“It is important for people at the middle level to be exposed to broader thinking and to integrate perspective. Mid-career training programmes enable executives to constantly read, reflect and relate.”

It may sound like a platitude, but in today’s business environment what executives need most is the ability to manage change. Faced with the hard realities of globalisation, liberalisation, deregulation, end-user assertiveness and high-paced technology, with hardly any response time, they need to use this skill the most. Learning, relearning, and sometimes, unlearning, are the only three ways to advancement in career paths. Therefore mid-career management education has become imperative.

Says Dr Sudhi Seshadri, Professor, Marketing Area, and Chairperson, Executive Education, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, “I have been watching the executive education programmes since 1991 and I find that Indian companies have become increasingly professional in their approach.”

He thinks, now, Indian corporates realise they have to upgrade the skills of their managers for two reasons: a better market share and to retain talent. There is no dearth of supply (trainers, programmes, ideas) or demand (companies, entrepreneurs, government) in this area.

For instance, take IFMR (Institute for Financial Management and Research), Chennai, which takes its manager-trainees through a programme called ‘retooling’. Says IFMR’s Prof G. Balasubramanian, “Such programmes give them an opportunity to reflect on business trends and concepts and their relevance today.”

This, the institution achieves through knowledge sharing, interactive sessions, debates on cost management, behavioural sciences and marketing.

On ‘reskilling’ needs, he says that at a certain stage in their careers, people need to brush up on their fundamentals. “It is important for people at the middle level to be exposed to broader thinking and to integrate perspective. And mid-career training programmes enable executives to constantly read, reflect and relate,” he adds.

The role of organisational motivation can never be overemphasised in today’s dynamic corporate world. Says Latha Ramakrishnan of Laras - Regional Master Licensee, South India for Leadership Management International (LMI), “Mid-career training programmes are relevant now because if you look at competition, it is very easy to match pricing, technology and quality. The only challenge that companies face today is the effectiveness of their employees.” And this can be met through upgrading their skills.