During the annual performance discussions, most of the professionals get feedback to groom management skills like analytical thinking, people management, leadership, project management, and strategic thinking.
At some level, this feedback is frustrating because these skills are not very quantifiable.
It is even more frustrating when we have a gist of our strengths and weaknesses, but we don’t have a clear understanding as to how we can improve these skills.
In such situations, the only action plan we could think of is taking an MBA program from a top tier institute.
But with the COVID-19 effect and global pandemic, the decision of going for an MBA from a top tier institute is riskier than ever.
Not only are the costs of programs high, but the job prospects in a recessionary environment are also really weak.
However, there is also a positive side to the story.
This lockdown can be seen as an opportunity to invest in our career by nurturing our skills, which can set us up for long term success.
To help you in this journey, we have curated a list of courses that cover important aspects of an MBA curriculum (based on most desired management skills).
These courses are online, completely free, and self-paced.
Moreover, they are from top Ivy league institutes, which implies that the academic quality of the content will be world-class, and the certification will add value to your profile.
But before we rush to the list, a small note for novice:
MOOC stands for - ‘The Massive Opening Online Course’ which is a concept that revolves around interactive e-learning and skill-building.
These courses are time confined and designed in a way that we get a chance to peep inside the corporate reality and quickly fill the skill gap, which most of us are facing.
Let's now jump to what are “Ivy” institutes and Why to take an online course from these institutes?
Ivy League universities include top universities - UPenn, Harvard, Princeton, Brown, Dartmouth, Yale and Columbia and these are among the oldest and leading universities in the US.
Getting an education from these institutes is prestigious and transformational for one’s career.
Now, time for action.
Here is the list of 20 free (or free to audit) courses bifurcated on the basis of 5 most essential management skills.
Negotiation and Communication Skills
As a lot of managerial work revolves around managing stakeholders within and across teams, negotiation and persuasion skills have a direct impact on career growth.
Even if someone excels in their work, poor communication can totally block their growth.
However, like many skills, if you see this as something you can improve on, by understanding the techniques and regular practice, results can be significant and long-lasting.
To help you become an effective communicator, here’s the list of courses that you can pursue:
Duration- 4 weeks.
Rating- 4.5.
2. Introduction to Negotiation: A Strategic Playbook for Becoming a Principled and Persuasive Negotiator by Yale University (Coursera)
Duration- 9 weeks.
Rating- 5.
Duration- 8 weeks.
Rating- 4.
4. Success by University of Pennsylvania and Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (Coursera)
Duration- 4 weeks
Rating- 4.1
● Duration - 5 weeks
● Rating - 4.3
Analytical Thinking
We think that ‘work on your analytical skills’ is the most common feedback that early-stage professionals receive.
This is because making good decisions is central to a management career.
With the rise of our capabilities to gather and analyze data, there’s always a demand, across various domains (from sales to HR), on making more analytical decisions.
Consider the below courses if you go from beginner to advanced.
Since the power of great analytics is contextual, we have included courses from multiple domains so that you can pick a course based on your functional preference.
6. People Analytics by the University of Pennsylvania (Coursera)
Duration- 4 weeks
Ratings- 4
7. Customer Analytics by the University of Pennsylvania (Coursera)
Duration- 5 weeks
Ratings- 3
8. Operations Analytics by the University of Pennsylvania (Coursera)
Duration- 4 weeks
Language- English
Certification- Paid
Ratings- 4.5
Duration- 12 weeks
Language- English
Certification- Paid ($249)
10. Strategic Management Certificate by Harvard Extension School
Rating- 4.5
Duration- 2 years
Fundamentals of Business Management
For those who struggle with the basics of management functions, the journey towards success and growth seem longer.
Especially for people who are in management roles but haven’t had a formal B-School education, management jargon could incite fear.
However, once you understand the basics of business management, not only will you get over this fear, you’ll be able to understand your organization more clearly.
To strengthen the fundamentals of business management, consider the following courses.
11. Introduction to Marketing by University of Pennsylvania and Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (Coursera)
Duration- 5 weeks
Rating- Preferred and rated among the top 100 courses by Marketing professionals.
Syllabus:
● Branding - marketing strategy and brand positioning
● Customer-centricity
● Go to market strategies
● Applied Marketing (Optional)
12. Introduction to Financial Accounting by the University of Pennsylvania and Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (Coursera)
Duration- 4 weeks
Rating- Preferred and rated among the top 100 courses by Finance professionals
Syllabus:
● Week 1: Introduction and Balance Sheet
● Week 2: Accrual Accounting and the Income Statement
● Week 3: Cash Flows
● Week 4: Ratio Analysis + Final Exam
13. Introduction to Operations Management by Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (Coursera)
Duration- 4 weeks
Rating- 4
14. Introduction to Corporate Finance by Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and University of Pennsylvania (Coursera)
Duration- 4 weeks
Rating- 4.5
Duration- 4 weeks
Rating- 4
People Management Skill
Gone are the days of factory-style management.
Employees seek a personal sense of meaning, challenges, and constant learning in their work.
For a manager to get the best from their team, they have to understand and manage their motivations and energies.
The below list of courses can help you with resolving people conflicts, handling negative employees, gaining strengths to motivate your team and keeping a healthy office environment.
Duration - 6 weeks
Rating - 4.7
Duration- 4 weeks
Rating- 4
Duration- 3 weeks
Rating- 4.7
Project Management Skills
Most of the managers are bundled with tons of projects. Some could be client-centric and others could be purely internal.
This explains why project management as a skill is high in demand.
Like many management functions, there are best practices and key concepts in project management.
Master them to grow your project management skills to a world-class level.
Rating- 4.5
Duration- NA
Duration- NA
The endnote
So these were some of the best courses that can help you in your career progression.
Also, do let us know which Ivy League course caught your interest and what were your learnings from the course.
In case we missed out on a great course, feel free to share and bring it to our attention.
Wishing everyone an impactful career ahead.
