Who taught you how to manage?

I’ve been to business school.

After 2 years of studying and a plethora of exams I was awarded an M.B.A.  I learnt about:

• Operations
• Marketing
• Finance
• Employment Law

Book after book after book.  Some of it was fascinating, some of it was tedious but I got the letters after my name and it got me promoted.

I have worked for blue chip organisations

I’ve made soap powder and chocolates, I’ve sold debt and insurance.  I learnt about:

• Performance management
• SMART objectives
• Appraisal writing
• The art of feedback

Course after course after course.  Some of it was valuable, some of it was pointless but I got the positions on my C.V. and landed the next job.

But nobody taught me how to manage

Not once in twenty-five years has anybody really told me how to work with people.  There wasn’t one lesson about

• Being clear about direction
• Creating a team
• Getting out of the way
• Not dabbling

Maybe I just went to a second-rate business school.  Maybe I’ve worked for badly run organisations.

But I didn’t and I haven’t.

Why don’t we teach management?

Perhaps there is an opportunity for a learning and development course out there.  I’d buy it — hell, my team might even buy it for me.