide you can apply in real-world contexts.
Brand Strategy Foundations
Minnesota State University, Mankato (via Coursera)
Brand Strategy Foundations explores how brands are built, experienced, and trusted over time. You’ll learn what a brand truly is, how perceptions are formed, and why expectations and consistency play a critical role in shaping trust. The course focuses on helping you evaluate brands more strategically by understanding how experiences influence perception and how strong brands create clarity across every interaction. By the end, you’ll be able to assess brand strength using a structured approach and understand what makes a brand credible, consistent, and effective. This foundation sets the stage for defining your own brand strategy and positioning with intention.
Negotiation That Works: Strategies for Influence & Agreement
Minnesota State University, Mankato (via Coursera)
By the end of this course, you will be able to: prepare strategically for negotiations, communicate with influence, recognize and use power dynamics, and apply collaborative techniques to reach durable agreements in real-world situations. This course equips you with practical tools to negotiate confidently and ethically across professional and personal contexts. You’ll learn how to clarify goals, limits, and alternatives, uncover underlying interests, and understand how assumptions, emotions, and perceptions shape outcomes. You’ll also distinguish between different negotiation approaches and know when to apply each effectively. You’ll develop high-impact questioning and listening skills, read verbal and nonverbal signals, and identify sources of leverage. Emotional awareness will help you build trust, manage tension, and strengthen your influence in any negotiation. Through realistic scenarios, you’ll practice collaborative problem-solving, navigate conflict and resistance, and adapt your approach to complex, high-stakes situations. What makes this course unique is its focus on both strategy and human dynamics—combining clear frameworks with immediately usable skills—so you don’t just negotiate more often, you negotiate better.
Technical Communication and Artificial Intelligence
Minnesota State University, Mankato (via Coursera)
This course is designed for professionals looking to enhance their technical documentation skills and stand out in today’s job market. By completing the course, you will be able to create beginner and intermediate documentation and use generative AI to make your work more efficient and effective. You’ll also build a portfolio of beginner and intermediate documentation, including technical instructions and tailored cover letters and resumes, that showcase your communication abilities. Through lessons on rhetoric and metacognition, genre, audience, prewriting and writing, organization and design, and post-writing reflection, you’ll gain both the foundational skills of technical communication and the modern advantage of AI-enhanced writing. By the end, you will be more confident in producing clear, polished documents and equipped with versatile skills that help you advance in your career and succeed across industries. No prior experience is required.
Foundations of Leadership and Management
Minnesota State University, Mankato (via Coursera)
This course is designed for new and aspiring managers who want practical, real-world tools to succeed in their roles. Throughout the course, you'll learn how to: Transition from individual contributor to manager by developing the right mindset and leadership behaviors Build credibility and trust with your team members fast Navigate change using adaptive leadership strategies for modern work environments Manage conflict and solve problems using structured, practical approaches You’ll hear from organizational consultants with expertise in work psychology who share research-backed best practices to help new leaders succeed. You'll also have access to interactive, scenario-based activities that simulate real workplace situations giving you the opportunity to practice new skills in a safe environment. By the end of the course, you’ll feel more prepared to lead your team and start building a strong foundation for long-term success as a manager.
Technical Editing
Minnesota State University, Mankato (via Coursera)
Strong editing transforms technical content from adequate to exceptional. This course is designed for professionals who want to deepen their expertise in technical editing and apply proven practices used across industry settings. By completing the course, you’ll gain practical skills to improve clarity, consistency, accessibility, and usability in a wide range of technical documents. You’ll explore the three levels of editing and learn how to choose the right level for a project. You’ll also develop hands-on experience with editing tools and workflows, while exploring accessibility and design principles that ensure documents serve diverse audiences. Each module builds toward creating an adaptable technical editing process you can use in your workplace. This course balances theory and practice: you’ll not only learn about editing frameworks and functional aesthetics but also apply them in realistic contexts. Whether you’re new to technical editing or looking to refine existing skills, you’ll leave with a toolkit to elevate technical content, enhance collaboration with writers and designers, and strengthen your professional value.
Performance Management and Talent Development
Minnesota State University, Mankato (via Coursera)
This course is designed for managers who want to drive team excellence through continuous performance support and strategic talent development. Throughout the course, you’ll learn how to: Set clear expectations and SMART goals that align individual performance with team objectives Implement continuous performance management by moving beyond annual reviews toward regular check-ins Conduct fair, unbiased evaluations and address underperformance with structured support Hire and onboard talent effectively to ensure long-term engagement and retention You’ll hear from organizational consultants with expertise in work psychology who share research-backed best practices to help new leaders succeed. You’ll engage with practical tools, such as evaluation rubrics and goal-setting frameworks, that turn abstract management theories into daily habits. You’ll also practice your skills through hands-on activities, including simulated performance conversations with virtual employees and drafting a customized 30–60–90 day onboarding plan. By the end of the course, you’ll feel equipped to build and lead a high-talent team that is consistently motivated and aligned with success.
Operating and Growing Your Brand
Minnesota State University, Mankato (via Coursera)
Operating and Growing Your Brand focuses on turning strategy into action. You’ll learn how to use your brand as a decision-making tool—guiding priorities, shaping messaging, and aligning teams as your organization grows. This course shows how to translate positioning into clear narratives, structured messaging, and real-world systems that support consistency over time. You’ll explore how brands scale without losing clarity, how to make disciplined choices about where to focus, and how to avoid short-term decisions that weaken long-term strength. You’ll also learn how to lead and manage a brand across teams, using it to guide decisions, navigate change, and maintain alignment as complexity increases. Through applied exercises, simulations, and frameworks, you’ll build and refine a Strategic Brand Growth Plan grounded in your positioning. By the end of the course, you’ll be able to operate your brand with intention, align execution with strategy, and create a structured plan that supports long-term, sustainable growth.