As a program advisor, I really enjoy working with executives to help match each person to the programs that meet their learning needs. HBS Executive Education currently delivers more than 150 open enrollment and custom programs to more than 12,000 participants annually. These include in-person, virtual, and blended programs, with in-person and blended programs taking place on the HBS campus in Boston or in other parts of the world, such as China, India, and the Middle East. We are lucky to have a large and diverse portfolio of programs that address a wide range of learning goals and career stages—from individual contributors becoming managers to senior executives becoming CEOs and board members.
While some of these programs have been around for a long time, their content is always changing. Our faculty, informed by their ongoing research, continually updates program content and creates new programs based on the latest challenges executives are facing. The Program Finder is an excellent place to start exploring these many offerings. You can search the list of programs by format, by timeframe, or by topic. One decision to make early on is whether you seek a Leadership Immersion program—an in-depth, longer program that covers a lot of different subjects and will help to uplevel your overall business and leadership ability—or a shorter, topic-focused program in which you can learn more about a particular subject, such as finance, strategy, innovation, or personal leadership.
You'll also want to think about the best program format for you. While the HBS campus experience and the relationship-building that comes with it is a key draw of our in-person programs, many find that a virtual program, or a blended program that offers a mix of in-person and virtual modules works better for them. You can read more about program formats in another blog.
When you're exploring the Program Finder, don't forget to take advantage of the Compare tool. Simply check the "Compare" on the right for two or more programs, then click the "Compare Programs" box that appears at the bottom of your screen. The new window presents a side-by-side summary that makes it easy to understand the focus of each program and what kind of executive it was developed for.
Another useful entry point is our Program Schedule, which provides an overview of our full year of programming. Whether you are looking for a program for yourself or for one or more executives in your organization, the schedule shows what’s available at a glance.
Finally, you can schedule a call with a program advisor. Members of the Program Advising team, like me, are eager and prepared to answer your questions about our programs. We regularly attend program sessions and discuss new program launches with each faculty teaching team. This legwork gives us a great deal of insight into the teaching goals and benefits of each program and helps us understand which participants are likely to benefit most.
Our job is to help you decide which program is best for you and what timeline works best. If you schedule a call with us, think about your development goals prior to the conversation. Is there a specific challenge you are trying to overcome at work? Do you have a particular subject that especially interests you? Do you want to work on personal development or organizational leadership? Our goal is to understand what would be most helpful right now for your development. We will share our in-depth program knowledge, guide you to appropriate resources, and help you make an informed decision. We know there are a lot of options to choose from, so we can help you narrow down the list to the programs that can best help you meet your goals. We are also a great resource if you have a specific program in mind and just want to learn a little more before you move forward.
Finding the ideal program, applying, and then attending is a process that can take several months. Our team is prepared to provide the support you need at every stage as you work through that process. Our goal? A great program experience for you and new insights you can apply to help your organization—and your career.
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