Purpose: The purpose of management training is to improve skills and strengthen management's ability to improve business and financial performance.  Training is about raising the bar.

Intended Result: The intended results are for the owner to be able to -

• spend less time working and managing
• build a management team that can run the business
• make the business more valuable.

Training will help the managers work as a team. Management training will professionalize management and develop skills across functional areas such as strategy, human resources, marketing and financial areas. Management training will result in the company being more attractive to lenders and potential acquirers or investors.

Structure: Management training can begin with the identification of a particular skill being required for an individual as part of career development, or it can begin after the management team has formulated a three year strategic plan as described above in Business Strategy. Management training can involve any combination of training from a consultant, mentoring by a senior person, coaching by a supervisor or coach, external training, university or college classes, certification in special areas such as finance or HR or safety, or self-study.

Training can include general skills such as conflict resolution, running a meeting, giving feedback, how to be a coach, time management and goal setting. It can include specific skills such as developing a business strategy, preparing job descriptions, conducting a recruiting interview, preparing a marketing plan, analyzing a financial statement and preparing a financing proposal. Training should be goal specific and have clear timelines. Training should typically be completed in a short period of time and the results of training must be clearly measurable. Much of training is wasted because results aren't measurable.

Questionnaire:

1=very poor. 2=poor. 3=below average. 4=average. 5=good. 6=excellent.

Using the above scale, how would your rate your company on the following:

1. Our managers work as a team.
2. Our managers are highly competent at their current positions.
3. Our managers have the skills and are prepared for their next move up.
4. Our managers have a breadth of skills that extend beyond their area of expertise.
5. Our managers have a mutual respect for other managers and their expertise, including strategy, human resources, operations, marketing and finance.
6. Our managers openly contribute valuable information and challenge the status quo in our manager meetings.
7. We hold regular management meetings (weekly or monthly at a minimum).
8. We hold formal quarterly management meetings to review results, analyze strategies and plan for the future.
9. Our managers reach out to other managers across functional boundaries and don't hide in their offices or departments.
10. Our compensation rewards the managers based on company wide results and not just on their individual performance.

To discuss your results to this questionnaire and how our services can help you train your management team, please call 866.537.9111.