“PRACADEMIA” AND LEARNING FOR REAL-WORLD IMPACT

Complacency is the biggest threat to professionals and their careers. For this reason, lifelong learning is necessary for those wanting to succeed in life if they wish to remain relevant, shares Leoni Grobler, director of Executive Education at Wits Business School

Executive education caters for working people at various levels of an organisation. It focuses on the key skills and competencies needed to manage oneself, others, and a successful business. Things are constantly changing, so whether you’ve just stepped into your first job, are a seasoned manager, or a celebrated executive, you need to constantly reskill and upskill yourself. We walk that learning journey with our delegates at every stage of their career, whether they’re just starting off or already established in their field.

Executive education can help foster a growth mindset. This means you learn to see the opportunity in every challenge; it also helps foster entrepreneurial skills because people learn to see gaps in the market and develop solutions to fill those gaps.

SKILLS FOR SUCCESS

Business leaders must be adaptable to internal and external disruptions therefore flexibility, agility, and resilience are important skills to develop. The world is forcing us to be far more fluid in the way we think, and nobody can afford to be resistant to change.

Given the speed at which technology is influencing the way we live, and essentially running our businesses, a digital skill set becomes crucial. Digital skills drive growth, increase revenue and market brands, and improve organisational performance. Creative thinking is important across all levels of business and goes hand in hand with problemsolving and a growth mindset. Creativity needs to be coupled with critical and analytical thinking that support sound decision-making.

MAKING LEARNING A LIFESTYLE

Learning is lived, not done. A learning mindset is one that permeates every aspect of life and ensures continuous growth and development. There is no right time to start because learning should be seen as an ongoing process. This does not mean it must be a formal and structured process. It’s about researching, reading, watching Ted Talks, and listening to podcasts about a variety of topics … we have so many resources and platforms available and greater access to information, so learning is easier than ever; there is no excuse to stagnate.

LEARNING FROM THE BEST

Graduate and postgraduate studies are theoretical and academic in nature, while executive education programmes are more experiential. Staying relevant means staying up to date in theory and practice. Executive education is all about applied learning, so it is really practising, understanding, testing, and piloting what is being learnt in the classroom, and then doing so in the workplace.

This practical approach is why Wits Business School’s programmes are presented by what we call “pracademics”. Many organisations and leaders are concerned that business schools may not be in touch with the realities of the world of work. Our teaching faculty have a good theoretical and technical base, but more than that, they have practical experience. So, if they talk about implementing a strategy, they can give real-world examples of the problems they faced and the solutions they implemented. We ensure that our delegates gain knowledge from someone who is speaking from experience. We get people from business to teach business.

FUTURE-PROOFING BUSINESSES

The pandemic’s impact has transformed the course of business. We’ve seen how fast things can change, and business leaders need the foresight to deal with complexity and disruption.

For Wits Business School, working with pracademics ensures delegates receive the necessary theoretical knowledge and practical experience to stay ahead in their professional environments. Combined with fostering a growth mindset and lifelong learning, delegates are supported and challenged to grow personally and professionally, helping them to succeed and stay ahead.

Join WBS – Executive Education to enhance, upskill and redevelop yourself and remain relevant in unprecedented times.

EXECUTIVE EDUCATION IS ALL ABOUT APPLIED LEARNING, SO IT IS REALLY PRACTISING, UNDERSTANDING, TESTING, AND PILOTING WHAT IS BEING LEARNT IN THE CLASSROOM, AND THEN DOING SO IN THE WORKPLACE.