syllabus

The Excellence in Operations Leadership Certificate

17 Project Management Certificate desktop

The Excellence in Operations Leadership program is a highly experiential, hands-on certificate program focusing on core leadership skills — communication & feedback, digital skills, problem solving & decision making, and effective execution. Learners will complete projects, simulations, and roleplays that mirror the kinds of scenarios and problems faced in operations leadership positions.

Completing this program prepares individuals to lead and inspire others, conduct basic data analysis, solve problems analytically and systematically, and organize their time productively to increase the efficiency of those with whom they work.

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Why Operations Leadership?

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Highly Valued Skills. Build essential leadership capabilities for frontline managers.

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Real-world projects. Gain practical experience by completing real business projects through an interactive online platform.

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Learn 100% online. No prior experience is needed, and there are no required class times. Get personalized feedback and one-on-one support from instructors to enhance your learning.

5 Courses | Hands-On Learning and Career Exploration

Communication Essentials
Relationships & Conflict
Problem Solving & Decision Making
Acting & Adapting
Analytics for Operations Leaders

Communication Essentials

In this course, you’ll learn about the fundamental communication skills that differentiate high performing leaders. You’ll dive into specific verbal and non-verbal communication techniques, as well as skills for effective written communication.

Learning outcomes:

Practice active listening techniques to enhance your communication skills.
Effectively share your opinions, practicing confidence and assertiveness while remaining cooperative.
Engage in effective written communication by crafting professional and concise messages tailored to the audience and context.

Relationships & Conflict

This course equips you with the skills to navigate and successfully resolve conflict, deliver feedback, build relationships, and communicate with diverse peers and associates. You’ll learn a proven framework for giving feedback and practice navigating pushback and disagreement.

Learning outcomes:

Proactively and professionally seek and receive feedback from others.
Deliver constructive feedback and effectively manage negative responses.
Build rapport, trust, and motivation within a diverse team, using appropriate strategies to enhance engagement and productivity.
Identify and address conflicts and performance issues, demonstrating emotional intelligence and conflict resolution skills.

Problem Solving & Decision Making

In this course, you’ll learn a systematic way to approach problem solving and decision making to minimize time spent on finding a solution and optimize the chances of finding a successful outcome. You’ll learn how to define a problem by identifying the root cause, and strategies to make complex decisions in a fast-paced environment.

Learning outcomes:

Make informed decisions using available data, people, and resources within established parameters.
Exercise sound judgment and confidence in decision making to resolve issues.
Develop adaptive decision-making abilities to improve effectiveness and adaptability in dynamic work environments.
Problem solve effectively by determining the root cause of issues.
Effectively communicate workplace issues.

Acting & Adapting

This course is focused on not only improving your personal productivity and efficiency, but also that of your team. You’ll learn strategies for getting things done, managing your time, and prioritizing tasks. You’ll also develop your ability to adapt to change, and how to lead others through complex situations.

Learning outcomes:

Prioritize tasks based on importance and adapt to rapidly changing priorities as new tasks or issues arise.
Identify which issues to address or escalate, providing clear rationale.
Improve team efficiency to create a well-organized and efficient work environment, fostering higher team productivity and smoother operations.
Develop tolerance for ambiguity and recognize its impact on decision making, enabling more effective management of uncertain and complex situations.

Analytics for Operations Leaders

In this course, you will develop and practice essential data analytics skills for any operations leadership role. You’ll learn to write formulas and utilize key functions to organize data and identify insights. You’ll also learn how to analyze dashboards and identify issues to improve processes and performance. Finally, you’ll learn to create well-structured reports that display your insights and analytics work to stakeholders.

Learning outcomes:

Enter, combine, organize, and navigate data using spreadsheet functions and tools, including writing formulas and utilizing key functions.
Apply sorting, filtering, merging, and summarizing techniques in spreadsheets to analyze dashboards and identify issues to improve work areas.
Create and share well-structured reports using appropriate mediums, ensuring clarity and professionalism in both digital and face-to-face presentations.

What You’ll Learn:

After completing this program, you’ll be ready to:

  • Effectively share your opinions, practicing confidence and assertiveness while remaining cooperative, increasing your respect and confidence in the workplace
  • Apply best practices in time management, prioritization and delegation
  • Engage in interactive simulations to practice what you have learned
  • Apply spreadsheet software to manipulate data and identify insights

Learning Experience

  • No required times to log in. Complete lessons at times during the week that work for you. Keep up with deadlines to stay on track and complete in under 5 months.
  • Complete real business projects in an online platform and get individualized support and feedback from instructors.
  • Practice using software directly in the learning platform. No separate downloads.

FAQs

What is the schedule?

There are four required courses and one optional course which will be open for 3 weeks with a 1-week grading period after each. You should expect to spend 4-5 hours per week completing your coursework. The program is flexibly-paced, meaning you can move as quickly or slowly as you’d like through each course, as long as you complete all sections and projects during the program. We provide a suggested course schedule to help pace yourself through each course. Students who follow this schedule are more likely to earn the certificate and get more out of the course by spreading out their workload, and our instructors provide weekly nudges to keep you on track. As long as you submit all projects by the course end date, you can progress through the course at whatever pace works best for you! For example, you might do all your work over the weekend or space it out throughout the week.

Can I work full-time while enrolled in this program?

Yes, the entire course experience is online and can be completed on your own schedule as long as you work towards the deadlines set in each course. There are no set times or classes when you need to log in. Our courses are designed for working professionals, students, and parents!

What prerequisites do I need?

Students must have a high school degree prior to taking this program. No prior experience is required.

What is Pathstream?

Pathstream is a learning provider founded with a vision to unlock the unrealized human potential of every employee. Today, we partner with business leaders to help team members unlock everyday wins that drive success for their careers, customers, and companies.