Executive Summary

There are about 24 million managers in the U.S. workforce, and research suggests that there is great opportunity to improve their effectiveness. The American Management Association (AMA), using research conducted on thousands of leaders globally, has identified the 4 key areas that create excellence in management. Those 4 areas are the foundation for the Total Professional framework. In addition, AMA has examined the feasibility of implementing a certification process for managers. Results indicate broad support, from both current managers and employers, for a certification process to standardize the role of manager. Results also indicate that AMA, given its nearly 100 years of experience developing managers, is perceived to be the right organization to confer such a certification.