CMI Diploma is gateway to success for Natalie

Project Manager Natalie Phillips has taken her career to the next level with the help of the Andrew Carnegie Business School at Fife College.

Natalie, who is Business & Community Growth Project Manager at Clyde Gateway, completed a CMI (Chartered Manager Institute) Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership at the College before going on to be awarded Chartered Manager Status.

Now also a Fellow of the CMI, Natalie believes her time at Fife College, the only college in Scotland that is now a devolved CMI Chartered Manager Assessment Centre, has had a big impact on her work life.

Natalie said:

“The course helped me recognise my own strategic impact in terms of tackling the immediate challenges in my role, but also helped me look at and address change for the longer term in my organisation.

“I enjoyed aligning and connecting the theory with the practice and linking it to ‘live’ work. This really brought the course alive for me and gave me further structure and other viewpoints to consider.”

In her role at Clyde Gateway URC, an urban regeneration company which aims to drive inward investment and improvement for people and communities across the east end of Glasgow and South Lanarkshire, Natalie has gained experience in several areas, but the course at Fife College offered a unique opportunity to reflect and take stock.

Natalie added:

“I think when you are in a role you know inside out you can react daily and can lose sight of the skills and qualities you are using to get the job done.

“I wanted to take stock of all that learning I had acquired on the job to become more conscious with it and to develop my leadership skills and abilities further.

“A course like this is as valuable for your company as much as it is valuable for you as the employee. It enables you to connect your leadership skills further with the culture and practice of the wider organisation to deliver sustained impact.”

Research from CMI estimates that Chartered Managers deliver an average of £391,000 in added value to their organisations, while one in three report a promotion or career progression after they become Chartered.

John Phillips, Academic and Quality Manager for Business, Management and Professional Programmes at Fife College, said:

“Designed for managers who are inspired to translate organisational strategy into effective operational performance, the CMI Diploma course is a great option for those looking develop their skills at a strategic level.

“We are delighted to see the positive impact the course has had on Natalie’s career already. Her CMI accreditation is certainly well deserved, and we wish her every success in her future career.”