Many new frontline managers

Managers (team leaders, group leaders, line managers, shift leaders, etc.) often come from an operational role in production companies. Because they perform well in their daily work, they are asked to carry out more tasks, and ultimately they are given more responsibility. However, managing a group of employees for a certain work area or in a team requires a number of skills that are completely different from the operational work.

Because these employees have grown in practice, have learned to "tackle" there, they will often find a way to lead the group of employees: they learn how to lead in practice. Where necessary, they are trained further within the organisation, so that in addition to their extensive knowledge and experience in the work itself, they can also learn how leadership works. Many companies have developed or purchased leadership programmes, not forgetting this first level of leadership.

However, from practical experience at several companies, even where leadership programmes are being trained, we see that one fundamental aspect of leadership is not or only sporadically addressed: how can the manager address or move an employee in such a way that he/she will improve certain behaviour? Too often managers don't see a working relationship problem ("too far away", "no time", "they can solve it themselves", "is not my problem"), or don't know how to deal with it. Then nothing happens for a long time, and as soon as the problem becomes too big or even escalates, a higher level manager is called in. He will then "show leadership", and too often measures are taken that do not help the individual and the department, in many cases even have the opposite effect.

Job Relations teaches managers to identify problems at an early stage and to recognise how problems become visible. They then collect and map information to analyze and solve these problems.