Why is it many professions
require a certification exam prior to being licensed to perform their trade? Maybe
because the liability associated with poor performance is too costly and
someone must be held accountable. No doubt our government officials want to
make sure we are protected from unskilled people performing services that could
have physically harmful affects if they are not done correctly? Of course certifications
don’t prevent people from being unscrupulous or dishonest, but it does ensure
they know what they are doing.
Do you agree that
with the financial and social implications from bad decisions made by
executives of companies we’ve invested our retirement savings into, we should
have a way to make sure they know what they are doing? Do you think it makes sense
there should be some form of certification that tests their knowledge of
business fundamentals? I think it’s a
good idea that c-level executives (officers) of publicly traded companies be required
to demonstrate they at least understand the fundamental principles of business
management, financial management, and operations management.
We all know that one
of the most respected and sought after graduate degrees is an MBA. An MBA is highly
popular and sought after, and brings with it an increased level of
responsibility, expectations, and income. Coming right out of business school,
MBA’s are often put into positions of high responsibility. But how do we know
they have the skills necessary? Are all business schools created equal? Of
course not. So why don’t we require them to pass an exam so we know where their
skill levels are?
The main reason is
because no one has ever created the body of knowledge and testing criteria for
a business manager certification before. But now someone has! The Association
of Professionals in Business Management (www.APBM.org) has created two
certification exams for business professionals. The Certified Associate
Business Manager (CABM) is a bachelor’s level professional certification based
on a pre-MBA curriculum, and is viewed as a stepping stone for the CBM
designation.
The CBM, or
Certified Business Manager designation is a master’s level certification based
on an MBA curriculum and should be earned during, after, or in lieu of an MBA.
It is a four-part, 16 hour exam which helps business specialists become
business generalists.
Finally someone
has created credible standards for management competence and created a
methodology for measuring an individual’s knowledge around the fundamental
principles of business management.
Their CBM and CABM
certification programs set rigorous, credible, realistic, results-focused
standards for every area of business mastery you may need; General Management
and Operations, Marketing, Quality and Process Management, HR. Accounting, Finance,
and IT. Corporate Control and Governance, and International Business.
Haven’t heard
about APBM before? Chances are, you would have heard about them soon, even if I
hadn’t called them to your attention. My expectation is that APBM’s
certifications will quickly reach critical mass. They’re being utilized by some
of the world’s smartest companies (IBM and Steelcase come to mind). There’s even
a Harvard Business School
case study about them.
APBM isn’t the
only way to solve the problem of making sure your people have solid, validated,
21st century management skills. Nor is it the only way to implement
competency-based leadership. But it’s an approach that works – and one where
someone else has done much of the heavy lifting for you. If that’s not a way to
make sure you are spending your money wisely, I don’t know what is.
To get more
information about the CABM or CBM, click here . And as always, I welcome your comments. Feel free to contact me at dharward@trainingindustry.com.
