I want to share a recent experience which happened to me.  As I am sure, you can appreciate being a trainer within a training company we use hotel and venue facilities regularly.  The majority are, in my opinion, good and offer an excellent service and reasonable value for money; I want to point out that I am always the first to comment when I receive excellent service.  Of course, now and again you meet the opposite, in other words not good. This blog is about my recent experience with the latter; I don’t want to get bogged down in the facilities (which were appalling) but the actions of the manager because this is a management blog!

I will provide a brief overview of my issues.  When I arrived at the venue, I complained there were no refreshments for delegates.  Furthermore, I complained regarding the location of the training room with associated trolleys and noise.  A high-pitched sound in the room from heating (and it was deafening) to the point of putting delegates off presenting.  To sum up lots of complaints!

Although these issues are huge issues to anyone booking a venue and I paid a lot of money for the privilege, my problem here is the role of the manager.  I have to be honest, and I mean this with the most respect.  The individual concerned didn’t manage anything!

He conducted his approach as a worker; in fact, he did all the work.  He brought the refreshments after I complained, he listened although when another worker got involved, he was happy to leave them to it.  He was a passive manager, and I would say he was a manager in name only. Other members of staff displayed better management and leadership skills than he did; they just needed guidance from the manager.

Disappointing to see this from such a large UK business.  He wasn’t a manager; he didn’t have the skills.  He didn’t want to communicate.  He didn’t want to resolve issues.  He didn’t want to offer solutions.  He didn’t want to lead, and he didn't want to manage.

Ask yourself this question when you read this blog, I am a manager in name only.

Ralph Moody is the founder of Target Training and specialises in trainer and management development.  You can read more about him here.  To see courses where Ralph delivers see our website here.