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Registration
The next teaching period for the Facilitating Change course is 16.4.–4.6.2025
Professionals and non-Aalto Students
Aalto University Students
Aalto University students can register as usual in Sisu. We recommend some previous organizational studies as a prerequisite..
Course Tourists*
Registration deadline is 2.4.2025
About the
Course
Learn to facilitate organisational change. This course equips you with the knowledge and tools to drive successful organisational transformations while fostering a healthy work-life culture.
Through live online lectures and interactive pair assignments, you’ll explore the academic theory of change management as well as apply that theory into your own organisational contexts.
Key Topics
- How does organizational change develop? and what does it require?
- What differentiates buzzwords like Lean, Agile, and Design Thinking?
- Learn to use tools and frameworks to clarify transformation objective
- Understand meta-skills and embrace the art of facilitation
By the end of this course, you’ll be ready to lead with confidence — driving change that lasts.
“Facilitating Change is an effective blend of hands-on practice and academic theory for anyone interested in change leadership, organizational transform, organization design and becoming a change agent.”
– prof. Risto Sarvas
Course Info
Teaching Period: 16.4.–4.6.2025
Lectures: 7.5.–4.6. on Wednesdays from 16:15 to 18:00 (EET)
Language: English
Study Credits: You can get 3 ECTS from this course.
The course consists of live lectures held in Zoom and weekly participation in online pair exercises, which are scheduled independently with your pair. To pass the course, you’ll need to take part in all lectures and pair exercises.
Meet the Teachers
Risto Sarvas
Professor of Practice, Aalto University
Risto, a former Head of Information Networks at Aalto University, is a co-founder of Futurice's culture advisory business and a creator of the Lean Service Creation methodology. With extensive experience coaching students, entrepreneurs, and leading cultural transformations in Finnish corporations, Risto is also an accomplished author on design, change, and organisational culture.
Jari Ylitalo
Senior University Lecturer, Aalto Department of Industrial Engineering and Management
Jari is an experienced leadership development professional, educator, coach, and facilitator. He has rich and wide experience in supporting individuals, groups and organisations to build better leadership, deeper collaboration, and efficient management practices in multiple organisations and industries. He has contributed to better leadership in roles of internal change agent, external process consultant, leadership coach, and academic scholar.
Course Goals
New Tools
Learning modern frameworks for facilitating change
Professional Growth
Building confidence by seeing how much you already know
Networking
Connecting and collaborating with other change agents
Reviews from Course Alumni
Sharing and comparing with others
“The balance of lectures and breakout rooms. The assignments with random peers were great! They provided deeper understanding and great cases from other companies! The hands-on tools (onion, DUMB etc.) are easy enough to understand and simple enough to use - and their leverage power is huge!”
Lifelong learning
“I liked that it was free and targeted to lifelong learning, not only to students. Topic relates to what is important to me in worklife and in creating new business. The course strengthened my view that I am on the right path. It was nicely executed online in general."
Inspirational teaching
"I liked Risto and Jari’s energy the most. They don’t beat around the bush but get straight to the point. It’s much more refreshing and interesting that way with reading materials and lectures to support the learning experience."
Learning supported real-life projects
“The assignments supported me to utilize the learnings in my own work - the hands-on pair exercises helped me understand things from own project that I hadn't thought about earlier. I would need this kind of facilitation with unfamiliar people more often!”
International course
“This was a nice experience, online implementation made it possible for a wide range of people from all over the world to participate which was interesting as well. Thank you for this course and content during our otherwise strange Covid springtime.”
Professionally led course
"A person like me attending a course after a long stressful work of constant sprints running hectic work truly appreciates your clear and easy-to-follow slides and your well-articulated English (lovely clear "Finglish") with a touch of humour here and there.”
Useful tools
"Well prepared study materials, tools and cases. Lecturers were top notch and communication from the staff was spot on. All exercises were hands-on kind of stuff and perfect for utilization at work."
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can get 3 ECTS from this course by registering in Sisu or FITech.
The course consists of 5 x 2h = 10h of weekly lectures on Wednesdays (7.5.-4.6.2025) from 16:15-18:00 (EET). In addition to lectures students should prepare to schedule one weekly session for pair exercises and some time for independent study.
If you are a FITech student or a degree student from Aalto you will be required to participate in weekly pair exercises to pass the course. Your pair and the assigned task will change every week and is set by the course staff. You will schedule a time for doing the exercise together and document your work. If you wish to do all of the exercises with a particular person, contact the teaching team facilitating@aalto.fi .
Do you have other questions? Contact facilitating@aalto.fi
