As a parent, or as someone who plans or aspires to be a parent, do you want your children to have a better, more enriching childhood than the one that you experienced? To be more comfortable, achieve more and be more fulfilled?

Or do you want them to undergo the pains and discomforts that you had to go through? To suffer any hardships that you endured or to have to find out things for themselves and learn the hard way like you had to?

I’m guessing it’s the former.

Now, assuming your role has some management or leadership responsibilities, do you apply the same principles to those under your direction? Do you want your direct reports to benefit from your experiences of the industry, company and job role so that they can perform better and achieve more? Or, do you think that they should have to learn things the hard way, like you had to?

A phrase I’m fond of using is, “Your best salesman will become your worst sales manager.” By that, I mean that somebody having a clear ability in a particular role is no guarantee that they have the requisite skills to lead or manage others doing that role. When individuals are promoted into a supervisory or management position, it is often overlooked that a completely new set of skills is required for that person to manage others.

In the economic climate that we’re currently experiencing, where the balance of power has shifted towards the employee, the “It’s my way or the highway!” mantra simply will not cut it. With over a million vacancies in the UK, employees have plenty of choice and if their job isn’t ticking all of the boxes then the ‘highway’ can look like an easy option.

That’s not to say that employees get to pick and choose their own responsibilities or every last detail of their jobs. We should however, ensure that the position, including relevant and adequate training and supervision, meets a reasonable level of expectation.

Recruitment can be an expensive process, so having a high turnover of staff and almost perpetual recruitment will take a toll on both the company balance sheet and on the time and availability of those engaged in the recruitment process. It also can also lead to a poor reputation as an employer.

For many organisations, there is little excuse for not having suitably trained managers and supervisors in place. You’ll already know that we offer fully funded Leadership and Management training across a wide area. And for those businesses where funding isn’t available, the modest cost involved should be considered an investment that will easily and quickly be recouped in reduced staff turnover and greater productivity.

New recruits and those moving jobs internally should also have a comprehensive induction and training plan that is regularly reviewed and where necessary, modified to ensure the employee is either staying on track or adequately challenged. Having clearly defined tasks is crucial in order to give direction and celebrating small wins will improve confidence, aid retention and nurture a desire to grow and improve.

We have leadership and management training courses for all levels scheduled until the end of the year and if you require something bespoke, then just ask, we have a wealth of material across a range of topics from which to develop a tailored training plan for you. Equally, we can help you develop your induction plan and support with staff reviews and one-to-one meetings. Call us on 01452 331331 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.