For Flavio, launching a career in brand management was an unexpected path. After coming to Canada from Brazil in 2016, Flavio began working as a Graphic Designer for a non-profit organization. After three years in this role, his Manager mentioned that the organization would soon be undergoing a full rebrand, and would be looking to hire a Brand Manager to oversee this significant and exciting transition. Flavio, who was fully committed to the organization’s mandate and ready for a challenge, was interested in applying for the role. While he was fully acquainted with the organization, he lacked a thorough understand of best practices in brand management, and decided to take Foundations in Brand Management at SCS.

“While I was excited to learn, I really lacked confidence in my knowledge,” says Flavio. “At 44, I was worried I would be the oldest person in the class. I was worried everyone would know more than me, and that I would feel too intimidated to contribute in class. On my first day, I realized that many people in the class seemed to work for bigger organizations, while my non-profit felt so tiny and unknown in comparison. But it was this diversity in the classroom that made the learning experience so amazing. My classmates ranged in age, and there were newcomers like me from over ten different countries. I felt comfortable sharing about my organization and our brand, and it turns out that others in the class were really interested in my experience!”

Despite living in Kitchener, Ontario (over an hour drive from Toronto), Flavio chose SCS because he was excited to learn from two industry experts, Jeronimo De Miguel and Susan Floyd. He also appreciated the mix of theory and hands-on learning. “In one of the assignments, we got to coordinate a rebrand for an organization we admire. I chose the video game company Atari,” recalls Flavio. “It was a great exercise to study the company, and use all the skills I was learning to create a new brand strategy. I regularly spoke with my instructors to gain insights and ask questions, which was invaluable.” 

When Flavio told his Manager he was taking the course, he started being included in preliminary brand discussions. A year after completing the course, his organization formally opened the search for a Brand Manager. Flavio applied, landed the job, and feels confident that his learning experience at SCS played a big role in his success. “I think the interview committee liked that I was dedicated to lifelong learning, and that I had relevant, up-to-date knowledge of brand management best practices,” he says. “The first thing I did when I got the job was contact my SCS instructors over LinkedIn to let them know, and thank them for everything they taught me.”

Today, Flavio is leading his organization through a brand transition, using the skills he learned at SCS to inform his strategic decisions. “I often think back to that Jeff Bezos quote. In our digital world, a brand is the heart of a company. With social media, we get brand feedback in real time; how you promote your company, and how you react to things-good or bad- is critical,” says Flavio. “Pursuing continuing education was the best investment I could have made. I can’t wait to keep taking courses at SCS and earn my Certificate in Brand Management. The experience was so much more than I was expecting, and it helped me land a challenging job that I love.” 

When the pandemic hit in March, our Learning Innovation team, led by our Manager of Learning Innovation, Janay Gouveia, was faced with a massive challenge. With in-class learning no longer an option, she and her team of four had to transition hundreds of courses to an online delivery format, relying on critical input from our instructors and subject matter experts. They also developed many new instructor trainings to ensure a smooth transition to online learning, all while working remotely under tight timelines. Through dedicated collaboration, our teams within SCS have successfully managed this transition with grace. Throughout the 2020 Winter, Spring/Summer, and Fall terms, SCS has transitioned 340 courses online, while continuing to provide support to existing online courses. 

While the past nine months have been challenging, Janay has learned much about leadership and teamwork. Here, she shares her top seven tips for managing a team remotely in difficult times.

1. Be present
“This is critical when you aren’t in the same physical space as your team. Being present means being fully available. Be willing to communicate openly and offer support. For instance, I meet remotely with my team every morning for a quick discussion of what’s going on for the week, and to see how everyone is doing. These short touch-bases set the tone for the day and insures that everyone knows I am here if they need me. We also have longer team meetings every other week.”

2. Lead with compassion
“It was really important that I respect the personal and professional experiences of my team. I worked hard to be sensitive to their emotions, and the impact the pandemic was having on them. As a leader, we must look at our colleagues as individuals having unique experiences, and lead with compassion.” 

3. Respect boundaries
“With the lines between personal and professional becoming so blurred, it’s important to respect boundaries. It was always at the top of my mind that my team was dealing with a ton of stress, both personal and professional. It can be a delicate line to walk, but I tried very hard to set boundaries that were mutually respectful.”

4. Encourage self care
“I learned quickly that it’s important to allow your team space to walk away, take a break, and take care of themselves. I encouraged my team to seek any form of support they needed, and nurture their mental health during such a difficult time. I had to remember to take care of myself as well!”

5. Celebrate the wins
“In the middle of chaos, it can be easy to forget to celebrate successes. It’s made even more challenging when you aren’t in the same physical space. We can’t just focus on difficulties and overlook success. So, I made sure we honoured and celebrated wins, big and small. Everyone is driven by purpose, and recognizing hard work helps us feel engaged and motivated.”

6. Socialize 
“Working remotely doesn’t mean the social aspect of work should disappear. I made sure to integrate social time for my team. For instance, we do regular remote team lunches where we just eat together and catch up about life. It’s nice to forget about work and connect.” 

7. Be transparent, think big picture
“I believe in being transparent and clear in my communication. It’s important for a team to have common understanding and all be on the same page. We need to feel our common purpose, and have a strong knowledge of how our hard work impacts the business as a whole.

Many of us have struggled with hair-pulling, frustration-inducing experiences trying to homeschool kids, work remotely, manage households, and/or care for loved ones, all while dealing with many unknowns. We’ve all had moments of feeling overwhelmed with the technical challenges and nuances of our new, highly digital life. 

If you are intrigued by the benefits of lifelong learning but feel unsure about (yet another) online experience, we want to tell you that online education at SCS has been designed so that you can focus on- and enjoy- the learning journey. Follicles intact.

At SCS, we have two online learning models. Our remote delivery courses closely mimic an in-class course experience. Learners and instructors usually meet in real time via live webinars. Similar to in-class courses, these synchronous options are great for learners who like meeting with their classmates and instructor at scheduled times. Our online learning option offers more flexibility, through synchronous and asynchronous learning. Learners are able to engage with course content at times that work best for their schedule. 

Janay Gouveia, Manager of our Learning Innovation team, says there are five key reasons why our online offerings provide a stellar learning experience.

1. Easy to use
Quercus (powered by Canvas), U of T’s online learning management system, is easy to navigate, intuitive, and designed to be as straight-forward as possible. Essentially, it was designed with the learner in mind. In fact, most of the Learning Innovation team are SCS learners themselves, so they bring a learner-perspective to their design. 

2. Instructor-led
Our remote and online courses are instructor-led and supported. Unlike many self-directed online courses, our courses are designed, taught, and evaluated by instructors who are industry and subject matter experts. If you have a question or comment, your instructor is fully accessible to you. Instructors provide feedback and guide you on your learning journey. They are passionate about their subject matter, and fully committed to your success as a learner.

3. Tech support
We have a Help Centre to assist you with technical support. We also offer personalized phone and email support, which means you get to speak with a real person who is an expert in online learning. We also have front desk staff who can offer support. You are not alone; if you have a question, we are here with an answer. 

4. Community
Our Learning Innovation team thinks long and hard about ways to ensure that an online learning experience includes connection, community, and opportunities to engage and share. Through thoughtful design, our online offerings allow you to engage with your classmates and instructor. Via discussion forums, group work, interactive webinars, breakout groups, networking activities, polls, and surveys, you will be part of a thriving digital learning community. 

5. Results
Our online courses have the same learning outcomes as in-class offerings. You will experience the same high-quality academic content online as you would in class. Remote Delivery and Online Learning courses are carefully designed to ensure full engagement with all course content. 

Learning online has never been easier. The only question is, are you ready to take a bold step forward?

In Part III of our Lessons in Online Learning Series, Learning Innovation Manager Janay Gouveia shares tips and strategies for leading a team remotely in difficult times. Stay tuned!
 

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March, it became clear almost immediately that we needed to transition our in-class courses to an online format, fast.

Really fast.

There were many factors complicating this urgent need to transition online. Our courses are staggered, meaning that some courses had just started their Winter term, some were mid-term, and others were nearing their end, so a one-size-fits-all solution to online transition was not an option. Each course had unique logistical considerations. We needed to find fast, effective solutions that would provide our learners and instructors with a smooth transition to online learning. 

Through teamwork and collaboration, we quickly developed a remote learning strategy that honoured our commitment to academic quality and a positive learner experience. Under the leadership of the Director of Academic Programs, in consultation with our Program Directors, and with critical input from our instructors, our Learning Innovation team assessed options, and identified which in-class courses could successfully transition to an online format.  

At SCS we offer two types of digital learning: remote delivery, a synchronous online learning option where learners and instructors meet in real time to simulate an in-class learning experience, and online learning, a highly flexible option that involves both synchronous and asynchronous learning.  Once we had identified courses that were suitable for transition, our Learning Innovation team worked with instructors to shift content and learning strategies online. 

Throughout this process, we focused on communication. It was very important that our learners were kept informed, engaged, and felt supported during such an uncertain time. Our Strategic Communications and Marketing team, in collaboration with our Enrollment Learner Services team, worked to ensure that all learners were up to date on next steps in their learning journey. Our Program Directors and Instructor Program Services team also kept in constant contact with our instructors to streamline and support this transition. They say, “it takes a village”, and we quickly learned the power of teamwork to accomplish a major transition. 

Meanwhile, the Learning Innovation team, led by our Manager of Learning Innovation, Janay Gouveia, played an important role in ensuring that our dedicated instructors had all the tools they needed to thrive in a digital classroom. Typically, this team provides 10-12 instructor professional development sessions each term. In the first two months of the pandemic, they hosted over 35 training sessions to ensure instructors felt confident and supported. This series of trainings focused on best practices for remote teaching, webinar skills, tips for mastering our learning management system, and designing effective online assessments.  

Through commitment and determination, we provided a highly personalized approach to learner and instructor support, and transitioned 237 courses to remote learning for the Winter 2020 semester. Meanwhile, our dedicated instructors rose to the challenge and worked diligently to embrace change, learn new skills, and adapt quickly. 

Fast forward to our 2021 Winter semester, we now have 584 unique active courses that will be offered online or via remote delivery. This constitutes 67% of our courses overall, up from 64% from our current Fall semester, and from 29% in Fall 2019. 

Janay says she and her team learned a lot during this hectic time, and they continue to use this experience to inform their approach to online learning. “We took the time to reflect on our experience and determine new best practices for future terms. When we had a moment to take a breath, we were able to clarify our focus, assess what was effective, and identify areas where we could streamline our processes” she says. “We renewed our commitment to ensuring that remote learning options would be a positive and engaging experience for both learners and instructors.”

In Part II of our Lessons in Online Learning series, we will explore what learners can expect when they choose to learn online with SCS. Stay tuned!

According to the Project Management institute, demand for project managers continues to increase, with the project management-oriented labor force expected to grow by 33 percent, or nearly 22 million new jobs, through 2027. 

With this growth, the ability to work in many different industries, and opportunities to learn something new every day, there are plenty of reasons to pursue a career in project management. However, the role of project manager does present unique challenges. 

SCS instructor Joanna Tivig shared a few of the most common project management mistakes she has seen to help you avoid them and keep your projects running smoothly. 

1. Project thinking instead of big picture thinking. New project managers think that projects are what they need to deliver. In fact, it is the outcome of a project that will be sold to the customer.
2. Doing only or too much task management. These project managers look like task managers or checklist controllers.
3. Consider people to be resources that you can dispose of and obtain at any point in time. The reality shows that the more we treat team members as people, the more they will work in collaboration for a common purpose.
4. Micro-managing. Overtiring the team members with status meetings and questions that add no value, just to find out where they are with the workload.
5. Building documentation that cannot be changed. In today's world where everything is changing fast, you need to build just enough documentation to get started and work and assume changes will need to be incorporated later.

Joanna teaches 1952 - Leading Projects in Organizations, 3401 – Practical Project Management – Part 1, 3402 – Practical Project Management – Part 2, 3523- Agile Essentials in Project Management, 3523B Agile Project Management Basics: Release Planning, and 3551 Agile Leadership and Transformation at the School of Continuing Studies.

 In recent years, there has been a drastic increase in the amount of data generated and collected by both companies and individuals. Data science is vital to helping us make sense out of this data and figure out what can be done with it. However, the incredible volume of information that data scientists have access to now means it’s impossible to collect and analyze it all manually. That’s where technologies like natural language processing, cloud technologies and artificial intelligence come in.  

School of Continuing Studies instructor Saeid Abolfazli discusses this momentum behind data science and its related technologies. 

WHAT IS NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING? 

Natural language processing is one of the most dominant AI technologies that is used to process unstructured and free text, so it helps to unveil unprecedented amount of knowledge and insight from unstructured data which is natural text. 

DATA SCIENCE, AI, NLP AND MACHINE LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES ARE INCREASINGLY BEING ADOPTED ACROSS BUSINESS SECTORS  

AI, machine learning, and natural language processing courses are growing in demand and that is a natural response to the businesses adopting these technologies in different areas.  

Not only is the adoption increasing in each business but also across different sectors. Different sectors are employing these solutions and in the next few years, I assume, this momentum will continue to grow and we are going to have more programs coming to SCS.  

DATA SCIENCE AND AI TECHNOLOGY SKILLS INCREASINGLY IN DEMAND  

Over the last five years we have seen a significant growth in adoption of AI solutions in enterprise. In the last year itself such growth has tripled compared to previous years. We are going to witness the same trend for the next few years and that would further squeeze our talent pool and demand for more AI, data science and NLP expertise.  

Saeid Abolfazli is a seasoned big data scientist and machine learning consultant, author, scientific editor, and speaker with more than 20 years of experience in IT industry. He teaches 3253 - Machine Learning, 3666 - Applied Natural Language Processing, and is one of the instructors teaching our newest courses in the area of study here at the School of Continuing Studies, 3759 - Feature Engineering in Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence and 3760 - Cloud Technologies for Big Data, Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence.

With so many workplaces currently experiencing upheaval due to COVID-19, it’s no secret that employee stress levels may be higher than usual. 

One way organizations can help mitigate this stress for their teams, is by ensuring that employees feel safe raising any concerns or complaints they may have. 

Instructor and co-developer of the newly-launched SCS Specialized Certificate in Managing, Investigating, and Resolving Workplace Harassment Complaints Jennifer Pernfuss says that unfortunately any workplace relationships that were strained before COVID-19 may be even more conflict-ridden now. “The additional stress of the pandemic coupled with anxiety related to tension-filled working relationships tests employees' mental health.  Most of us respond to conflict by retreating which can translate into disengagement and dissatisfaction which hampers productivity,” she explains. “In today’s virtual world, ‘hiding’ as a way of avoiding conflict is easier and no less harmful to everyone involved and your business.”

Pernfuss says now is the time to encourage employees to come forward with issues so they can be addressed, resolved, a sense of well-being can be preserved and productivity enhanced. “In cases of alleged harassment, it’s an obligation to act,” she adds. “Abating the tension and stress in working relationships is more important now than ever and those involved are grateful for the support.” 
Her top 6 tips for creating a safe environment for employees to voice concerns are: 

1. Encourage to employees to communicate concerns of conflict or mistreatment.
2. To maintain neutrality, hold the perspective that conflict is simply a signal that something wants or needs to change.
3. Remember - behind every complaint is a request (complaint - "I get cut off in meetings and I feel invisible").
4. Be present. Listen carefully for the request behind the complaint ("I want my ideas heard during our team meetings").
5. Explore how best to achieve the desired outcome (design agreements with the team to ensure everyone can contribute meaningfully to the discussion).
6. Resolve the issue quickly and effectively and document the process thoroughly.

Jennifer Pernfuss is the founder of RESPECT: Conciliation & Education and for the past 25 years she has been helping organizations effectively address and resolve workplace harassment complaints and conflict. Jennifer has degrees in law and psychology. She is a certified ORSC coach and she has coupled this cutting-edge approach with her legal training and field experience with unprecedented results. In addition to her restorative work, she is a 'Respect In The Workplace' trainer, speaker, facilitator, coach to complainants and respondents and leaders, and co-developer of an online training program, Optimal Resolution Method. She teaches Identifying, Addressing and Effectively Managing Workplace Harassment Complaints at the School of Continuing Studies.

Governments and health organizations need powerful tools to fight an invisible foe like COVID-19. In addition to cooperation from communities and the expertise of medical professionals, one of the most vital tools we have is the ability to quickly and effectively collect and analyze information. 

That’s where data science comes in. As SCS data science instructor Larry Simon explains: “Data analysis is crucial to understanding the dynamics of a threat such as COVID-19.  We can’t see it, so we need to infer how it’s transmitted by observing data about people’s interactions and habits.”

For example, key factors like the number of additional people that will be infected by each person while they are infectious tell us how quickly the total number of people affected will grow, and how much control is required to dampen that growth.

Statistical analysis is also crucial to understanding how much of an impact the crisis will have on the economy and government deficits.

According to Simon, data analysis can also help us to discover whether there are multiple strains of the virus with different characteristics. “Similarly, there may be genetic differences that make some populations more susceptible than others,” he says. 

One of the challenges of using data science to help combat a pandemic like COVID-19 lies in the accuracy of the data itself. “There are no doubt people who have had COVID and recovered but haven’t reported it.  This represents a systemic bias which would cause underreporting of cases and overreporting of the likelihood of dying as a result of contracting COVID,” says Simon. “Even more so with asymptomatic cases.”

Another challenge is the possibility of countries either not releasing their data or altering what they do share publicly or with other governments. 

As with almost any data collection, there is also the issue of privacy. Simon says that particularly in Western cultures, personal privacy of great concern for people, which can make it difficult to implement automated monitoring and reporting. “If people were willing to give up some privacy and share more health-related data in real time, such as through smart watches, track-and-trace could be much more effective,” he says. 

Still, data science has been used in some impressive ways to help stop the spread of COVID-19. “The most amazing thing has been the use of Machine Learning to speed up the discovery of potential treatment drugs and vaccines. “Sophisticated modelling and distributed computation is allowing far more rapid medicine development. During the pandemic many home computer users allowed their machines to be used over the Internet to do the huge number of calculations necessary to predict how COVID proteins fold.” Simon says. “Hopefully we’ll learn from the experience and invest in having testing capacity available on demand for future challenges.”

Larry Simon is an entrepreneur, management consultant, and angel investor, specializing in IT strategy and data analytics. He has over 30 years of experience advising startups, global corporations, and government institutions. He is the founder and a Managing Director of Inflection Group. Prior to this he was a Partner with Ernst & Young Consulting, their CTO and National Director of their strategy and delivery centres. He has previously served on the faculty of the Rotman School of Management, as the Head Judge of the Canadian Information Productivity Awards (CIPA), and as a Councillor of the Institute of Certified Management Consultants of Ontario. Simon holds an MBA from the University of Toronto, and a B.Math (Computer Science) from the University of Waterloo.

Simon teaches Foundations of Data Science, Deep Learning, and Intelligent Agents & Reinforcement Learning at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies. 

While working from home has allowed many people to continue to work through the Covid-19 pandemic and social distancing requirements, remote work comes with its own unique set of challenges.

Where once team members could pop by each other's desks to easily collaborate or get a bit of quick feedback, now they may need to schedule a time to chat in advance and use a messaging or video chat app that may not lend itself well to the usual brainstorming and collaboration techniques.

On top of this, reading non-verbal cues in order to gauge group sentiment, which can be key to navigating complex political or cultural landscapes, can be tricky via webcam and impossible via messaging apps.

Working from home can also make for an environment where team members are easily distracted.

School of Continuing Studies Project Management instructor Sunita Guyadeen says these work-from-home challenges may be compounded during a crisis like COVID-19. "The uncertainty of COVID-19 is a distraction and stress all on its own," she explains. "Team members may be dealing with sick family members or may have a partner that works in healthcare. Not knowing when or if anything will go back to the way it was pre-COVID I find preoccupies the thoughts of most team members. This makes it difficult to stay focused."

In addition, Guyadeen says the financial impact of COVID-19 on many organizations has forced projects to slow down or stop altogether which can be both unsettling and demoralizing. "The abruptness of the self-isolation, social distancing and restrictions gave no time for preparation so many project team members may not be well-equipped to work from home for example," she says.

"Project team members are now not only dealing with their projects but they have to carve out time to deal with child care, educating their children etc. So this can also be a distraction and a stress that indirectly impedes progress on projects."

Fortunately, Guyadeen says, there are things project managers can do to keep projects running smoothly while team members work from home. Here are her top five tips for remote project management:

1. Set and agree on expectations around availability, response time and communication mediums team members should use when working remotely. This will prevent surprises and function as rules of engagement.

2. Try to maintain a personal touch or contact with team members so the informal people relationships can be maintained

3. Keep to a structure i.e if you did stand-ups every day at 9:00am when in the office - maintain that remotely.

4. Get in the habit of recapping meeting discussions in rough notes to ensure nothing gets forgotten or lost in translation when the meeting is over.

5. Trust your team members. Relinquish your inner task master and rely on the team to take accountability for their tasks and deliver.

Sunita Guyadeen has several years of experience as a program manager, project manager, business analyst and business process practitioner in both the private and public sectors. She has spent the last several years functioning in a senior management capacity leading combined business and technical teams through large transformation and business process re-engineering initiatives in the telecommunications and financial services industries. She teaches Agile Essentials in Project Management, Agile Project Management Basics: Methods and Solutions, and Agile Leadership and Transformation.

When the spread of a highly infectious illness demands that people physically distance themselves from their communities in order to keep everyone as safe and healthy as possible, it can be easy to feel disconnected and lonely. That’s why it is vital to find ways to maintain connections through this time of crisis.

SCS networking instructor Jean Chow says she keeps a quote from Rev. Cecil Williams above her desk to remind her just how important our connections to one another are.  The quote says “We need this. When we meet face to face, we become human. We lift each other up.”

Chow often asks her students what networking means to them, and the answers she receives (building relationships, meeting new people, making friends, socializing) all fall under the umbrella of connection. That’s why she says networking skills can help stave off feelings of isolation and loneliness during times of physical isolation.

While modern technology makes connecting from afar easier than it has ever been, Chow says it’s important to consider who you are connecting with and what their needs might be. “As a Boomer, we tend to default to email but I’m mindful when connecting with my younger friends (IG DM and WhatsApp) and my 22-year old niece (FB messenger) by choosing the media channel they use frequently,” she says.

Chow also recently switched to video conferencing for the classes she was no longer able to conduct in person. “I’ve transitioned my in-person classes on-line on quite seamlessly and as someone who is very social. I’m delightfully surprised how much I love teaching virtually,” she says.

Meanwhile, for connecting with loved ones, she has been making use of video and phone calls. “I had planned an Easter visit to be with my 90+ year old parents in Calgary but of course, my visit has been postponed so I call now them daily, sometimes twice a day instead of our usual Sunday weekly call,” she explains. “This ritual provides all of us tremendous comfort and assurance. Hearing them say they love me every night means so much to me. My siblings also live in Calgary so they help connect me with our parents through video calling on WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. My Dad loves touching the screen!”

In addition to video and phone calls, Chow maintains an active social media presence to connect with students, mentees, colleagues, acquaintances and even strangers. She recommends anyone trying to stay relevant within their business network make an effort to post comments and content to LinkedIn.

As a single woman who has called many countries home, Chow says she is no stranger to finding ways to stay engaged and happy from a distance. Here are her top ten tips to stay connected while social distancing:

1. Keeping a journal – digital or paper – gives you a place to offload your thoughts. I also have a blog and contribute and share posts and articles on LinkedIn.

2. Do something nice for your neighbours whether you live in a condo, apartment building, or a house. Check in while maintaining social distance and ask if you can pick something up for them if you are making a trip to the grocery store.

3. Connect with nature. Walking meditation helps and a good one can be found in “Peace is Every Step” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

4. Meditate even for 5 minutes to help clear your mind.

5. Learn something new! With so many ways to learn online – YouTube, IGTV, Coursera, etc., most of us have access to so much. We are fortunate because not everyone has Internet access. I’m sad to see on Twitter that people who don’t have Internet access gather around the exterior of branches of the Toronto Public Library trying to find a way to log in if they have cell phones. It also shows us the value of our libraries and social services.

6. Some establish new routines immediately. It grounds them and gives a sense of control. As a creative, I maintain some routine to get work done while also allowing (and sometimes scheduling) time for my mind to wander and be free.

7. Move! Make sure you don’t sit in front of your computer all day. Stretch! Jump! Dance! Do the Wonder Woman power pose made famous by Professor Amy Cuddy! And if you haven’t yet, watch her TED talk!

8. Pick up the phone and call someone you love, someone who lives alone, someone you’re thinking of.

9. Take the initiative and identify someone you can help by introducing them to someone in your network who can help, mentor, share their expertise and experience.

10. Breathe and be thankful for all that you have this moment. The universe will unfold as it should.

Jean Chow is a serial entrepreneur, business coach, and mentor. She teaches Fearless Networking: Connecting Creatively and Confidently at the School of Continuing Studies.

Whether you are just starting your career or well on your way, determining the next step in your career path can be overwhelming. Having specific goals and a professional development plan in place can make the way forward clear and help you get to where you want to be.  

Here is a six-step template to help you take a methodical approach to achieving your career goals. 

1. Self-assessment (list your current role, your interests and motivations, your professional strengths and strengths you would like to develop or improve) 

2. Goals (what role/salary or other specific career goal are you hoping to achieve based on your skills, interests and motivations)

3. What skills, credentials and relationships do you need to foster to achieve these goals?  

4. Strategy (list steps you will take to develop these skills, credentials and relationships) 

5. Timeline (assign deadlines to your goals and dates to your strategy steps)

6. Assess your progress and revise as needed 

Are continuing education courses or certificates a part of your professional development plan? Check out our wide variety of online and in-class courses.    

Digital transformation has gone from buzzword to reality for most businesses. The change process looks different from one business to another, but there is one common requirement for success: strong leadership. 

Strong leadership is not only needed to change systems and technology, but to also influence the way people think about business processes, to reimagine their roles, and to embrace change.

U of T SCS has recently launched a new certificate, Strategic Leadership in the Digital Enterprise. This hands-on program is tailored to the senior level manager looking to drive successful digital transformation. 

Developed and instructed by a team of industry leaders, the program will lead you through a combination of panel discussions, teamwork, role-play and group presentations. You’ll sharpen your boardroom skills to build organization-wide support for your strategy.

Lan Nguyen, one of the instructors for the program, sat down with us recently to discuss the program:

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1. How will this course help professionals increase their organization’s competitive advantage?

This course is all about helping professionals to develop key leadership competencies and develop strategic business acumen so that they can help the organization to really move forward with a business transformation program. And then they can align the business strategy with the digital transformation strategy into a winning execution. That will help the organization to move forward, to increase their market share and also increase their competitive advantage.

2. Tell us about what is unique about the format of this course?

We are very excited about the new format in delivering the courses. We are looking at having former CIO’s deliver the courses, engaging with industry leaders, bringing also panel discussion with businesses and executive. And most important we have found in the past is actually also getting them to engage in role play where they can experience how they can participate in business discussion, business strategy and being able to influence decision-making. That’s actually the highlight of the course – “experience learning”

3. What are you most looking forward to in teaching this course? 

What I’m really looking forward to in this program is not only to contribute to the participants’ career development and personal goals but also to help them develop a personal transformation where they can really develop a different executive language, being able to build relationships and be more effective at the executive table. Its really exiting to see that transformation for these participants and being able to see them become very successful as the new executive.

Strategic Leadership in the Digital Enterprise is developed and instructed by:

• Lan Nguyen, a former Deputy Chief Information Officer of the City of Toronto responsible for planning and implementation of digital transformation of government services in partnership with… read Lan’s full instructor bio
• Aaron Cheng, a former Vice-President of IT at Enercare Inc. and a seasoned Information Technology & Telecom Executive with over twenty-five years of experience in building and  transforming… read Aaron’s full instructor bio
• Kyoko Kobayashi, an IT Executive Consultant with over 20 years of executive experience specializing in building strategies with business teams to renovate technology platforms while transforming … read Kyoko’s full instructor bio