Online programs have become an increasingly popular choice for individuals seeking to enhance their professional skill sets while maintaining flexibility. But what do you actually learn in business school? From leadership skills to critical thinking, these programs provide tools that can make a lasting positive impact on your career. Regardless if you’re just starting out or looking to advance, this blog breaks down the top skills in business office administration you can develop through online learning.
The Core Business Skills Taught in Online Programs
Online programs encourage you to dive deep into today’s most relevant business concepts and competencies. But what do you learn in these types of programs? Be prepared to tackle a wide range of concepts, including everything from organizational dynamics to data analysis, ethics and research methods.
In addition to promoting technical and leadership skills, these programs encourage soft skills, which employers consistently highlight as among the most important competencies in the modern business environment.1 Perhaps most valuable is the unique integration of these many different skills, achieved through discussions, projects, capstone and many other engaging experiences.
Foundational Skills in Business
Every career in business calls for a slightly different skill set, driven by sector-specific responsibilities and organizational priorities. For example, a fundraising manager’s skill set may look considerably different from a management analyst’s core competencies, which, in turn, will diverge from key qualities prioritized in HR or training and development.
Despite these distinctions, these fields all share a few key commonalities. This includes the need for strategic, big-picture thinking supported by thoroughly honed problem-solving and communication skills. Beyond this, aspiring leaders should be fully prepared to tackle a range of challenges and opportunities related to these core areas:2
- Finance and accounting. No matter their preferred sector or niche, all leaders need to fully understand how money flows through organizations and how financial resources can be managed strategically to help teams, departments or entire organizations meet their most ambitious goals.
- Marketing.The most effective leaders understand how to yield the power of influence to shape desired responses among clients, customers, team members or even executives. The value of such influence is easy to understand in marketing, where consumer behavior and metrics are priorities. These concepts are also highly relevant in other areas, including HR, product development and even project management. Through marketing coursework, future leaders can even learn how to market themselves, thereby unlocking better job opportunities.
- Organizational behavior. Revealing how people act in the workplace or other group settings, organizational behavior has a huge impact on leadership strategies and overall workplace culture. Related concepts are covered in many business classes, as are strategies for boosting collaboration or navigating conflicts.
Leadership Skills
The foundational skills highlighted above are important, but they alone do not promise effective leadership. This expertise must be accompanied by abilities known as soft skills, which help leaders inspire teams and ensure that they work together to make progress toward meaningful goals. Soft skills reveal how leaders interact with various staff members, clients or vendors while promoting creative problem-solving and adaptability so leaders can pivot based on changing circumstances. Essential skills include:
- Delegation. Even the most capable leader cannot possibly tackle everything alone. Effective delegation ensures that the right person is assigned to the right role or task, based on that individual’s unique personality, skills or other factors.3
- Decision-making. Delegation represents just one type of decision that leaders can expect to make. In business management, every day represents a series of impactful decisions. Data increasingly guides these, but leaders may also draw on previous insights or experiences. Decision-making may involve everyday operations and resource allocation but will also influence long-term strategic planning.
Developing Emotional Intelligence for Professional Success
Do not underestimate the value of emotional intelligence (aka EQ or EI) in the modern business environment. This determines how leaders understand (and handle) not only their own emotions, but also the emotions of various team members or stakeholders. These can be difficult to discern at times, but through empathy and attention to detail, it is possible to navigate complex feelings and even use these to fuel greater creativity and collaboration.
Understanding Emotional Intelligence
In a data-driven landscape, it can be easy to discount the influence of emotions. In reality, however, these drive every interaction and every decision within the modern business setting. Understanding this is key to harnessing inevitable emotions and using them to foster a positive work environment.4
Application in Real-World Scenarios
Every day brings new and valuable opportunities to put emotional intelligence into action. Examples relevant to business students include:
- Navigating conflict. When employees struggle to get along, a manager with high EQ can recognize each individual’s unique perspective and understand why they feel or act the way they do. Equipped with this understanding, managers can validate employees’ feelings and help them find a middle ground.
- Dealing with burnout. Managers can use EQ to spot the early signs of burnout in themselves and in their teams. These signs can be subtle, but they can have a huge impact on productivity and morale. EQ also helps managers uncover the why behind burnout and take active steps to help employees feel energized.
Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills
Employers consistently explain that they view critical thinking and problem-solving as top priorities when making difficult hiring decisions. These competencies are also prioritized within business degree programs, which use case studies, projects and other experiential learning opportunities to help students elevate these crucial abilities.
The Role of Critical Thinking in Business
Critical thinking forms the foundation of modern business strategy. This determines how leaders address challenges, emphasizing the value of multiple perspectives. Critical thinking helps leaders consider and evaluate a wider range of options, ultimately ensuring that all decisions are well-informed. Without critical thinking, leaders risk missing out on powerful opportunities or sources of innovation.5
Practical Examples
From seemingly small decisions to major strategic initiatives, critical thinking should play a central role in every management task or activity. This skill is widely relevant across many fields and specialties, as evidenced by these relatable examples:
- Budget allocations. Critical thinking encourages leaders to carefully consider historical financial data along with forecasts to reveal where costs can be better allocated or reduced altogether. This can ultimately drive a stronger return on investment while helping managers do more with less.
- Boosting retention. In HR, critical thinking helps leaders determine what keeps employees engaged and which missteps might lead to low retention. This may involve analyzing employee surveys or gathering insights from exit interviews. Evaluated critically, these insights can form the basis for effective retention strategies.
How Online Learning Prepares You for Success
Online learning provides a wonderful opportunity to overcome challenges that previously held back some of the most promising individuals. This format provides greater access to different perspectives and can also resolve potential scheduling issues. Online coursework even provides direct preparation for the digital challenges of tomorrow, making it easier to navigate virtual platforms and interact with people from all backgrounds. This could be key to future-proofing business careers.6
Flexibility Without Compromising Quality
Online programs offer a unique element of flexibility, making it possible to learn when and how you see fit. This makes it easier to achieve balance, especially if you intend to continue working and gaining practical experience while completing courses. This flexibility does not need to come at the cost of a quality education. Both are well within reach with online learning. Online platforms can elevate your learning experience, exposing you to highly regarded instructors or diverse perspectives you might otherwise struggle to access.
Real-Life Applications
Online coursework provides many opportunities to apply fundamental business skills. Written assignments, for example, provide opportunities to implement effective business communication principles, while immersive projects promote critical thinking and problem-solving.
The realities of the digital world must also be acknowledged. As you become more comfortable and confident collaborating online — or navigating various platforms or applications — you will feel fully prepared to tackle similar challenges in the remote and hybrid workforce.
Positive Impact of Business Skills on Career Growth
The diverse skills you gain can impact your career in many ways. But beyond the basics, what do you learn in business school that truly sets professionals apart?
Advancing in Leadership Roles
Today’s leaders are expected to demonstrate a wide range of soft and technical skills, all while adapting their approach to reflect different situations, scenarios or even technological advancements. A solid foundation can set the stage for leadership success, making it possible to score desirable entry-level roles following graduation and fully use business skills to drive change in the workplace. These positive outcomes can help you make a strong impression and may fuel a swift career climb.
Lifelong Value of Business Skills
Skills in business are valuable far beyond the management landscape. These competencies will always remain relevant, no matter how your career unfolds. Even if you move into more technical areas, you can continue to draw on business skills to help you work effectively within teams or uncover opportunities for innovation. These skills will also serve you well in your personal life, helping you develop better and more rewarding relationships while encouraging you to pursue your passions and even maintain a sense of balance.7
Elevate Your Business Skills With SJVC
Online programs are a gateway to developing skills that matter in today’s professional world, including leadership, emotional intelligence and critical thinking. These programs not only prepare students for career advancement but also have a positive impact on their ability to create value in their organizations. Learn more about how SJVC’s Organizational Leadership program can help you attain these essential skills in business.
Sources:
1. Lefe, A. “The Future of Soft Skills in the Workplace.” Business Name Generator. https://businessnamegenerator.com/learning-hub/soft-skills-in-the-workplace/
2. Indeed. “What Are Functional Areas of Business? (Including Types).” https://ca.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/areas-of-business
3. Baker, E. et al. “Delegation: A Core Leadership Skill.” Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. https://journals.lww.com/jphmp/fulltext/2022/07000/delegation__a_core_leadership_skill.15.aspx
4. Coronado-Maldonado, I. et al. “Emotional intelligence, leadership, and work teams: A hybrid literature review.” Heliyon. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10543214/
5. Chartrand, J. et al. “Critical Thinking Means Business.” Pearson TalentLens. https://www.talentlens.com/content/dam/school/global/Global-Talentlens/uk/AboutUs/Whitepapers/Whitepaper_CriticalThinking_UK.pdf
6. Wood, J. “These 3 charts show the global growth in online learning.” World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/2022/01/online-learning-courses-reskill-skills-gap/
7. Flores, A. “How Leadership Development Can Improve Your Personal and Professional Life.” National Society of Leadership and Success. https://www.nsls.org/blog/how-leadership-development-can-improve-your-personal-and-professional-life
