MBA Essentials: Enhancing Organizational Performance

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this course about? This fast-track, non-degree course provides you with essential knowledge in the core areas covered in most MBA programs, including marketing, finance, accounting, business operations, strategic planning and management. You learn fundamental business concepts and management analysis techniques to help guide your planning, analysis, decision and implementation processes. Who will benefit from this course? This course is valuable for those who want to improve their knowledge of business practices and strengthen their decision-making abilities. Team leaders, entry-level managers, supervisors and those interested in transitioning into upper-level management would benefit from this course. What background do I need? No special background is required. You simply need a desire to advance in your company or career and gain a competitive edge. I have an MBA. Will I benefit from this course? This course provides knowledge of the fundamental concepts covered in typical MBA programs and is unlikely to be beneficial to someone who already has an MBA. If you have your MBA, you may be interested in other Learning Tree courses covering business strategy, such as Course 381, Business Process Reengineering for Competitive Advantage, which provides the critical knowledge and skills necessary to implement business process reengineering (BPR) within your organization. I am in senior management. Will this course be helpful? This course is targeted toward entry-level managers or those transitioning to upper management. Professionals currently in senior management would likely be familiar with many of the business concepts and topics covered in this course. If you would like to gain in-depth knowledge of advanced business concepts, Course 247 can be customized for your specific needs. Please call 1-800-THE-TREE or visit the Learning Tree website for additional information. I don't have a background in accounting. Can I take this course? Yes! This course provides all the essential knowledge and skills needed to understand and apply accounting concepts to your job. No prior knowledge or background experience of accounting is necessary. I have no hands-on management experience. Will this course help me? Yes. In this course, you gain fundamental skills applicable to a range of business disciplines which do not require a background in management. Prior experience as a project team leader, supervisor or manager may help you absorb the concepts and topics covered in this course. However, management experience is not required. I have in-depth knowledge of one or more of the core topics covered in this course. Will the coverage of these areas be too elementary for me? The coverage of the core topic areas is at a basic, or general, level. However, rather than learning and applying each core area individually, you learn how to fully integrate all of the core topics. Through real-world workshops, you gain practical skills you can immediately employ at work, giving you a competitive advantage. How much time is spent on each topic? Content Hours Fundamental business skills 3.0 Measuring business performance with accounting 4.5 Applying finance tools and techniques 4.5 Targeting markets and customers 4.5 Running the business 4.5 Delivering results through people 4.5 Developing a winning business and product strategy 4.5 Times, including the workshops, are estimates; exact times may vary according to the needs of each class. How much of this course is spent in workshops? Approximately 40 percent of this course is spent in small groups and partnered and individual workshops. Interactive workshops immediately reinforce the knowledge gained and include: Assessing the impact of your decisions through a comprehensive and realistic business simulation Analyzing profit and loss statements, balance sheets and cash flow statements Evaluating operating budgets and financial performance measures Applying root cause analysis to improve effectiveness Integrating tools and techniques to develop business and product strategies Developing key concepts and components of an effective marketing plan What is the difference between this course and Course 290? Course 290, Management Skills, provides the necessary skills to successfully manage people. The knowledge gained can be immediately applied to your work, enabling you to more effectively delegate, motivate and coach employees for successful team performance. Course 247 provides an overview of the entire business process. In addition to gaining skills for managing people effectively, you also learn the practices and strategies of the overall business process. There are also several unique leadership and supervisory topics and activities included in Course 247 that are not included in Course 290. I have already attended Course 281. Will I benefit from this course? Yes. While Course 281, Finance and Accounting for Non-Financial Managers, covers similar financial concepts, Course 247 provides a wider context into which the financial management skills gained can be applied. Is this course applicable to a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification? Yes. Although this course is not designed as preparation for the exam, it is beneficial to anyone working toward PMI's PMP certification. For those who are currently certified, completion of this course counts as 29 professional development units (60 units must be completed every three years to maintain certification). For more details, please see the Learning Tree PMI Registered Education Provider Q&A. If you are an experienced project manager intending to take the PMP exam, you should take Course 276, Preparing for the Project Management Professional (PMP®) Exam. In this course you learn essential PMBOK® Guide terminology, tools and techniques. You gain practical test-taking experience through PMI-style practice exams and create your own personal study plan for continued use after the course. How does this course relate to other Learning Tree courses? In addition to the aforementioned Course 288 and Course 381, you may be interested in the following Learning Tree courses: In Course 281, Finance and Accounting for Non-Financial Managers, you learn how to transform financial and accounting language and concepts into decision-making tools the non-financial manager can successfully use every day. In Course 195, Power Excel®: Analyzing Data to Make Business Decisions, you use advanced Excel techniques to build sophisticated spreadsheets. You learn to perform "what if" analysis, apply statistical and financial functions, manipulate PivotTables and present your results to make better decisions for planning and budgeting. In Course 212, Building an Effective Business Case, you learn how to analyze, create and communicate a successful business case to meet your organization's unique needs. Course 290, Management Skills, provides a working knowledge of the key aspects of management - leadership, delegation, motivation and communication - and practical techniques for getting the best from people. You learn to build and lead empowered and motivated teams and communicate effectively at all levels. Course 219, Hands-On Business and Report Writing: The Art of Persuasion, provides the skills to create more effective business documents and reports, by developing a clear and persuasive writing style. You learn to compose targeted messages using a standard writing process. In Course 222, Leadership Skills: Building Success Through Teamwork, you learn how to inspire service teams to work together to deliver high-quality results. The following courses may also be of interest: 244, Assertiveness Skills: Communicating with Authority and Impact  341, Negotiation Skills: Achieving Successful Outcomes  292, Communication Skills: Results Through Collaboration

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