Managing in a Changing World of Work Event

Why It Matters

The course equips managers with actionable frameworks to lead AI‑enabled, hybrid teams, directly addressing the skill gap created by rapid technological and workplace shifts.

Key Takeaways

• Updated Management Essentials course addresses AI, hybrid work, and volatility.
• AI reshapes manager responsibilities, demanding new change‑management skills.
• Process‑centric thinking helps diagnose performance issues before blaming people.
• Open communication is critical for navigating uncertainty in modern teams.
• Course targets new and seasoned managers seeking tools for evolving workplaces.

Summary

The Harvard Business School Online event introduced a refreshed four‑week Management Essentials course, designed for both aspiring and experienced managers navigating a rapidly evolving work landscape. The cohort‑based program delivers five to six hours of self‑paced learning per week, costs $1,850, and launches its next cohort on June 24.

Professor Joseph Fuller highlighted why the curriculum needed an overhaul: the past five years have seen COVID‑driven shifts, globalization pressures, and the meteoric rise of AI, all of which fundamentally alter job structures, metrics, and expectations. He emphasized that AI introduces a "once in a hundred‑year" change‑management challenge, requiring managers to rethink responsibilities, performance measurement, and employee engagement.

Fuller also underscored the importance of a process‑centric lens, arguing that most managerial work is about overseeing and diagnosing processes rather than blaming individuals. He noted that clear, open communication is essential for surfacing process flaws early, especially amid the VUOA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity) environment. A recent HBR piece he authored frames AI as a vehicle to relieve workers of dull tasks, boosting satisfaction and productivity.

The implications are clear: managers must adopt new tools and mindsets to lead hybrid, AI‑augmented teams effectively. By integrating process analysis, transparent dialogue, and AI‑aware strategies, the updated course equips leaders to sustain performance and drive growth in today’s uncertain business climate.

Original Description

Join Professor Joe Fuller, faculty lead for Harvard Business School Online’s updated Management Essentials course, for a conversation on what effective management looks like today.