Taking A Person First Approach in Organization Operations

This microcredential is best suited for nonprofit executives and managers, board members, community members interested in future board service and small business owners seeking to  

thoughtfully plan for future growth in a volatile and constantly changing social and economic landscape. 

Every organization should consider how to build and sustain a stakeholder-driven strategic plan to chart a thoughtful future course, improve impact, increase sustainability and respond to constantly evolving environments and markets. Whether you're thinking about putting your first plan in place, or need to refresh your existing plan, this series will touch on all the fundamentals of a strategic planning process, from preparation and stakeholder engagement, through the creation of measurable and time specific annual operating plans, to implementation and evaluation. 

You will learn how to create a person-first approach in your organization to gain a sense of understanding, recognize where there is opportunity for growth, identify tools and resources while empowering you to move your organization forward.   

You will explore building a person-centered organizational structure, human capital, organizational belonging, workforce development, burnout and committing to a culture of change and elevation.  

• Module 1 - Have You Taken Your People into Account Lately?: Understand the need to align people with organizational goals to achieve engagement, retention and succession. You will consider the organizational health of your organization, explore concepts of how individuals impact organizational development and success. Topics: person-centered organization structure, human capital, work-life integration, people engagement and committing to elevating individuals in your organization.
   
• Module 2 - Transforming from Employee Engagement to People Experience: An environment of inspiration and productivity requires organizations to create a space where people feel connected, valued and motivated. You will identify ways to assess your organization's operations, policies and benefits to see if you are meeting your constituent's needs. Topics: psychological safety, biases awareness, toxic cultures, organizational audit, resources and professionals to support organizations in their cultural development.
   
• Module 3 - Workforce Development: Beyond the On-boarding Process: This session explores why workforce development is essential and what it looks like beyond general on-boarding to ensure engagement, retention and internal succession. In addition to general knowledge, you will learn action-based ideas and techniques. Topics: training and development, cross-training, succession planning and mentorship.
   
• Module 4 - Elevating Organizational Operations & Structures to Reduce the Impacts of Burnout: This session discusses the operational and structural causes of burnout and potential impacts on the workplace, team dynamics and people experience. This session also includes topics and techniques to create change organizationally and as a leader. Topics: understanding burnout, impacts on the organization and recognizing how to create change.