Delivery mode
Online
Estimated study time: 27 hours
Location
E-learning environment
Language
English
Scope
1 ECTS
Facilitating Change
In today’s fast-paced and unpredictable world, change is not the exception—it’s the new normal. Organizations are constantly navigating shifting landscapes, technological disruptions, and evolving expectations. In such environments, the ability to lead and facilitate change effectively is no longer just a useful skill—it’s a critical one.
The Facilitating Change online course was created to meet this exact need. Designed for general managers, team leaders, and individuals passionate about organizational development, the course offers a deep yet practical exploration of what it truly means to lead change in modern, complex systems. Developed by Aalto University, the course blends academic insight with hands-on applicability, ensuring you not only understand the theory but can also implement it in your daily work.
This course is about building a strong foundation—mastering the real, everyday skills that leaders and facilitators need to succeed. Like working with a personal trainer, you’ll revisit core concepts through practical exercises until they become second nature. You’ll learn to recognize and address uncertainty, challenge assumptions, and apply tools that make change more manageable—and more meaningful.
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Learning Outcomes
As a professional, this course equips you with real, transferable skills that go beyond surface-level knowledge. You’ll develop a deeper understanding of the psychological, structural, and cultural factors that influence change—and you’ll learn how to turn that understanding into action.
For organizations, the return on this course is tangible. When leaders and employees are better equipped to facilitate and manage change, the entire organization becomes more adaptive, resilient, and aligned.
By the end of the course, you will:
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Understand the root causes of uncertainty in organizational settings
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Recognize how your own beliefs and biases shape the way you approach change
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Be equipped with practical models and tools to facilitate change effectively
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Gain insight into both classical theories and contemporary practices
In short, Facilitating Change helps both individuals and organizations become better at doing what matters most today: evolving, learning, and leading in a world that doesn’t stand still.
For
The course is industry-agnostic and designed to be applicable across a range of sectors. It is especially relevant for Technology and IT, Manufacturing and Operations, Healthcare and Public Sector, Finance and Insurance, and Education and Non-Profit.
The course is suitable for anyone interested in change, such as
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Change Managers and Transformation Leads
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Mid-to-Senior level Managers and Leaders
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HR Professionals
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Project Managers
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Advisors and
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Aspiring Leaders.
Contents and Schedule
The course is structured around 14 carefully crafted modules, starting with the realities and mindsets that shape change, and moving toward concrete strategies for leading transformation both within and beyond your organization. You’ll examine change from multiple perspectives: the external consultant, the executive leader, the change agent, even the internal startup. Along the way, you'll engage with modern frameworks such as Lean, Agile, and Design Thinking, while also reflecting on the emotional and cultural dimensions of autonomy and transformation.
The course takes approximately 27 hours to complete and is equivalent to 1 ECTS. In order to receive a certificate of completion you need to complete all parts of the course, including assignments.
Instructors
Risto Sarvas
Risto Sarvas is a Professor of Practice and Head of the Information Networks program at Aalto University.
He has a colorful history overlapping design, business, technology, and society. The common denominator between these three roles is his endless enthusiasm to figure out how technology and society are intertwined: as a culture, in politics, in business, as well as in everyday life.
His research, teaching, and service design work have received several awards and much popularity.
Risto Sarvas holds a doctorate in Media Technology from the Helsinki University of Technology (now Aalto University).
Jari Ylitalo
Jari Ylitalo is a senior lecturer at Aalto University.
Program Fee and Registration
Program Fee
The fee for the Facilitating Change online course is € 150 (+ VAT).
This program has adopted Aalto EE's new Customer ID, and it is delivered on Aalto Learning Experience Alex e-learning environment. Before ordering, please visit aaltoee.fi/customerid.
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