About Your Turn

Foreword

It is a long time since I first entered the world of management – as a 19 year old in an inner city social security office. I was very fortunate to have a line manager who took the time to help me take my first steps. When I made mistakes, which happened often and some of which were expensive, she recognised that they were genuine. She helped me understand where I went wrong and I put them right.

Since then I have spent over 20 years managing and leading in different scenarios and companies, both public and private, in the UK and across the world. I have gained experience and lots of stories and developed my own style. I have been privileged to meet literally thousands of managers at different stages of their careers whilst I have designed and run management development programmes.

My observation is that management as a skill that can be learned and applied in everyday life seems to be eroding. Line managers have little time to share their knowledge and skills. People are promoted into responsible positions with little support. They just work harder and harder, hoping to deliver the right results.

It does not have to be like this. The requirements of your job will not slow down to allow you to learn at your own pace. But there are some key lessons that if you learn at the outset of your management career will stay with you throughout it. Your team deserves to have the best manager possible.

That is what has lead me to write you this book of management briefings, that you may not feel overwhelmed by the range of issues you will face immediately you begin to lead a team. If a situation arises with which you are unfamiliar don’t feel guilty – look it up or refer it to your manager.

I hope you find that this book takes some of the pressure off and helps you get real fulfilment as you start out in your management career.

About The Author

An inspirational business mentor and interim manager, Beryl Cuckney gets businesses onto a new management footing. Her informed, no-nonsense and confident approach has enabled businesses to restructure in record time without leaving anyone behind. Her advice is based on a wealth of business and management experience coupled with an innate ability to teach.

Until starting her own business - coaching executives in business and mentoring Owner Manager businesses - Beryl has always combined her gift for training and development with hands-on management responsibilities. This has meant she has management experience from supervisory to Managing Director levels in both the public and private sectors. She has designed many innovative management development programmes and trained thousands of managers in manufacturing, telecoms, space, construction, banking, automotive and publishing sectors in the UK, Europe and US, as well as many public sector organisations.