Durham University
Programme and Module Handbook

Postgraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2025-2026

Module BUSI43000: Developing Traits for Success

Department: Management and Marketing

BUSI43000: Developing Traits for Success

Type Tied Level 4 Credits 0 Availability Available in 2025/2026 Module Cap None.
Tied to N2P109

Prerequisites

  • None

Corequisites

  • None

Excluded Combination of Modules

  • None

Aims

  • The aim of this module is to help students identify and develop personal and professional traits that contribute to long-term success in their careers. It will focus on essential skills such as leadership, emotional intelligence, resilience, adaptability, and strategic career planning. Students will learn how to set goals, communicate effectively, and build strong professional networks and relationships.

Content

  • Establishing & Setting Successful Life Goals
  • Defining what a powerful and impactful life goal is
  • Understanding success, definitions, perspectives, and myths
  • Strategic goal setting and defining your personal development action plan
  • Adapting your goals to changing circumstances
  • Recognising and reflecting on the person
  • Focus on self-understanding and personal recognition of where are they at as a person and where they need to develop. Personality and strengths assessments to help form foundations of understanding
  • Developing and Sustaining high Performance Characteristics
  • What does industry define as a successful, high value and high performing person.
  • Growth mindset, how to have a powerful way of looking at life, career, and daily tasks
  • Identifying and cultivating personal strengths
  • The role of emotional intelligence in professional, personal and life growth
  • Building resilience and how to thrive in challenging environments
  • Leadership development, traits, styles, and practices
  • Time management and self-discipline strategies
  • Networking and relationship-building skills
  • Building relationships and rapport with stakeholders
  • Effective teamwork, working effectively and impactfully with others
  • Writing impactful business reports
  • Managing your personal brand, recognition, persona, and influence in the workplace
  • Building a powerful and influential network
  • Understanding influence and influencers in the workplace and navigating office politics
  • Effective planning, organizing, and time management
  • Selling a service, product, or idea, how to persuade and pitch effectively
  • Making informed and effective decisions
  • Being proactive and making things happen
  • Horizon scanning and market awareness, identifying and seizing opportunities
  • Industry and market knowledge

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:
  • Understanding the key traits linked to professional success and personal growth
  • Knowledge of strategies for resilience, leadership, adaptability, and career planning
  • Awareness of market and industry dynamics and how they shape professional success
Subject-specific Skills:
  • Ability to apply leadership and emotional intelligence concepts to real-world scenarios
  • Competence in developing personal strategies for growth, adaptability, and networking
  • Skill in planning, organizing, and managing time and tasks effectively
  • Ability to assess and manage personal brand, influence, and communication in the workplace
Key Skills:
  • Effective verbal and written communication, including impactful business reporting
  • Strategic and operational planning for personal and professional development
  • Ability to reflect on personal strengths and areas for improvement
  • Building and maintaining influential professional networks
  • Time management, teamwork, and decision-making skills
  • Industry and market awareness for opportunity identification and strategic action

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • The module will be delivered through interactive workshops. Students will engage in guided reading, personal reflection, and peer collaboration. Each topic will be connected to the students’ professional and personal development goals, enabling them to build a cohesive, actionable development plan.
  • The summative assessment consists of a reflective portfolio that documents the student’s progress in developing key success traits. The portfolio will cover areas such as leadership, emotional intelligence, communication, networking, and personal branding.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity Number Frequency Duration Total/Hours
Workshops 10 Weekly 3 hours 30
Preparation and Reading 1 120
Total 150

Summative Assessment

Component: Coursework Portfolio Component Weighting: 100%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
Portfolio 15 pages 100%

Formative Assessment:

Attendance and participation in all lectures and workshops are mandatory. Students will complete formative exercises focused on applying key traits to real-world situations. These exercises will help them track their growth and personal development throughout the module.


Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University