What is Management?
Management is often defined as the process of organizing, coordinating, and controlling the activities of a business to achieve desired objectives. Managers deal with motivating and directing human resources within constraints of productivity and efficiency of costs, equipment, and industry needs. Effective managers combine technical knowledge with behavioral science to lead and direct teams in achieving broad organizational goals.
Continuous Learning
Continuous learning may be defined as a process of storing in one’s memory knowledge and acting on that knowledge to repeat successful activities and to avoid less successful responses in an effort to improve oneself and one’s organization. Human beings are designed for continuous learning as we engage in work and social situations, gaining knowledge of our own and others’ experiences. Continuous learning relies on memory to bring forth similar situations from the past to apply to a current challenge. In addition, continuous learning also relies on inherent logic to adapt prior results to like circumstances. In short, we may call this applied judgement.
Continuous Learning in Management
Manager do a tremendous amount of “learning on the job.” Much of this learning has to do with specific work activities and with the teams that the manager engages. Learning what motivates individual team members, for example, can lead to effective execution of group tasks and assignments.
However, managers must also stay abreast of their technical fields and of the business world in general. New technologies are causing an explosion of new data and information. Research in management and behavioral science creates new theories and knowledge almost daily.
Engineering, project, and product managers must absorb and apply new information at an astounding pace, all the while constantly directing, controlling, and motivating their teams. Managers rarely have the luxury of time spent away from the office in learning opportunities, such as face-to-face classrooms or industry conferences. Yet these opportunities for continuous learning offer managers the change to gather new knowledge and best practices. Even if a manager does get away to an expensive conference, s/he spends a good deal of the time addressing emails and phone calls back at the company.
Online Learning
At Simple-PDH, we understand the dilemma of managing and continuous learning. Many engineering, project, and product managers have worked hard to achieve internationally recognized certifications like PEM (Professional Engineering Manager), PMP® (Project Management Professional), and NPDP (New Product Development Professional). Yet, maintaining the credential requires documented continuous learning, as much as 20 professional development hours (PDH) each year.
We understand and we empathize with your dilemma. We also recognize the importance of continuous learning as a fundamental necessity to improve your skills as an engineering, project, or product manager. Online learning offers a simple option to study, learn, and earn continuing education credits (CEUs) and PDHs. Most courses are just one hour in length and allow you to print a completion certificate as proof to validate your continuing education to a credentialing body like ASEM (American Society of Engineering Managers), PMI® (Project Management Institute), or PDMA (Product Development and Management Association).
All courses come with a practice test accessible as many times as you need and a final test to demonstrate mastery of fundamental and new management skills.
Try It Now!
To find out how easy it is to study, learn, and earn PDHs at Simple-PDH, please take an introductory course for FREE! Learn more about NPDP certification by clicking here to register at no cost. Or click on Registration in the upper right corner at www.Simple-PDH.com, then enroll in the NPDP Certification course (see Courses in the top menu).
New courses are being added for PEM, PMP, and NPDP professional development every month, so check back often! If you have questions about existing or upcoming PDH courses, please contact us at info@simple-pdh.com or by phone at 281-280-8717.
Study. Learn. Earn. Simple.
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