Attention Business Owners, Executives and Managers

"Experience is not what happens to a man. 
It is what a man does with what happens to him."
Aldous Huxley

Working with new (or used) managers that have a primarily Blue Collar background can be frustrating.  Remember though that it is equally frustrating for them.  People with their background and experience are essential.  With the widening gap between available skilled labor and the jobs that need to be filled, a key way to keep the knowledge they have in the workforce is to promote them into management.  Very often what happens though, is that they are placed in a management position but with little support.

Why do they get so little support?  One of the biggest resons is that the impact of the transition is not clearly understood by both the new manager and the people they work for.  The transition includes new skill sets and new environments, both physically and socially, to mention a few.  Yet we don't delve into this as deeply as we should.

We should ask ourselves "Is this person going to make it?"  Are they the right person for this job?  Will they stay there?  How can we help them develop into more productive managers that want to stay around longer?  How can we help them be more productive and make the transition a success for all of us?

Are your managers managing or 'mangling'? When managers can't or don't manage effectively it causes a loss of credibility far beyond their direct reports.  Their peers, your clients and even vendors see this and shy away from them and the company.  Sometimes critical voices are raised and that causes morale to fall.  Things begin to spiral downward.  We aren't so sure that "incompetent" managers are as imcompetent as you might think.  It is possible to extend the life of a manager through support and training. 

If you have ever said 'I want this to be different!  I want to make sure I have the right manager working on the right things. I want to keep this valuable person around."  This is a great place to come for help.

I work with owners and managers that, quite frankly, need some help in figuring out how to help their organization grow through and with their people.  I have had that pain visited upon me, so I know the frustration and stress it causes an individual and how poorly that reflects on the organization.

My name is Bart Gragg and I am here to help you take a more objective look at your management support techniques.  I have worked in some tough industries, from the oilfield to dismantling, farming, and refinery service work.  My background in business and lifelong education from the school of hard knocks gives me a unique ability to support owners and managers as we work through through the pains.   My clients are smart and have the passion and commitment to be successful.  If you want to deal with the pains in your organization and you are still reading this perhaps we should talk more about the outcomes you can expect.