TOPIC AREA

Essential business skills training

In an increasingly digital world where job roles are diversifying, there is a need for technical and specialist skills. The depth of knowledge and understanding required largely depends on the emphasis of the skills in the role. For some, a qualification or accreditation is required, whereas for others developing a fundamental knowledge of a specialist skill can improve performance.

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Essential business skills
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Developing cross-functional skills helps generate understanding and align organisational goals.

Developing cross-functional knowledge and skills helps generate understanding and align organisational goals. For example, developing financial awareness skills across the business helps employees to understand why finance departments define certain processes. Ultimately, they are more likely to adhere to these, as they understand why it is important. The result is processes that are more efficient and a better bottom line.

There are also skills that every area of the business should possess; every employee has customers whether they are internal or external. Therefore, it stands to reason that everyone should possess customer service skills; internal and external customers should all receive the same level of respect and quality of service. Excellent customer service internally helps build relationships and respect throughout the organisation.

Project management skills are now a fundamental skill as many of us either manage or have some involvement in projects of differing size and scale. Employees can develop these skills based on the business requirement; a project manager or project management office within an organisation may want to use recognised methodologies and therefore, attain project management qualifications. Whereas those working in a marketing department coordinating small projects, for example, would work more efficiently and productively if they developed fundamental project management skills and applied these to their role.

This thinking is applicable across the various disciplines or functions – finance, sales, marketing, procurement, human resources, IT.

Employees must also continuously develop their digital skills; technology is evolving at a fast pace. Keeping up-to-date with traditional IT skills as well as developing other digital skills, for example, using collaborative tools or creating videos to share business communications is imperative. Fundamentally, everyone needs to be able to understand the potential impact of new technologies on their industry, organisation, and job role.

Essential business skills programmes

specialist skills for the

workforce of today

In an increasingly digital world where job roles are diversifying, there is a need for technical and specialist skills

TOPIC

Project Management

Training & Qualifications

The world in which we live and the organisations within which we work are changing rapidly. As our organisations strive to adapt to the ever-changing business environment, project management capability will help enable them to deliver effective, beneficial change.

Project management should no longer be considered a ‘nice to have’ or a specialist function within the business. It is a skill set that every employee needs to have so that we can rapidly respond to the challenges and opportunities presented to us in the world today.

Effective project management means happier employees, more efficient use of our limited resources, better proactive decisions being made, stronger communication, collaborative teams across our business, and the realisation of those all-important benefits.

To be a truly effective project manager, we need to build a toolkit of knowledge, skills, and behaviours. 

Recognising the relevant approach to use at the beginning of the project lifecycle is key, whether that be a linear (waterfall) or iterative (Agile) approach. However, the skills needed to be an effective project manager are consistent – we need to start with understanding the fundamentals of defining the project. This involves creating a plan, defining the scope, scheduling the work, allocating resources, and identifying and mitigating risk. The effective project manager then needs to implement the plan whilst monitoring, controlling, and reporting progress to the stakeholder community. This leads to the successful handover of the project deliverable to the operational environment.

The effective project manager is also adept at the people side of the process. This involves being able to delegate work, lead a team, motivate, influence, and sometimes deal with conflict.

Underpinning all of this, the effective project manager is an expert in communication who can engage with stakeholders across the project environment and also within the project team, inspiring people to deliver results within the constraints imposed upon the project.

Project Management Qualifications

Not everyone needs to have a project management qualification to manage a project. However, no matter how experienced a project manager is already, there is always something more to learn, and skills should be constantly maintained. Not only that, but qualifying with a reputable professional body provides a real, tangible way of demonstrating skill and therefore increases credibility, value, and potential for future career development.

Several qualification routes can be taken in project management when considering options. Some of these qualifications are based around specific methods such as Agile, whereas others are more rounded and cover project management more holistically, such as the PMI qualifications.
 

Are you looking for a training course for yourself or someone in your team?
Take a look at our blended virtual training programmes; virtual expert-led delivery, 1:1 virtual coaching, plus on-demand digital learning.
TOPICS

Our range

of sub-topics

We provide training programmes covering a range of essential business skills categories.

INSIGHT

Employee competencies

for the digital age

Employee competencies and development are going to need to be a careful balance of different behaviours and skills.  The largest change in how we work together in the digital age is around collaboration and sharing knowledge; with less hierarchical structures and more emphasis on the role and knowledge-based competency, it will not be the case that the most senior person in the room or virtual room is correct or gives direction.

Digital Learning 2.0
Technology enables us to learn differently and do some really clever things. Sometimes the business needs nudging in the right direction – you need to get them thinking differently by showing them the real future of learning.

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Tell us more about your training and development requirements. We’ll be delighted to discuss your needs and deliver a programme for you.