Professional Skills
Managing a professional practice
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This short, online continuing professional development course will help to address some of the difficulties typically encountered with managing staff and customers within a professional practice. You’ll develop your ability to manage people; your appreciation of key basic financial concepts; an understanding of the market for services; and your ability to review and improve business performance. The course will be of benefit to practising professionals with operational and management responsibilities. It’s designed to support those who own and run small- to medium-sized professional service businesses, such as accountants, vets, dentists, doctors, architects, solicitors or surveyors.
| About this course: | |
|---|---|
| Course code | GB038 |
| Credit points | This is a non-credit bearing course. |
Register for the course
This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees may vary by country.
What you will study
This course will enable you to develop a longer-term strategic view of a professional practice and develop appropriate plans to ensure its continued survival and growth. It is designed so that you can work at your own pace with a variety of activities that examine different business models, the typical growth stages of professional practices and the importance of stakeholders, and go on to develop knowledge and skills in practical management including resource management, people management and development, market awareness, change management, and the art of managing yourself.
The course develops capability in managing, reviewing and improving business performance in the context of professional practice. It will focus on key issues faced by those partners/single traders who run professional practices, for example:
- highlighting the dilemmas and tensions of maintaining professional standards and employing non-professional staff for appropriate roles, such as setting boundaries
- juggling the demands of professional standards with business needs in terms of issues such as available time and skill development
- the challenge of stream-lining operational processes without compromising professional standards
- managing work-streams that are not uniform or stable
- dealing with difficulties such as decreased sales, complaints and poor motivation of staff.
You’ll learn how to:
- describe clearly and effectively what your practice/business offers and the benefits it brings to your customers
- understand the marketing needs of the practice/business
- understand essential aspects of financial and resource management
- manage changes to your business environment more effectively
- improve your own personal effectiveness through delegation and time management
- support and develop staff for maximum performance
- manage work-streams that are not uniform or stable
- develop effective plans for your practice/business.
The strong link between course learning and your work practice creates relevant, enduring and transferable outcomes. It requires no more than 30 hours of your time in total, over whatever period suits you. But the learning is far richer than more expensive one- to three-day workshops. Register online today and start tomorrow – no need to wait!
The course features the distinctive strengths of The Open University (OU) from its years of expertise in work-based learning:
- The convenience of accessing its clearly presented and sequenced materials, activities and support whenever suits you and wherever you have access to the dedicated website – if you prefer, you can print key materials to work on them offline.
- The support of an expert learning adviser who can clarify study materials, answer questions and help you relate the course to your specific needs.
- A work-based activity helping you to connect the course to your individual and organisational context and needs. At the end of the course you send this to the learning adviser, who provides personal feedback.
- Certification of completion from the OU for those who complete the course. You can use this to demonstrate your continuing professional development (CPD) activity to your employer and/or professional body. (N.B. The course does not carry academic credit points.)
Entry
Although there are no formal academic requirements to study any of our CPD courses, you are expected to have some familiarity with the subject.
For each course you can register and begin at any time during the life of the course. You can study at your own pace and submit your work-based activity at any date before the final submission date for the course. Information about the submission date is available when you register for the course.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
The study materials are delivered online. Learners who use screen readers or who cannot use a mouse will not be able to access some materials or some activities without assistance. If you are a new learner with the OU, make sure that you have our publication Meeting Your Needs.
Study materials
What's included
Once you register, you will receive access to the online course where you will find the content, exercises, case study, information about the work-based activity and links to your learning adviser. There are no printed materials with this course, although there are some articles that you can download to print and read offline if you prefer.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new computer since 2005 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual.
Learner support
Expert, confidential learner support is available when you need it from a learning adviser, who will respond to you direct within 24 hours. Other support is available via the GB038 forum, library, StudentHome website and computing helpdesk.
Work-based activity
For the work-based activity for this course you will be able to construct a practical and useful future plan for your practice that draws on the work you have done on the course.
Professional recognition
Successful completion of the course enables us to recognise your achievement of the course learning by issuing an OU certificate, which you can use to document your commitment to continuing professional development in your personal portfolio or to provide evidence to employers or professional body.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
| About this course: | |
|---|---|
| Course code | GB038 |
| Credit points | This is a non-credit bearing course. |
Study explained
- Special fee arrangements
- - the OU has relationships with many professional bodies, and as part of those relationships members may be entitled to special fee arrangements.
- Study explained
- - all you need to know about distance learning with the OU.
Your questions
We may have already answered it in our frequently asked questions.
Or contact an adviser in our Student Registration & Enquiry Service Email or call +44(0) 845 300 60 90+44(0) 845 366 60 35
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