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"I have a great bunch of guys working for me, but they all come running to me for the slightest problem. I've tried promoting one of them as a manager or supervisor, but they just wouldn't listen to him, and he got really angry and resigned. All the way through, they just kept coming back to me and ignoring him. I've got another guy with real potential, but he's reluctant to take the promotion because he saw what happened to the last guy. I'm worried about losing another good staff member. How can I make sure the new managers job will work?"

Two key elements to this problem are the way tasks are allocated and the behaviour of the managers of the business. In any endeavour people respond well when they know what is expected of them, and where they fit in the bigger picture. For this reason, the essential tasks of a business need to be clearly defined and allocated to the right people with the right skills, experience and attitudes to carry them out. This includes the management tasks.

Passing responsibility to someone for business outcomes means giving them the role, and giving them the tools and training to do the job. At that point the behaviour of the managers becomes important. The person taking on the new management role needs to have the support of those he or she manages, as well as the support of those in more senior positions. If a new structure is developed, it must be communicated. Then all team members at all levels in the business need to be clear about it and support it in word and deed.

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