A noticeable trend in the type of enquiries we have been receiving has appeared.  Over the last few months Phoenix Training and Development has seen a steady increase in the amount of Management and Leadership enquiries that we receive.  As a company we have always offered both Sales and Management training and have sought not to specialise in one particular area.  Sales training would always dominate our enquiries, that is until this year.  We are now, for the first time, providing more Management and Leadership training than any other subject.

Clearly during a recession, many training budgets are cut and any money spent has to be carefully considered.  It appears that the general trend is to invest in one’s managers.  To me it makes absolute sense.  It is the managers that will influence higher levels of performance within a team.  Too often money is spent on a sales team for example, in an attempt to increase performance, however if unsupported by the management team, much of this investment can be wasted.  We have found that by combining sales training with a really strong management development programme, results are much, much better.

Managing a team in an economic downturn is extremely challenging.  Motivation is generally lower, there is negativity everywhere and managers are really tested.  I am delighted to see this trend towards investing in managers and training them to ensure that they can deal with the problems and situations they are confronted by.  The response I have had from recent management groups, is that they are excited by what they are learning and recognising that, even though general levels of motivation are lower than they’d like, they can see ideas, techniques and skills that will help them.  Middle managers are often expected to be motivated and expected therefore to motivate their team members.  They need support as well!  Training helps to motivate managers and therefore have a positive effect on their teams which of course effects the level of its achievement.  I am pleased that management training now appears to be regarded as very much “results focused” and not something a bit “touchy feely”.