Lab managers are often promoted from within the lab, bringing scientific degrees and years of bench experience to their new role. 

They have likely participated in numerous training sessions during their career;  however, few scientists receive any effective lab management and leadership training. Most lab managers must simultaneously take on their new role and develop the skills needed for success. . This can be a frustrating and challenging transition. Enabling senior lab scientists and lab managers to get management and leadership training can help improve lab performance and reduce the stress of these role transitions.

Advanced Lab Management Certificate

The Advanced Lab Management certificate is more than training—it’s a professional advantage.

Gain critical skills and IACET-approved CEUs that make a measurable difference.

Lab management and leadership training options

There are many different training options available to provide lab management and leadership training. It is important to evaluate the different training providers to understand the applicability, cost, effectiveness, and approach of the training. Thanks to the diversity of options, there should be a solution to address every need. The main ways to deliver training are local in-person, remote in-person, and digital. Digital training options can be very effective and can greatly reduce the cost.

Training approaches

It is important to find management and leadership training that is aimed at scientists and labs. Most of these training programs are aimed at business leaders and tend to have examples that relate to sales. While many aspects of management and leadership are universal, training becomes more impactful when it incorporates examples and stories tailored to scientists and common lab experiences.

Development plans for lab managers

While lab managers are often diligent about building development plans for their staff, many don’t have effective training plans for themselves. Many lab managers have supervisors who are not scientists and did not progress through lab roles. These line managers can be very effective at teaching and coaching lab managers in the larger business of the organization and sharing lessons in things like business acumen, strategy, finance, and people management. However, they lack the experience of managing scientists and many of the key leadership responsibilities in running a lab.

 Training for technical leaders

The Lab Manager Academy produces training courses in lab management and lab leadership. The training is fully digital, asynchronous, interactive eLearning and taught by long-term lab leaders. The content is developed specifically for scientists and the examples and stories take place in the lab. The academy programs are accredited by IACET and offer continuing education units.

 Lab Manager Academy offerings

Currently, Lab Manager Academy offers three different certificate programs: lab management, lab safety management, and lab quality management. Each of these certificate programs focus on people-centric leadership that provide foundational training around how to lead scientists and make effective decisions to improve lab performance. 

The lab management certificate focuses on:

• Managing lab staff
• Leadership
• Managing the lab
• Improving lab operations

The lab safety management certificate focuses on:

• Technical safety topics like biosafety, chemical hygiene, physical hazards, and radiation safety
• Risk assessing, communication, management, and mitigation
• Culture of safety

The lab quality management certificate focuses on:

• Culture of quality
• Foundations of quality management
• Responsibilities of quality managers

Benefits of eLearning

eLearning allows lab managers to take training when it is convenient for them, which makes it easier to fit in their busy schedules. Some of the key benefits of modern eLearning include:

• Asynchronous – no forced learning days or times
• Flexible – do the training when the time is right
• Interesting – include lots of interactive elements that help adults learn
• Useful – include content and examples that are highly pertinent to lab leaders
• Personal – each course contains activities that help the learner apply the information directly to their lab
• Timely – each course is intended to take about one hour
• Demonstratable – each course has a quiz at the end to demonstrate that the new content has been learned

Most lab managers develop their management and leadership skills through painful trial and error. Including management and leadership training in their development plans equips lab managers with the tools and skills needed to make better decisions and drive their labs' success