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Business Seminar: The Psychology of Sustainable Change
Poll after poll has confirmed that an astonishing number of workers are disengaged from their work. Why is this happening and how can we fix the problem?

Eva Wilhelm , , , ,

Professor Dan Cable tackles these questions and more in the blended learning course Employee Engagement and Positive Psychology. Through both online video interactions and classroom discussions, Cable takes students into the minds of modern workers. Together they explore how the science of positive psychology can help employees restore their zest for work and reach their full potential.

Faculty Profile
Dan Cable
Professor of Organisational Behaviour

The Aim

We set out to design an online activity to supplement one of the face-to-face meetings in Cable’s course.

The Business Seminar format engages students in a roundtable discussion with their teacher. This format aims to make viewers feel part of the conversation. Since so much of this course is about brainstorming and discussion, we felt it was important to feature both the students and instructor.

We also wanted to build in opportunities for students to stop, reflect and interact with the content of the Business Seminar. In doing so, we wanted students to experience the leadership approaches that increase employee creativity, innovation, enthusiasm, and commitment.

The Approach

Built around the Business Seminar, this digital session focuses on the five stages of growth mindset (versus achievement mindset). Students engage with a series of lively online video conversations on topics and respond to a series of questions following each one.

The content is broken down into themed chunks that provide a framework for students to organise their thoughts and learning. In between video segments, students engage in assigned tasks on their own or with a peer. These activities are built within the Canvas course, utilising the available tools.

 

The Outcome

This digital session uses video to engage students outside of the classroom setting. By watching and listening to segments of the business seminar, they explore the science of positive psychology and ways to activate positive, productive emotions in the workplace. By answering assigned questions after each segment, they actively reflect on the content and become participants in the discussions.
Hosted on Canvas, the finished project is available to view online at any time. The five-segment format makes it easy for students to go back and find key points and review conversations or explanations in the videos. An hour’s worth of content is much easier to navigate when broken down into manageable chunks.

 

The Impact

Professor Dan CableStudents learn how to:

  • Encourage people to bring their best selves to work and use their greatest strengths to help their organisation flourish
  • Build creative environments that motivate people to share ideas, work smarter, and embrace change
  • Create personalised experiences that help people feel a deeper sense of purpose about their work

Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash