Managers often tell me that they focus most of their managerial attention on the “numbers” part of their staff’s performance. They set objectives for producing the right amount of work on time, meeting a deadline, achieving the % increase in sales or the £ of savings. They monitor the numbers and, sometimes, they give feedback [...]

So frequently the managers I work with seem to feel the need to gain permission to undertake probably the most important part of their role – managing their staff’s performance. They clearly know there are expectations of them as managers but they don’t feel they have somehow earned the right to manage. Here’s an example: [...]