Why would anyone want to develop their management skills and capability by exposing themselves to new knowledge and skills?

Imagine that the next time you are sat in an airport departure lounge and a message came over the public-address system that went something like this.

“We value your safety and well-being so would like to inform you that of the next 10 aircraft about to board;

• at least 5 of the crews think that they can do a better job than the pilot and would take a pay cut to fly with a better pilot if they could
• 6 of the pilots have had no appropriate training and only 3 of them are suitably qualified
• 7 of the pilots never really wanted to fly and 4 of them don’t want to be responsible for key aspects of the job

Thank you and we hope you enjoy your flight with us.”

What would be your reaction? Happily get on board with fingers and toes crossed in the hope that you might safely reach your destination, or alternatively, reclaim your luggage and decide to work or holiday at home?

It might seem a ridiculous scenario but sadly this is the situation that exists for ‘management’ in organisations of all sizes and sectors across Britain every day!

Management Skills – the facts from a reliable source

Repeated Chartered Management Institute surveys confirm time and time again the perilous state of management, yet what do we do about it nationally? Even the UK Government in its recent Green Paper on Building our Industrial Strategy failed to recommend developing our national management capability as a key mechanism to overcome our critically declining level of national productivity and rate of innovation despite the Bank of England clearly identifying it as a major contributory factor.

But perhaps this scenario doesn’t apply to me, you might say? Of course it doesn’t, is the natural reaction!

We all know ‘everything we need to know’ about how to start and establish our fledgling businesses! We are also experts at managing and leading them when established so can easily turn them into high growth, high survival and highly productive enterprises. Anyway, we are far too busy to take time out to reflect, learn and apply new ideas whilst of course despite this usually providing the greatest return on investment any organisation can make, will not commit the expenditure, as it is such an easy cost saving to make.

So, on that basis we will personally and nationally continue to accept that our productivity levels are at least 20% below our average G7 competitors, levels of real take home pay will decline, our workforces will be unhappy and dis-engaged, 25% of business start-ups will fail after two years with over 50% failing within 5 years and that we will all feel pressurised to work 24/7 at an ever increasing pace.

In the infamous words of General Melchett of ‘Blackadder goes Forth’ fame;

“If nothing else works, a total pig-headed unwillingness to look facts in the face will see us through.”

Or alternatively we could consider developing ourselves and then be even further ahead of our competition.

A strong business needs a strong leader who has the skills and knowledge needed to take the business forwards – these are rarely ‘natural skills’ and must be learned and developed constantly so seek out expert help and training

Blunt thoughts on Management Skills from Yorkshire Powerhouse

Have you any questions?

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