Top 10 courses for new managers

Recently been made a manager? Check out our list of top ten courses for building the management skills you need to support successful, happy teams.

If you’ve recently been promoted to a management position for the first time, you’re entering an exciting, challenging, and important phase of your career. 

Managers play a crucial role in any organisation, and taking the time to learn how to be a good manager will benefit both you and your team.

Being a good manager involves everything from learning how to delegate effectively and how to prioritise your workload to developing emotional intelligence and building effective working relationships.

Understanding what makes a good manager and improving on the abilities required for your new position will develop your skills and confidence ahead of more senior roles in the future. 

We’ve put together a range of courses, from leading business schools and experts, that will help you learn how to develop your management skills and become a better manager.

1. People Management Skills from CIPD – Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

Learning how to manage people is at the heart of what makes a good team leader. This course from CIPD will teach you the key principles of people management, and guide you on your journey from new manager through to developing teams and individuals under you.

You’ll explore a variety of common issues faced by new managers, including how to deal with absences, best practice in recruitment and inductions, and how to approach performance issues amongst your staff. 

The course will also give you the skills to assess current market conditions and what that might mean for your organisation.

2. Collaborative Working in a Remote Team  from the University of Leeds and the Institute of Coding

Working remotely brings both benefits and challenges to organisations. It’s vital for managers to understand how to thrive in this changing working dynamic, and this course will provide you with the collaborative skills to do that. 

You’ll explore the management tools and technologies that can unlock the potential of working from home and have a positive impact on your organisation. 

You’ll also discover techniques to help you manage workloads and how to collaborate effectively with those in your team who might also be working remotely.   

This course is part of the popular Digital Skills for the Workplace collection from the University of Leeds and the Institute of Coding.

3. Leading Culturally Diverse Teams in the Workplace  from Deakin University

Whilst understanding and appreciating cultural diversity is an important skill in any walk of life, it’s also a valuable asset for a manager within the workplace. Many organisations will have a multicultural workforce from a variety of backgrounds, bringing with them different approaches. 

Understanding how to work through challenges and ultimately benefit from different opinions is crucial for any manager. 

This course from Deakin University will explore global perspectives on the importance of cultural diversity and provide you with the skills to take what you learn into your own workplace. 

4. Management and Leadership: Leading a Team from The Open University Business School

Learning how to build a team and lead it effectively is an important part of being a good manager and leader. 

This course from the Open University Business School will take you through the stages involved in building an effective and happy team.

This course is specially designed for new managers or those who want to build their qualifications. You’ll discover how to write a business plan that meets your stakeholders’ needs and, importantly, learn how to identify exactly what those are. 

The course is part of the Management and Leadership, Essentials from the Open University Business School and the CMI (Chartered Management Institute). 

5. Emotional Intelligence at Work from Coventry University 

Ever wondered what emotional intelligence really is? This course will help you understand the origins of emotional intelligence and how it influences so many of our own decisions.

Emotional intelligence in the workplace can improve performance and harmony within teams and is a valuable skill to master for any new manager. 

You’ll get to explore how it can be measured and learn how to use your emotional intelligence in a workplace context.

6. HR Fundamentals from CIPD – Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

Human resources (HR) performs a crucial role for any organisation because it is solely focused on their most valuable asset; employees. 

HR itself covers a range of skills, from how to recruit to people and employee retention to broad workforce planning. 

As a new manager, you may now be more involved in recruitment for your team, so being familiar with the key principles of recruitment strategies and human resource management will be key. 

This course will also give you a better understanding of the importance of setting career goals, both for yourself and your team. 

7. Management and Leadership: Growing as a Manager from the Open University Business School and the Chartered Management Institute (CMI)

Learning how to be a good manager is a gradual process, and its a journey you’re on from the moment you become a manager to the day you retire. 

This course will guide you through the early stages of growing as a manager and give you a better understanding of key management areas like stakeholder management, decision-making, and leadership.

The course is part of the Management and Leadership, Essentials from the Open University Business School and the CMI (Chartered Management Institute). 

8. Understanding Diversity and Inclusion from Purdue University

This course from Purdue University is designed to develop your knowledge of diversity and inclusion and will provide you with the skills to put that knowledge into action in your workplace. 

Being able to understand the different factors that make up your team’s identity and how this impacts their work will improve how you engage, interact, and support your team. 

This a great course for new managers who are looking to build more inclusive working environments, especially those managing culturally diverse teams. 

9. Management and Leadership: Planning your Personal Development from the Open University Business School and the Chartered Management Institute (CMI)

Personal development, professional development, personal development plan

Personal development is a lifelong process and will be extremely important to your success as a manager.

This course from the Open University Business School and the CMI offers you the chance to discover new opportunities for your personal and professional development, including producing and implementing your own personal development plan.

10. Modern Empowerment in the Workplace from the Open University Business School

The modern workplace is changing all the time. This change has brought challenges but also a greater sense of employee empowerment. 

Remote working, flexible hours and a focus on work-life balance are just a few examples of modern workplace empowerment in action. 

On this course, you’ll discover more about this empowerment and the key role that human resources and managers play in it.

The course will build your knowledge of empowerment in the workplace and help you engage in empowerment discussion in your organisation.

For more courses for developing yourself as a manager, take a look at our full list of management and leadership courses and super-charge your managerial skills today.