UNB's Certificate in Management Essentials: A core competency-driven program designed to close leadership gaps.

Great leaders are not born; they become great through experience, learning and humility.

At the University of New Brunswick (UNB), we created the Certificate in Management Essentials (CME) as a flexible program that employers and leaders can leverage to develop personalized learning plans that match their development needs. This senate-approved, professional development leadership short program has been in the marketplace for more than 10 years, demonstrating it is a proven and trusted program.

The fully online Certificate in Management Essentials requires learners to complete 10 courses, six required and four electives. Each course should be completed within six weeks of registration. Learners can choose from 12 electives. The six foundational courses are core competencies and habits any leader at any level or sector will benefit from mastering:

• Leading from within — It is impossible to lead others if the leader cannot manage themselves. This course focuses on getting learners thinking about their intrapersonal skills (e.g., stress tolerance).
• Communications with impact — It is not always what leaders say; it is often how they say it. This course focuses on core micro-skills for improving communication effectiveness.
• Taking the guesswork out of management — Understanding strategy, operations and employee well-being is a growing challenge. This program provides leaders with a paradigm for solving problems and making decisions at the group and function levels.
• Leadership versus management — Effective leaders know that people are led and managed by a process. This course provides context for leaders not to confuse leadership and management.
• Managing challenging behaviours — Correcting behaviour and dealing with employees not following expectations can be stressful for employees and leaders. This course provides leaders with tools and ideas to hold employees accountable respectfully.
• Supervisor’s toolbox — Planning, prioritizing, and providing feedback on where employees are against a plan must be like the ABCs for a leader to effectively achieve their desired performance goals. This course provides leaders with tools and considerations for supervising and supporting employees to achieve daily targeted outcomes.

Learners interested in this program are encouraged to complete the Management Essentials Competency Assessment (MECA) to evaluate their leadership core competencies across 18 domains. The MECA can help learners pick the electives that meet their interests and needs based on their workplaces and sectors.

Acquiring the necessary knowledge, skills, and habits to influence and lead people predicts the effectiveness of new and experienced leaders. One critical factor for becoming a trusted leader is developing the respect of those you lead. A more significant factor is the leadership habits that create the experience where employees believe you trust them. This is an excellent option for employers and employees who lack access to credible leadership training.

Learn more about UNB’s CME program (go.unb.ca/cme).