The 4 Best Management Qualifications

The business world is evolving, and organisations are running in more complex and diverse ways than ever before. Competition is at an all-time high and professional business qualifications are becoming an increasingly popular way for professionals to upskill, extend their knowledge and improve abilities as functional and operational managers.

In this blog, we discuss the best management qualifications available, so that you can make the best decision for you and your career.

1) Qualifications from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI)

The only organisation that can award Chartered Manager status, CMI have been industry leaders for 75 years. They cater to a range of skillsets both in the form of certificates and diplomas, covering everything from entry-level to more advanced qualifications, depending on where you’re at in your career. Their qualifications, offered at Level 2 through Level 8, are aimed at those looking to attain or advance in the following management roles:

Team Leaders: Level 2
Supervisors and first-line managers: Level 3
Junior Managers: Level 4
Middle, Operational and Department managers: Level 5
Senior and Professional Managers: Level 6
Senior and Professional Managers: Level 7
Senior Managers, Directors and CEOs: Level 8

CMI qualifications help professionals to discover their leadership style, boost their employability and learn unique and indispensable skills, all while gaining a fully accredited, globally recognised qualification.

2) Qualifications from The Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM)

Passionate about the work they do, ILM qualify over 70,000 leaders annually, ensuring they have the knowledge and the skills to make a significant impact and contribution in their role and society. With leadership and management qualifications ranging from Level 2 to 7, there are a variety of courses in the form of awards, certificates and diplomas for the following:

Team Leaders and Supervisors: Level 2
Junior Managers, either First-Line Managers or Supervisors: Level 3
Middle Managers: Level 4 and Level 5
Senior Managers and Directors of small organisations: Level 6
Senior Leaders including Directors of large organisations and CEOs: Level 7

ILM students receive complimentary access to the Institute’s studying membership, providing an abundance of resources that will better equip learners in their real-life leadership roles. Boosting confidence through engaging journals, blogs, podcasts and free leadership events, ILM ensure that their learners upskill and stand out from the crowd.

3) Qualifications with The Project Management Institute (PMI)

The Project Management Institute has been designed to lead professionals through every step of their professional careers. With over 50 years of experience, PMI aims for their specialised certificates to be relevant across any industry, with the hope they will be utilised to create a difference in the way that professionals lead and manage projects.

PMI offer both core and specialised certificates and eligibility depends on your level of experience. There are four core certificates to choose from:

Certified Associate in Project Management: 0 to 3 years of experience
Project Management Professional: 3+ years of experience
Programme Management Professional: 8+ years of experience
Portfolio Management Professional: 8+ years of experience

PMI also offer the option to gain micro-credentials, for those who are limited time wise.

4) PRINCE2 Project Management Qualifications

PRINCE2 is a highly regarded project management methodology that has been used by global organisations to lead and manage projects for over 25 years. The methodology is well loved for its adaptability and capacity to be used across projects of any industry, size or scope. For the aspiring and advancing project manager, there are three courses available:

There’s no prior experience of knowledge or experience required to enrol on the PRINCE2 Foundation course as you’ll be introduced to the framework in full, giving you the knowledge you need to understand how and why it works. The Foundation course covers themes, processes and principles and takes approximately 12 hours to complete.

The PRINCE2 Practitioner course, on the other hand, takes a total of 32 hours and has then been designed to teach learners how to put the methodology into practice in real-world scenarios, showing employers that you’re equipped to deal with complex situations strategically and thoughtfully.

Once you’ve completed the Practitioner course, you’ll become a registered PRINCE2 Practitioner for 3 years and have the right to use the accolade on your CV and social media channels.

If you’re interested in completing both qualifications in one go to save time and money, then the PRINCE2 Combined course is a great way to go.

Why are management courses so important?

They help to build multigenerational teams

With up to five generations in the current workplace, managers are leading the most diverse and inclusive teams to date. This means that interpersonal skills are in demand, with a focus on emotional intelligence, communicating efficiently and effective mentoring.

Management courses can improve emotional intelligence, teaching managers how to successfully lead various generations towards a common goal.

They provide better management of challenging situations

In any organisation, it’s natural for issues, concerns and a difference in opinion to arise. In fact, it’s almost a given! In support of this, managers must hold the skills needed to assess these situations, offer mediation, and find flexible solutions.

Being able to step back from an environment and analyse without bias is a skill and doing this in a motivating and encouraging way can be even trickier. Management courses can help provide a toolkit to effectively reduce any negative impact following disagreements.

They increase confidence

If a manager knows that their employer believes in them, they are much more likely to believe in themselves! Management courses increase both leader and team confidence, which has a domino effect on output, empowerment, collaboration, and performance.

Additionally, confident managers are often calm managers and find it easier overall to trust their instincts – an incredibly important skill for any leader.

They improve productivity

While it may seem obvious, it’s no secret that any kind of professional qualification or course improves productivity in the workplace. The more you know, the better you’re able to do your job.

Leading a productive people team can be challenging and sometimes factors occur that are out with your control- management courses equip leaders with the knowledge required to maintain that productivity.

Management qualifications have risen in popularity

So, with several different levels which have been designed to suit a range of individuals, management qualifications are in demand and highly sought after, both by those stepping into their first managerial role and senior leaders who are keen to upskill.

Enrol on a CMI management qualification with DPG and advance your career today.