You have been a manager for years – why did you formalise it with CMgr?

I think it’s a great test. Are you really into management or are you just carrying a title? Why is it that a lot of people manage people without any formal qualifications? If you were an engineer, or doing someone’s accounts, people would want you to be chartered. Yet people are more important than engineering or accountancy. We are still at the early stages of pointing out this paradox to major employers.

But surely you are so experienced you have nothing left to learn?

Not at all. One of the most important things that CMgr did was help me identify things that I once knew, but had forgotten. If you have been a manager for many years, you develop some bad habits. Taking CMgr is like taking an advanced driving test – it hones skills and improves competence.

What changed following your accession to CMgr status?

I’m a very direct person and can be quite upfront about stuff. When you have been involved in global change management, you can forget that people may be put off by things like that. CMgr helped me ratchet it back a bit.

How did you make your approach more suave?

Suave is never a word that people would associate with me! But I always say “be hard on the problem but soft on the people”. People need to know that you are helping.

Who else have you learned from?

My wife runs her own management and leadership consultancy, and that’s taught me plenty about managing my directness without losing my edge.

Do you think people see the nice bloke inside the tough guy?

I’m not sure it’s about being nice or tough. One of the downsides in my role has been having to make people redundant in tough times to balance the business and protect the jobs of others. I have always tried to do this fairly. I realise that people are the most important aspect of a business.

Want to be a Chartered Manager?

To find out whether the Chartered Manager award is right for you, head to its page on the CMI website at the Related Resources link below.

There, you can read more about the benefits on the CMI site and take our self-assessment questionnaire to receive a personalised report, and identify the most suitable award route for YOU.

To read inspiring success stories, please see the other Related Resources link below.

Alternatively, email or call the Chartered Manager team on 01536 207380