e.g. This is primarily aimed at first- and second-year undergraduates interested in engineering or science, along with high school students and professionals with an interest in programming.Most performance problems don’t fail because people don’t care—they fail because “good” is unclear, feedback is fuzzy, and development has no system behind it.
In this course, you’ll learn a practical, repeatable approach to improving performance that’s grounded in clear standards, coaching conversations that lead to behavior change, and development mechanisms that actually stick. You’ll start by turning vague expectations (like “be more proactive”) into observable performance standards tied to outcomes and behaviors. Then you’ll build a lightweight scorecard using a handful of leading and lagging signals—so performance discussions are fair, specific, and based on shared evidence instead of memory or impressions.
Next, you’ll practice giving feedback that’s actionable and non-judgmental using structured models like SBI and AID, and you’ll add feed-forward techniques to shift conversations from rehashing mistakes to improving what happens next. From there, you’ll design development systems that scale: delegation levels matched to readiness and risk, Individual Development Plans with milestones, and deliberate practice loops supported by mini-rubrics.
Finally, you’ll learn how to manage performance variance across a team—supporting high performers without creating hero culture, unlocking growth in solid contributors, and addressing low performance with clarity—while building peer coaching and mentorship structures that reinforce development beyond the manager.
PracticalGrowth is an education studio that develops practical online courses for professionals navigating career transitions and workplace growth. Each course delivers focused instruction, activities, and resources designed to help learners apply skills effectively in real-world settings.
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.