Persuade, motivate, and inspire audiences and stakeholders using data-driven storytelling and visualization.

The ability to use data effectively is crucial to the success of most modern organizations. This includes optimizing processes using operational data, finding new customers through consumer data, and understanding the immediate business environment using competitor data. But it’s not enough to simply have data; nor is it enough to employ a team of analysts to sift through the multiple haystacks of raw information in search of a needle of insight. To effectively use data, organizations need professionals who are able to communicate and disseminate data-driven insights in order to properly guide decision-making.

The MIT Sloan Communicating Data Through Storytelling online short course teaches you how to construct stories from data that persuade, motivate, and inspire action. Discover how to tailor logically sound presentations for a variety of audiences, as well as understand the best practices for presenting data with clarity rather than complexity. In the program, you’ll delve into the TOP-T (topic, orientation, point, transition) framework, developed by MIT Sloan faculty to make complex data more understandable.

Is this course for you?

This course is ideal for any professional who regularly presents data-driven insights, whether that role is technical or not. If you’re an analyst or analytics manager, the program will enhance your ability to communicate insights, particularly when presenting specialist information to general audiences. If you’re a manager, or decision maker, or occupy a functional role, it equips you with the skills needed to tell a clear story with data that can be shared with key stakeholders in the organization. If you’re a consultant or entrepreneur, you’ll have the opportunity to learn practical techniques for persuading and influencing clients.

Gain an understanding of the science behind social media to optimize your social media strategy.

As social media evolves, it provides organizations with new and exciting ways to share their message and engage their audiences. However, to drive real action, they need to understand the science behind social media and the key to harnessing it effectively for business success.

The Social Media Strategy: Creating Engagement, Insight, and Action online short course from the MIT Sloan School of Management offers an in-depth look into the forces driving social media and how you can use them strategically to reach your organization’s goals.

Drawing on Sinan Aral’s book, The Hype Machine, you’ll gain an understanding of the technologies and trends impacting the social media landscape, as well as the neurological and economic factors that shape human behavior. Throughout this course, you’ll also learn about several powerful techniques to improve your social media marketing strategy. With guidance from MIT faculty and industry experts, you’ll walk away with the tools to leverage social media’s potential now and in the future.

Is this course for you?

The functional and strategic skills taught in this social media strategy course from MIT Sloan can be applied across any organization, both in the public or private sectors. Business leaders and marketing professionals will all benefit from the various case studies featured throughout the program, as well as the practical frameworks for navigating today’s social media environment. It’s also relevant for NGOs, governments, policymakers, and influencers who wish to influence and engage their audience in an effective but ethical way.

Develop a strategy for driving positive change and sustainable business practices as you learn to navigate complex sustainability issues.

With an increasing number of environmental regulations and concerns from consumers and stakeholders, the topic of sustainability has moved to the forefront of business endeavors. Yet, despite the demand for greater accountability, organizations still need to remain profitable. In order to have a sustainable future, leaders need to learn to address these inherent challenges.

The Business Sustainability Strategy: Technology and Management online short course explores the process of successfully navigating the trade-offs and tensions between sustainability and profitability. Guided by the MIT Sloan School of Management faculty and a host of guest experts, you’ll learn to pursue sustainability through innovation and behavioral change. Using the PROMISE framework as a lens to holistically examine business choices and sustainability goals, you’ll analyze some of the most prominent sustainability concerns facing modern companies today. You’ll engage in a range of diverse topics, including climate change, dematerialization, and the main types of market failures. After six weeks, you’ll walk away with a strategy for engaging others in developing sustainable business practices, with the skills and knowledge to drive long-lasting change within and beyond your organization.

Is this course for you?

This six-week program offers business decision-makers and strategy drivers the skills to drive sustainability management and leadership in their organizations. Professionals who are responsible for moving their businesses forward will gain the skills to oversee sustainability initiatives and ensure ethical business practices meet organizational goals. Those involved in the day-to-day operations of their organization who hope to move into a leadership position will gain the knowledge required to drive new strategies or company-wide policies. Additionally, professionals with environmental knowledge will have the opportunity to align their practice with the business world and learn to promote the value of sustainability in the marketplace.

Develop an understanding of how mobility innovations will impact the future of the real estate and learn to take advantage of the opportunities they create.

The real estate industry faces disruption as a result of mobility innovations that are dramatically changing where and how people work, live, and play. These innovations significantly impact the demand for and value of residential, commercial, and industrial properties at various locations in cities. Such demand dynamics, coupled with developers’ responses, will determine the financial performance of real estate products and their asset value.

Gain the knowledge and tools to strategically leverage the real estate opportunities that new and future mobilities have to offer in the Self-Driving Cars and the Future of Real Estate: Challenges and Market Opportunities online short course from the MIT School of Architecture and Planning (MIT SA+P). Throughout the program, you’ll develop a comprehensive understanding of the current industry state of autonomous vehicles, on-demand delivery, ride-sharing, and micro-mobility. Guided by MIT faculty and industry experts, you’ll also discover how mobility innovations are already transforming real estate products, as well as how self-driving vehicles will influence cities and the real estate market of the future. Develop the practical skills to prepare for and influence the rapidly evolving mobility landscape, and learn to identify opportunities and address real estate market problems.

Is this course for you?

This program is aimed at individuals who are looking to upgrade their skills to meet the demands of their current role as well as a rapidly changing industry. Professionals in the built environment, urban planning, and logistics management industries who want to learn how artificial intelligence (AI) and self-driving vehicles will impact urban developments, last-mile delivery, and their occupations will also benefit from this course. Those with a background in finance, investment, or real estate will develop an understanding of the innovations in mobility, discover how these impact the real estate landscape, and learn to identify opportunities and avoid pitfalls. Professionals in the IT sector will discover ways in which they can apply their skills to developing products that link autonomous vehicle technology to the real estate market.

Create an organizational culture of continuous business improvement.

Unplanned events happen in all businesses — from communication breakdowns and financial shifts to tight turnaround times and employee disengagement.

The six-week Business Process Design for Strategic Management online short course, from the MIT Sloan School of Management, gives you access to the knowledge of thought leaders Nelson Repenning and Donald Kieffer. You’ll be introduced to Dynamic Work Design, a process improvement framework based on decades of industry practice and academic investigation. This unique methodology is based on improvement principles that enable successful integration with the existing culture, processes, and methods within an organization. The program explores the necessity of continuous change and the effectiveness of a dynamic approach to work design while identifying opportunities for process improvement within your own business context.

Is this course for you?

This program is suited to business leaders who are looking to design and improve processes and formulate a strategy that drives progress. It's similarly beneficial to managers who are interested in optimizing efficiency and facilitating problem-solving in their teams. Harnessing Dynamic Work Design principles, professionals will learn how to find solutions to issues and implement strategies for sustainable improvement in a range of industries. The course content is also relevant to Analysts, Consultants, and Specialists — especially those concerned with managing risk and change — as it provides insight into why certain improvement strategies fail. The approach delivers rapid results, ensuring little is needed in the way of overheads, training, or implementation, enabling feasible innovation for both small and large business structures. Essentially, anyone wanting to upskill themselves and improve in their role will find the concepts and methods covered useful.

Learn to use data and analytics to improve decision-making within your organization.

As the amount of data in the world grows, so does the demand for skilled executives who are equipped with the knowledge to lead a data-driven organization. This program aims to teach managers and executives the strategic, technical, and managerial skills to integrate data analytics into an organization. Drawing on case studies from the sports industry, which has led the way in performance analytics, you’ll learn how to use data in your organization for improved decision-making, goal setting, selection of appropriate technologies, structuring of teams, and communication. Guided by MIT faculty and industry thought leaders, this program helps you navigate the process of data transformation in your business or organization, from concept to implementation.

Is this course for you?

This MIT Sloan course aims to guide you to lead a data-driven transformation in your company. With an emphasis on process, management, and innovation, this program is designed to help business owners, leaders, and aspiring analysts understand the core elements of data analytics from a business perspective and harness it to gain a competitive edge. No technical experience is required.

Harness disruptive technology to design smart, sustainable urban solutions.

With more than half of the world’s population living in urban areas, there’s a growing interest in developing smarter, safer, and more sustainable cities that are responsive to their citizens. While smart city solutions typically focus on digital enhancements to existing urban infrastructure, the MIT Media Lab Beyond Smart Cities: Emerging Design and Technology online short course goes beyond optimizations. Over six weeks, you’ll explore ways in which disruptive technology can dramatically improve the planning, design, and management of contemporary cities for a more resilient future. Guided by MIT faculty, you’ll discover how technologies like data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), new urban systems, real-time simulations, and predictive urban design can be leveraged to realize more entrepreneurial, high-performance, and livable urban communities.

Is this course for you?

This online course is designed for professionals interested in urban planning and design, who are seeking ways to transform cities for a more sustainable and vibrant future. With a focus on technology and data, the program is particularly relevant to those who are focused on designing, investing in, and delivering smart city solutions.

Discover a human-centered approach to deploying machine learning and learn to use AI as a tool for inclusive prosperity.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is used to assist decision-making in health care, law, security, criminal justice, social media, and beyond. The possibilities are near-endless, but AI isn’t without risk. It’s now clear that data-driven decisions can have far-reaching impacts on individuals, organizations, and society as a whole. These unintended consequences are often difficult to identify and challenging to mitigate, but doing so creates new opportunities. Given the costs and risks of AI investment, it’s critical that leaders proactively anticipate and address these issues.

The Making AI Work: Machine Intelligence for Business and Society online short course from the MIT Sloan School of Management and the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing offers a systematic approach to examining the power and limitations of machine learning (ML) tools. Over six weeks, you’ll explore the vulnerabilities of AI and understand the steps needed to create robust systems with privacy at their core. You’ll also investigate the importance of human-technology collaboration in gaining a competitive advantage for your organization. On completion of this program, you’ll walk away with a proprietary ML Deployment Framework and practical strategies to redirect current AI and ML models to shape the businesses and society of the future.

Is this course for you?

This program is designed to equip business leaders with the skills and insights to manage the organizational and societal impacts of AI. It provides practical frameworks and strategies that address effective and responsible data usage, machine learning systems, and general technological advancements. Those in leadership roles in both the public and private sectors will be empowered to guide their firms toward responsible innovation. This program also bridges the gap between executives and technical professionals. Those who already have functional expertise in this area will identify opportunities to build better AI and machine learning models, and be further prepared to assist leaders in critical decision-making.

Leverage a human-centered approach to effectively navigate digital change in your organization.

Due to continuous technological innovation and the move to remote work, organizations are facing increased pressure to digitize rapidly. To effectively lead a company through this digital transformation, business leaders need to upskill and learn how to control the psychological impact change and transition can have on their employees and teams.

Gain the tools to help navigate digital change from the human perspective in the Managing the Human Side of Digital Disruption online short course from the MIT Sloan School of Management. Over six weeks, you’ll draw on Faculty Directors Hal Gregersen and Roger Lehman’s original Transition-Curve Framework to understand and manage the development of your team’s roles, capabilities, and emotional responses to change. You’ll also learn how to facilitate effective change at an individual, team, and organizational level through leveraging the superpowers of purpose and inquiry and establishing the essential conditions of psychological safety and trust. Finally, you’ll apply the program content to predict change, learn from it, and confidently and successfully lead current and future transformations.

Is this course for you?

This course provides managers and business leaders with the skills and tools to help their people and teams through digital change by improving employee experience and engagement. Similarly, the program applies to business leaders looking to analyze digital change's impact on organizational models and implement solutions. This course will also benefit business advisers and consultants who require enhanced digital transformation leadership knowledge and skills to set themselves apart. In addition, HR business partners who aim to improve employee value propositions and experiences in an evolving business landscape will find the concepts covered useful.

Identify the economic forces shaping your business and make informed decisions that drive change.

Large-scale economic trends can profoundly affect businesses of all sizes, whether it’s inflation, governmental policy, or changes in market demand. For contemporary organizations to remain competitive, executives must account for the impact in their strategic decision-making. The Economics for Business online program from MIT Sloan offers you the opportunity to explore economics from a business perspective, guided by renowned economist Professor Roberto Rigobon. You’ll be exposed to an engaging mix of case studies, narratives, and problem-solving activities designed to build your understanding of macroeconomics. On completion, you’ll be able to apply your knowledge to interpret and manage economic change within your organization.

Is this course for you?

The program is geared toward business professionals and leaders looking to understand the influence of economic trends on business, and who are seeking tools, concepts, and models to inform their decision-making. Aspiring managers and executives with decision-making responsibilities stand to benefit from an understanding of the broader business environment. The cross-industry applications of macroeconomics are beneficial for business professionals aiming to enhance their knowledge of economic trends and advance within their careers.