Business has turned personal in today’s world. A day in the life of a business leader ranges from negotiating deals and mediating relationships with stakeholders, to managing an increasingly-flexible workforce. People skills come in as handy as analytical abilities in the fast-paced corporate world. According to a survey conducted by our career counsellors, such “soft skills” Top Skills Professionals need for Career Development are also in high demand for job applicants.

Business professionals need to acquire a particular set of skills to survive in future’s business world and MBA programs are evolving accordingly. Future-focused MBA courses concentrate on equipping the professionals with tools for critical thinking, successful innovation, and creative problem solving. Such programs also engage the students in connection development with in the market and corporate world.

MBA programs are restructuring around six key future-focused capabilities in order to prepare professionals for the world to come:

Influencing

Influencing enables a professional to navigate the complexities of today’s workplace. Influencing requires an impactful communication. Effective communication of vision influences work-place associates to get on board with your ideas. Modern MBA programs train the professionals in tailoring multi-contextual approaches to maximise the impact. 

Key courses focus on enabling a “change mind-set” in future professionals to help them adapt to ever-changing globalised world and tackle challenges with innovative solutions.

The ability to influence people provides you a distinct advantage in office politics and power struggles. Influencing leads to the conceptualisation of power and politics at workplace, development of strategies for key stakeholders, and successful negotiation of sensitive situations.

The top of the corporate governance structure, “the board of directors” which is perhaps the most important stakeholder, has a particular vision regarding development of leadership approach and risk management framework.  Professionals need exceptional influencing skills in order to engage the Board, successfully execute projects, and achieve the targets.

Leading

Leadership skills can leverage technology and transform existing ways of doing business. Optimized workplace relationships and organizational structures are rooted in presence of a strong leadership. A leader knows his team, moulds his leadership style according to team’s requirements, understands his company inside out, and give meaning to the work done by his team.

Strategising

Organisations need to be fast on their feet and adapt quickly to the disruptive new technologies. A business professional should be able to design workplace strategies that build sustainable platforms and ecosystems by enhancing technology and people. Modern MBA programs train the professionals in designing strategies that are competitive, global, sustainable and disruptive.

Analysing

In order to make informed decisions and envision future, a business professional should be able to analyse market data. Analytical skills are rooted in numeracy and financial literacy. Strategic insights are synthesised from critical analysis of information. In-depth knowledge of customers, market competitors, and business processes leads to an expert analysis.

Adapting 

Rapidly evolving technologies and ideas of diversity and culture are transforming more than just the jobs. They are redefining the meaning, value, and motivation of work. The ability to adapt to the change can leverage your personal and professional life and help you navigate change with purpose. 

Professionals keep adapting to new conditions ad work places in accordance with their professional goals and ambitions. This enhances personal resilience to change and encourages improvement. A person who can change and adapt has the potential to be a global citizen in true sense. 

Problem Solving

Modern MBA courses focus on developing your problem solving skills in an applied way. Work on real-world applied projects that draw on your ability to research, analyse, visualise and generate insights is encouraged. Customising problem solving tools from best practice frameworks and methodologies as you ideate and develop a solution is an integral part of corporate workplace.