Planning a better future is an introductory course for anyone considering changing jobs, wondering how to move up the ladder or return to work after a break, and those who might be looking to aspire to better things.

Welcome to OpenLearn with Maximus. Croeso i OpenLearn gyda Maximus.

This short course is designed for anyone leading change in their organisation at any level. It provides an introduction to core principles of business agility, with practical exercises, and is a base that can be built on with reference to the associated textbook and global public community of practice.

Starting in a new workplace – whether it’s your first 'proper' job after finishing your education, or the next step in developing your career – can be exciting and scary. If it’s a hybrid organisation, and your first day is in a remote location rather than a physical workplace, that can be even more disorientating. This course aims to help you navigate your new organisational culture, build relationships with your work colleagues in a hybrid environment, understand your employer’s expectations, and articulate your goals to meet or even exceed those expectations. You will be encouraged to reflect on your existing skills and experiences – in and outside work – and to consider how these could be adapted to, and developed in, your new hybrid workplace. Many of you will be used to sharing and engaging with others on social media platforms, so how can you translate these practices to workplace collaboration? There is a focus on digital capabilities and building confidence with technology, as well as tips on managing your wellbeing when working remotely, to enable you to thrive at work.

How is your workforce doing? What impact did the post-COVID-19 ‘pivot to online’ and the processes and practices that have followed have on staff wellbeing? This course will explore what workplace wellbeing means in a hybrid working world – whose responsibility it is, the challenges involved in creating and maintaining it, and the benefits it brings to your organisation.

This course will give you an opportunity to reflect on who you are as a hybrid leader and how you want to develop. It will help you understand how to empathise with your workforce and how to adapt your communication skills when working in the office and when working remotely. It will prompt you to start thinking about how you can encourage your workforce to flourish and thrive in this new hybrid world and what you can do to help them grow and feel secure. 

Improve your workplace relationships and boost your professional impact with this free course on effective communication. Discover how to express yourself clearly, understand others better, and adapt your communication skills for a range of situations, from everyday conversations to the digital workplaces of the future.

This free course, Using voluntary work to get ahead in the job market, explores how engaging in voluntary work can enhance your employment opportunities