What is the CMI?

What is the Chartered Management Institute?

If you’re researching CMI Level 7 courses, it’s likely you already have a wealth of managerial experience and expertise.

Courses at this level are designed to hone in on core aspects of leadership and management and to refine them to a very high standard. After Level 7 there’s just one more step: the Level 8 qualifications which only the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) can award.

In this blog post, we’ll explore what a CMI Level 7 qualification represents, whether it’s the right choice for you, and how to move forward if so. After reading, you’ll have a firm knowledge of what a Level 7 qualification entails, as well as insight into some of the course titles and content available at this level. By acquainting yourself with the learning outcomes of Level 7 courses, you’ll strengthen your understanding of the potential benefits on offer.

Firstly, let’s quickly introduce CMI. As we’ve said, if you’re reading this, you’re likely already familiar. But just in case –

CMI stands for Chartered Management Institute, and they are the UK’s Chartered Body for Management and Leadership. The CMI mission is to transform ‘accidental managers’ into ‘conscious leaders’ by developing, refining, and teaching core management competencies.

The CMI has an illustrious history. The awarding body was initially formed in the aftermath of World War 2 and tasked with rebuilding the British workforce. In the meantime they have positioned themselves as bearers of leadership and management, taking an active role in formalising core concepts, and developing teaching materials and courses to train successive generations of managers.

A CMI qualification is a prestigious and immediately recognisable addition to any CV or professional portfolio.

What are CMI levels?

CMI offers courses from Level 2 through to Level 8, each representing a higher level of knowledge attainment. They’ve designed their hierarchy to help aspiring managers develop their skills and to progress in their careers accordingly.

Below you’ll find a top-level summary of what each level entails. More detailed information about the content of each course is available in the dedicated course materials.

Levels 2 and 3: These courses focus on base-level skills, including project management and team-leading. They’re intended for “aspiring, supervisory, or first-line managers” starting their management journey.
Levels 4 and 5: These courses focus on developing core skills and gradually introducing more advanced concepts. They’re intended for mid-managers looking to build the necessary skills to step up to the next level (Read about our CMI Level 5 qualifications here)
Levels 6 and 7: These courses focus on organisational strategy, and are intended for senior managers in roles with direct responsibility for generating effective performance.
Level 8: These courses focus on the most advanced management concepts and practices, and are intended for C-level senior managers.

Bodies other than the CMI can award qualifications at Levels 2 through 7, but only the CMI can issue Level 8 awards.

Is a CMI Level 7 qualification right for me?

Here are some indicators that a CMI Level 7 qualification might be the right next step in your managerial career path –

You’ve achieved a CMI Level 6 qualification already, and you’re looking to continue your learning within their course framework.
You’ve attained the relevant skills at a level high enough to align with a Level 7 qualification, and you want to formalise this achievement.
You’re in a senior managerial position, and you’d like to tighten your credentials to progress to a higher role.

You might fit into one of these job title brackets –

Directors and owners.
Experienced and time-served senior leaders.
Newly appointed leaders or aspiring leaders.
Consultants looking to formalise their knowledge of coaching.

At this end of the CMI qualification spectrum, you’ll already be very familiar with core managerial concepts, and you’ll have direct and extensive experience of managing employees in the pursuit of specific organisational objectives.

You’ll likely have held several successively senior managerial positions over the past few years, and you’ll have a passion for this trajectory. Taking a Level 7 course is a big commitment, but the potential benefits are many.

What can a CMI Level 7 qualification help me to achieve?

Level 7 qualifications offer a suite of benefits. These courses are designed for those in positions that carry authority and responsibility to develop and implement organisational strategy, where results matter and where your success directly impacts those below you.

In this section, we’ll look at six CMI Level 7 courses we offer and drill down into the learning outcomes and benefits. This should give you a good idea of what to expect from a course at this level, with specific reference to your role.

CMI Level 7 Senior Leadership Programme

This course aims to build a better understanding of corporate dynamics in senior management contexts and to help managers evaluate and improve their leadership approach.

The intended learning objectives are –

To build a strong understanding of the senior leader role.
To develop a sense of how to build effective teams, and how to inspire and influence team members.
To equip leaders with strategic management skills for enhancing performance.
To train leaders to utilise effective management techniques and tools confidently.

By building strategic understanding and strengthening insight into their management behaviours and philosophy, delegates on this course will develop the skills required to improve the effectiveness and conceptual underpinning of their personal management style.

Find out more about this course here.

CMI Level 7 Coaching and Mentoring Development Programme

This course focuses on the role of coaching and mentoring in achieving organisational success. Reflecting current best practices in coaching and mentoring, the course content aims to bolster skills like trust building, conflict resolution, and management toward specific objectives.

The intended learning objectives are –

Being able to define coaching and its purpose.
Build an understanding of how high-performance teams are structured.
Promote greater self-awareness.
Teach individual coaching approaches.
Build an understanding of how to coach through change, and how to coach in pursuit of specific goals.
Highlight methods of monitoring the impact of coaching.
Advise on how to embed coaching and mentoring in a company culture.

This course is of particular interest to managers looking to cultivate a coaching-led management style. Whether this impulse comes from wanting to refine existing coaching experience, or from wanting to move away from another management style that you’re not fully satisfied with, the course content will lay the groundwork for effective coaching.

Find out more about this course here.

In house and bespoke training with In Professional Development

At In Professional Development, we are proud to offer bespoke training programs tailored to the individual and organisational needs of any business. Delegates on such programs will receive curated tuition that aligns with the challenges they face every day, and in relation to the goals, they are working to achieve.

We offer this bespoke tuition both in-person at a location of your choice, or in a virtual classroom, delivered with state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment.

Too often, organisations are limited in the outcomes available from training schemes. And too often, employees find themselves learning things only tangentially related to the realities they face in their role and workplace. We believe that effective training should address the specific needs and requirements of the individual, the organisation, and the industry they exist within.

We offer CMI Level 7 qualifications in house, taught as either three, four, or five-day courses. Prices start at £4,500 and are suited for a minimum of eight people.

To find out more about our in house and bespoke CMI Level 7 training, click here. You can also contact us to discuss your specific needs, and to discuss the creation of a training program tailored to meet them.

Book a CMI Level 7 course with In Professional Development

CMI Level 7 courses sit at the upper end of the management qualification hierarchy. The wide variety of courses at this level hone in on advanced aspects of management and look to develop these skills in all delegates.

By nurturing this skillset, those in senior positions can lay the groundwork for progression to the highest levels of management. CMI Level 7 courses also allow managers with experience and expertise but no formal qualifications to formalise their skills, further enhancing their CV and prospects.

At In Professional Development, we offer a range of CMI courses at this level, with the option of in house bespoke training to tailor the course content to the specific needs and challenges of your organisation.

You can contact us at enquiries@inpd.co.uk, via a message on our Contact Page or by telephone on 0161 509 2999. We’re here to support you on your professional development journey and will be happy to advise you on the most suitable course(s) for you.