We did something terrible

In the nineties and noughties we did something terrible: we reduced or stopped investing in management training, and now we’re reaping the consequences.

Often, that critical link between leaders and staff was lost but the antidote is management that constructively challenges those above and holds staff to account.

In this volatile and complex world, we face some unparalleled challenges:

• Organisational energy drains away as companies struggle to find the answers to the unanswerable, but great management can alleviate the pain by giving context to the staff
• Managers face the dilemma of being the ‘filling in the sandwich’, berated by leaders for their perceived slowness in implementing transformational projects and moaned at by their teams who feel increasingly displaced by digitalisation
• The idea that people join an organisation for career progression and leave because of conflict with their manager is even more pertinent as diverse generations and cultures clash
• Difficult conversations can be made easier by setting and modelling adherence to standards. Good managers can confer energy, commitment and loyalty to frontline staff who can, in turn, delight customers
• Scandal and revelations can ignite a social media frenzy and destroy reputations instantaneously. Great managers set the tone for a culture of truth, honesty and integrity.

It certainly is hard to be a good manager.

Henley Business School’s Developing Management Practice (DMP) programme welcomes first-time managers, seasoned professionals looking to reappraise their approach and sharpen their tools, and managers who feel training has entirely passed them by. It addresses the challenges outlined above, enabling you to become the best possible manager you can be.

Designed to be practical and experiential, it explains the core requirements of being a manager, and creates a safe environment in which delegates can define what they stand for and enhance their personal brand.

Hannah Dutfield

01491 418767
[email protected]
henley.ac.uk/DMP 
@HenleyExecEd