MBA: Top men need training too

Senior executives need to update their skills as much, if not more, than others.

The need for lifelong learning applies as much to senior executives as it does to everybody else. Even those who have taken a Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA), or the still more rarefied doctorate (DBA), regularly need to update their knowledge and skills. The world in which organisations operate is constantly changing, and managers cannot rely solely on qualifications gained five or 10 years before.

Britain's business schools are usually associated with delivering masters' programmes in management topics. However, they are aware of the need both for periodic follow-up courses for their alumni and for brief but intensive programmes for executives with no formal management qualifications.

Jonathan Slack, chief executive of the Association of Business Schools, says that about 60 of their 100 member schools make "significant" short- course provision: "It is a direct result of changes in managerial practice, and the realisation that individual executives need to keep themselves up to date. The idea of doing a major qualification, such as an undergraduate degree or an MBA, while that has huge merits, is no longer sufficient. The short, focused, high-level, high-impact approach is extremely useful - particularly for a group of similar-calibre managers with similar needs."

Contrasting business schools with other training providers, he argues that: "In business schools, it is a different sort of pedagogy. The business schools have members of faculty who are very experienced and confident in dealing with a highly experienced audience."

He says some business schools have been running short executive courses since they first started. "Ashridge and Henley, for example. But it is a more recent growth area for the main bulk of business schools." He adds: "Thirty years ago a lot of them would have started at the undergraduate level, or running the MBA programme, but more recently they have diversified into the short executive course market."

Describing the benefits, he says: "People can choose a particular course to meet their needs. This may be preferable to a large programme spread over a longer period of time, not all of which may be directly relevant. They give value for money, even though the courses may be quite expensive."

Cost does not seem to deter employers who want to develop their managers. This year, Ashridge offers a portfolio of more than 30 short programmes, pitched at different levels of management, each lasting from two days to four weeks. A residential five-day course for new managers - "Introduction to Management" - costs pounds 2,750. Managers with five or more years' experience may consider the "leadership programme", also five days, at pounds 4,250. The latter is highly popular and will run 15 times this year. Other topics include: performance through people, advanced finance, consulting skills, directors' strategy, and making successful acquisitions.

Henley offers 13 "executive development programmes", mostly lasting from two to five days. However, the "senior management programme" takes four weeks - either continuously or in two, two-week modules. Running five times this year, this residential programme costs pounds 11,750. Like Ashridge, Henley also runs a five-day "leadership programme", at the lower cost of pounds 2,900. The subjects covered by two-day courses include presentation and communication skills, making strategy happen across cultures, negotiating skills, and strategic management for the board. These cost pounds 1,300. Company executives should be cautious when comparing similar courses by price. The brochures of some, like Ashridge and Henley, quote VAT extra. Prices in the executive education literature of the London Business School (LBS) include VAT, although it does not say so. Consequently the five-day "senior executive programme", listed at pounds 14,500, appears far more costly than its pounds 11,750 equivalent at Henley. But, with VAT, the price gap closes to less than pounds 700.

Subjects covered by LBS include a two-week modular marketing leadership forum run jointly with Duke University (USA) at pounds 7,500; and five-day courses on human resource strategy in transforming organisations (pounds 4,000) and interpersonal skills for senior managers (pounds 4,350).

Like others, LBS is starting to run sector-specific programmes. For example, two new programmes this year cover managing professional services and agribusiness. The latter will be run jointly with Harvard.

As might be expected of a school in the Square Mile, City University Business School runs several courses aimed at "the City". Most last three days, and topics include an introduction to financial markets, economics for dealers, corporate finance, credit decisions and risk evaluation, and bond market analysis. These non-residential courses cost pounds 1,350 to pounds 1,750, plus VAT.

A unique three-day programme on "Joining the PLC Board" is run by three schools together with the Institute of Directors. The course is run in rotation by Ashridge, Henley and Manchester.

Manchester also serves specialist markets. Next month, it is running a two-day senior management workshop for retailers and suppliers.

Warwick Business School offers a "Warwick Masterclass" series of four one-day seminars, starting later this month. The subjects are: "How does the Corporate Centre add Value?", "Strategic Change", "Marketing, Growth and Shareholder Value" and "Scenario Thinking - Leverage for Change".

Details of thousands of short executive courses are available on a comprehensive online database. This interactive "Study Link Training Directory" can be used to search for suitable courses using criteria such as type of course, location and cost. Created and maintained by Learning Information Systems, the database is endorsed by the Association of MBAs.

The site can be accessed free:

(http://www.studylink.com/training/uk)