Running an independent eye care practice means that in addition to being a doctor, you need to wear many additional hats – from human resources to marketing. With the popularity of open education, free high-quality education online from elite universities around the world, it’s easier than ever to gain additional skills to be a better business owner.
From Coursea to edX, here is a breakdown some of popular courses for you to try out:
“This course will give students an introductory overview of management theory, management functions, organizational structure, daily management responsibilities, ethics, and current management tools and resources. Theoretical concepts will be illustrated with practical application to real-world management problems and scenarios.”
Creative Problem Solving – University of Minnesota
“This course deals directly with your ability for creativity which is a critical skill in any field. It focuses on divergent thinking, the ability to develop multiple ideas and concepts to solve problems. Through a series of creativity building exercises, short lectures, and readings, learners develop both an understanding of creativity and increase their own ability.”
Leading Teams – University of Michigan
“In modern organization, most of work is done in teams, yet the results of teamwork are exceptionally mixed. Many teams are poorly designed and structured, fraught with dysfunctional conflict, experience coordination breakdowns and serious motivation challenges. As a result, many teams fail to realize their potential and frequently underperform even individuals working on similar tasks. After completing this course, you will acquire a set of tools and practices that enable you to effectively set up, run, evaluate, and continuously improve your team. Such insights will both make you a more effective team leader but also a standout contributor in team settings.”
Work Smarter, Not Harder: Time Management for Personal & Professional Productivity – University of California, Irvine
“You will be able to gain and apply your knowledge and understanding of personal and professional awareness, organization and commitment, and use the tools, methods and techniques that you have learned in goal setting, prioritization, scheduling, and delegation to overcome time management challenges and enhance productivity.”
HUMAN RESOURCES
INSPIRING AND MOTIVATING INDIVIDUALS – UNIVERSITY OF Michigan
“Motivation represents a crucial challenge for contemporary organizations: A recent Gallup poll revealed that only 13% of workers worldwide exhibit high levels of engagement and motivation. We will show you why these motivation problems are not simply due to a “bad” or “unmotivated” team member. Rather, motivation is very much driven by what work conditions we create for our teammates, how we structure goals and objectives, and how we reward people for the accomplishment of those goals. This course will help you diagnose and solve motivation problems so that you can bring out the best in your people.”
Preparing to Manage Human Resources - University of Minnesota
“This course provides a foundation for developing your own approach to skillfully managing employees by illustrating alternative human resource management (HRM) strategies, introducing the importance of the legal context, and thinking about what motivates employees.”
MARKETING
Introduction to Marketing: Tools to Set Enterprises Apart – The University of Edinburgh
“This business and management course will help you understand the role of marketing and introduce you to the latest tools to help create value and competitive advantage for an enterprise. In an exciting age where innovation and new business models are required to stay ahead of competitors, we explore how new players in a market can achieve impact through marketing, providing you with unique insight to even apply within your own business venture.”
Digital Branding and Engagement – Curtin University
“Digital technology has rapidly evolved in the last decade, and so too has the way people communicate. Businesses can no longer rely solely on traditional business models to build brand awareness. This course will teach you about this shift and how it has altered the way brands communicate with their audiences. You will learn about the challenges of managing a digital brand and how rich and compelling content, combined with digital distribution, are integral to brand engagement.”
Digital Marketing, Social Media and E-Commerce for Your Business – Wharton, University of Pennsylvania
“Marketing excellence is a prerequisite for success in any business, from startups to the world’s most established enterprises, yet the art and science of marketing is constantly evolving. Arm yourself with the essential principles and practices of marketing in the digital economy by making this course, taught by Internet consumer shopping expert and Wharton professor David Bell, an indispensable part of your knowledge base.”
FINANCE
Finance for Non-Financial Professional - University of California, Irvine
“Impact your financial decisions and learn how to affect the performance of your unit's profitability and of your organization. In this course gain a basic understanding of finance and accounting concepts to drive your organization's growth.”
Have you taken any of these courses or have any suggestions? What did you think? Let us know in the comments.