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Accessibility statement
An image to illustrate Collaboration skills for the workplace short course
This CPD course encourages you to reflect on the nature of collaboration and the different forms it can take. You'll engage with practical examples by watching video clips that show collaboration in action and reading relevant case studies that demonstrate how powerful collaboration can be. You'll be presented with some specific skills and behaviours that will increase the probability of successful collaboration in your working life.
You will have opportunities to consider your own approach to collaboration, and how you might become an even more effective colleague in terms of collaboration and therefore improve your overall levels of performance. You will explore collaboration within organisations, and more widely, with particular reference to the different elements of a supply chain.
This Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course comprises four units:
Unit 1: The changing nature of work
The course begins by looking at how work is changing and the enduring importance of collaboration. You'll note the role of positive attitudes and behaviours in maximising the success of collaborative efforts, consider different forms of collaboration and be encouraged to assess which might be most effective in which particular situation. You'll see real life examples to illustrate the theory.
Unit 2: Collaboration across supply chains
In this unit you'll take a brief look at supply chains, and the problems that arise when they are disrupted. This highlights the importance of collaboration up and down the supply chain, and gives some examples of how it has been successfully deployed.
Unit 3: The importance of purpose
Collaborative approaches are much more likely to succeed if there is a strong sense of shared purpose. You'll explore how you can generate that shared excitement, as well as some other practical steps you can take to encourage collaboration. You'll also look at examples of complex collaborative projects and draw out the key learning points, and you will be asked to reflect on your own experience and to identify what went well, and what could have been better.
Unit 4: Strategies and approaches for effective collaboration
You'll continue to explore the practical steps that you can take to promote even more effective collaboration and the role of personality profiling as an additional way to help people get to know each other. You'll encounter the case study of the Crick Institute, a biomedical research centre, and reflect on ways that collaboration can be designed into institutions: from the building itself, to the organisational structure and the planning of projects. As always, you'll be encouraged to reflect on your readings and your own experience to draw out points for your own continued development.
By studying this CPD course, you'll be able to:
This course was designed to be independently studied with no tutor support. StudentHome is a dedicated website that provides general study support and there is a computing helpdesk.
There an end-of-course quiz to test your knowledge and understanding. Once completed and successfully passed you will receive a digital badge and a course completion certificate which you can download as a record of your learning.
The course will require around 10 hours to complete.
You can begin at any time during the life of the course and study at your own pace. The course will be open to you for a time period of between 6 and 18 months, depending on your course registration date, and you will be advised of the specific time limitations upon enrolment.
All learning materials, exercises, study support and end of course quiz are delivered entirely online.
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
There are no formal academic requirements.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact us.
The course is delivered online and makes use of a variety of online resources. If you use specialist hardware or software to assist you in using a computer or the internet you are advised to contact us about support which can be given to meet your needs.
The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying BGXS005 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.
StartEngland fee
At anytime before 31/07/2026£150
We accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Visa Electron.
If this course is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could ask your employer to sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees. Your sponsor just needs to complete a simple form to confirm how much they will be paying and we will invoice them.
The fee information provided here is valid for short courses starting in the 2025/26 academic year. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.
You can start this course anytime.
You can start this course anytime.
Level info