Tariq is a supervisor at Watkins & Co — Sarah’s 45-person accountancy practice across three sites. Brilliant with clients. Never missed a deadline in six years. Eighteen months ago Sarah promoted him to run a team of six. He was the obvious choice.
Three months ago two team members started coasting. Work coming back late. Quality slipping. Attitude in meetings getting worse. Tariq noticed. Said nothing. Told himself it would sort itself out.
It didn’t.
Now the whole team knows there are no consequences. The good people are frustrated. One has already quietly updated her LinkedIn. Tariq is covering the gaps himself because it’s easier than having the conversation.
Sarah has no idea any of this is happening.
Not malice. Not laziness. Just a technically brilliant person who was never taught how to manage.
✅ 3 SIGNS YOUR MANAGERS NEED TRAINING — NOT JUST EXPERIENCE
1. Difficult conversations get avoided until they become formal complaints — discomfort today is a grievance tomorrow
2. Team performance is inconsistent but nobody’s been told why — silence isn’t kindness, it’s a management failure
3. Your best people are quietly disengaging — they leave managers, not companies
Every Tariq we’ve ever worked with has the same look when the training lands — relief that someone finally explained what good management actually looks like.
One day’s training costs less than one grievance.