John Miller's current Quick note very poignant people do not quit companies they quit managers

Managers: Get Trained!
Note: This QuickNote is longer than most, but covers a critical subject matter. So grab a cup of coffee or a Diet Coke and enjoy—and then forward to every manager you know!

I sometimes coach a pastor whose church is thriving. This man has many skills and gifts. He is an outstanding teacher with boundless energy. His passion is evident and there is joy in his heart. He genuinely loves people. His church meets in a terrific facility in an outstanding location. The word has gotten out and his "flock" is growing.

Over coffee he expressed frustration in one area, though. Staff. More specifically, managing staff. After he shared a few specifics, I asked this question: What have you done, in a formal way, to develop your skills and abilities in the area of people management? He looked at me with a face that said, I've never thought about that. Then he answered: "Nothing."

This pastor is not alone. By founding a church in his living room in 2006 and growing it to over 700 people—with God's grace—he has been placed in a manager-leader role. But, he has yet to purposefully equip himself with the fundamental "how to's" of managing people. This is no criticism of him. In organizations across the land people who are good at doing stuff get promoted to manager-leader all the time ... and receive exactly no training. Back in the day, when I was promoted to branch manager and sent from Montana to Missouri, the entire training program consisted of, "Go east, young man!"

I find almost thirty years later that little has changed in the organizational world.

We at QBQ, Inc. don't focus on management training, but sometimes we'll ask clients, "What good, solid people management training have you offered to help managers become managers?"

The common answer: "Nothing."

Curious, if you were having brain surgery tomorrow would you hope the surgeon has some training?! If you were visiting the dentist because your tooth hurt, would you want her to know what she's doing? If you invited a contractor to your house to help renovate, wouldn't you hope that he's done this before and has the skills and knowledge to do an outstanding job?

Of course.

So then who wants to be managed by an untrained manager? Do you? I don't. But actually—most people are.

What happens so often is the top salesperson becomes the sales manager, the sharpest technician becomes the manager of technicians, and the best burger flipper becomes the shift supervisor. But very rarely is training provided to help the salesperson, the technician, and the burger flipper make this critical transition. Yet, everybody knows that the most important person in a staff member's professional life is ... their manager. 

Furthermore, anyone reading this QBQ! QuickNote understands this:

Nine times out of ten, people do not quit the organization. They quit their manager.