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Develop or dismiss: balancing costs and benefits
Written by John Berry on 6th October 2017. Revised 16th November 2020.
5 min read
Whilst the argument in favour of developing staff is strong, it’s not universally accepted. As this article shows, the argument rests on the various costs and benefits and ultimately on the ability of staff to ‘make the grade’. Both sides of the argument must be considered. To understand what’s needed in your own firm, you need to be able to determine market need for skills and knowledge in each job and jobholder and from the need, determine the capability you’ll put in place. Then plan and execute.
Objectives and Appraisal: two links in the continuum of strategy
Written by John Berry on 3rd May 2017. Revised 16th November 2020.
12 min read
Intuitively we know that it’s worthwhile telling our staff how we think they are getting on. Intuitively too, we believe that we should all be tasked through objectives so that we strive for excellence. We know too that appraisal and objectives are linked – without the former, the latter would not be achieved. But what’s that link and how does it affect the staff and managers in an SME as they go about their business day to day? How do they both link to the firm’s strategy?
Staff career development: what approach for managers?
Written by John Berry on 22nd September 2017. Revised 16th November 2020.
6 min read
The nature of work and careers have changed. Despite myth, the average employee tenure is still over eight years. And in that time staff must grow. When it comes to employee career development, you, as manager, have a clear decision to make and that decision depends on the relationship your firm has with the worker. You'd best take a contingency approach: develop your knowledge workers, give opportunity to your foot-soldiers, make alliances with your specialists and hire your contractors when needed.
Teams are overrated
Written by John Berry on 10th July 2018. Revised 16th November 2020.
8 min read
Many managers talk synonymously about groups and teams. There’s a huge difference in the manager and member energy needed to build and sustain each and so definitions are essential. In reality, few firms need teams. But every manager needs groups. Here, we discuss the benefits of each.
Training intervention and training transfer: Have trainers really grasped the importance?
Written by John Berry on 4th May 2017. Revised 16th November 2020.
16 min read
How can we be sure that a given training intervention will indeed change the company system and give return on investment? Training has to be transferred from the learning environment of trainer and trainee to the work environment of manager and worker. The efficiency of transfer of training depends on a huge number of variables, each associated with the characteristics of the manager, trainee, trainer and the work environment.
So now you’re a manager
Written by John Berry on 8th June 2017. Revised 16th November 2020.
9 min read
The article notes that before promotion, the engineer was an ordinary employee. He or she achieved great things through their own efforts. Now their success comes from causing others to perform. They're still an engineer. But they've added a whole new part to their identity. Now they're a manager of engineers. They're a boss, a leader of men and women. It's the same whatever the discipline.
