LIKE A SUCCESSFUL MANAGER in baseball putting together key components for a winning season - hitting, pitching, fielding - Howard Norman, director of the executive education program at Arizona State University's School of Global Management and Leadership, has a game plan designed to put his team at the top.
In buidling SGML's new Executive
Education program, Norman's winning
combo includes building a brand through
reputation that separates the School's executive
education program from others. It's
a lineup that features an all-star roster of
faculty immersed in the subject and boasting
a world of experience gained on an
international playing field. It's a strategy
that puts customers first by responding to
their specific needs with the rich and diverse
resources available in a leading university
business school.
"The promise of this program and the opportunities we provide our students and clients are endless," says Norman, who has crafted an executive education model that includes open enrollment courses, companyspecific courses, and consortium programs for clusters of businesses large and small, local and far-reaching. "We are nimble, global, and quick to respond"
. "We have tremendous talent on our staff, faculty who are recognized for their groundbreaking research, for the experience and expertise they have earned internationally, and for how they have applied their insights in executive education classrooms."
And, like the veteran scout providing insight into the next day's opponent, Norman knows the field and the two types of educational development prevalent in the current business environment - individuals focused on the skill sets necessary to advance a career, and businesses bringing people together to achieve organizational objectives.
An important component of SGML's commitment to provide multiple learning experiences to students, the community and the profession, the executive education coursework utilizes the discoveries of faculty and the application of their research to createlearning experiences for professional managers. Open enrollment courses include accelerated financial planning, CFP® (Certified Financial Planner) exam review, and wealth management, with additional courses in development. Custom programs are designed through consultation with firms and organizations to identify strategic goals and determine management and leadership solutions designed to help businesses realize their objectives and narrow the disparity between a company’s performance and its goals.
"Because we are seeing a greater emphasis from the business sector in the training of management staff, the custom executive education programs we provide are very important," says the director, who has held leadership positions in continuing and executive education at ASU since 2000. A UCLA alumnus with an MBA, Norman has held similar posts at Texas Tech University, University of Washington, and UCLA's Anderson School of Management. He is a past board member of the International University Consortium for Executive Education (UNICON).
"These customized programs are impactful. They focus on practical applications of the latest advances in management thinking and research. They are applied in the context of specific organizational objectives. They enable companies to more efficiently and effectively implement strategic initiatives."
Norman credits SGML Dean Gary Waissi, who, before coming to ASU last year, served for seven years as dean of the School of Management at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, for making the executive education offerings reality.
"The University of Michigan has one of the top executive education programs anywhere,” says Norman. "Gary saw what a benefit their program was to the university and to the community and so he knew it was an essential component in the SGML strategic plan.. One year later, we have an exec ed program that is already providing a wonderful product to students, businesses and the community."
At ASU, the executive education program piloted by Norman and his team is an allstar, all-world combination of speed, talent, experience, and a winning approach shaped by the resources of its faculty. It's no wonder the experts are predicting championship seasons ahead.