I heard a story the other day about a management training course that was under some criticism. Well, it turned out that it wasn’t the course so much as the actions of one of a group of previously untrained mangers and team leaders from a motor components company who had just finished a 5-day management training course.
The concern was, that one of the more ‘lively lads’ in the group had gone back to his team and had started to share some of the good stuff he had learned on the course. In particular he got some of the team together to share some ideas and techniques to improve communication between them and other departments.
He planned training sessions for everyone at 4.00 – 5.00 pm on successive Wednesdays. However three of the group worked 8.30 am to 3.30 pm and he had told them that it was better for the business to do the training later and that they would have to miss out. Nothing was said about that until about two months later when one of those who missed the training lodged a grievance with the HR director regarding discrimination. It seemed she had been talking to a Union rep who had advised her.
The criticism of the management training course was that, upon review, it made no reference at all to any issues of Equality or Diversity and the consequences of that omission were now clear to see. The latest is that company’s new, extended management training now includes exercises and scenarios that cover these issues to raise understanding and awareness for everyone.
By Mike Cooney | Righttrack’s Commercial and Financial Director