It doesn’t matter how little management training someone has, there are some things which should be patently obvious. One of these is cash flow and getting paid on time. However, there are many fairly straightforward things which can be done which are often missed.

One example is using your power to get what you want or need. This only applies where you are in a position of strength. For example, if you provide a critical good or service to your client. It might be that they have outsourced their entire IT department to you. When their system has crashed might be an ideal time to persuade them it’s time to pay up. This could of course backfire when it is time for them to renew their contract.

If we continue with the above example, an alternative way to ensure prompt payment might be to renegotiate the whole package with the customer. Perhaps a ‘pay as you go’ contract where the client pays for their support as and when they need it rather than paying an annual charge. Alternatively, a monthly retainer would provide regularity to the payments.

One of the simplest ways to increase cash flow is to invoice more frequently.

Many people have the potential to be great leaders and one of the things which is key to their success is flexibility. Management training courses sometimes concentrate on specific methodologies. However, there is no one right way. There can be many equally successful approaches. What is vital to every manager is flexibility. They need to be able to use a variety of methods and, more importantly, adapt and maximise the various systems which are already being used.

Managers who believe there is only one way to do things cause unnecessary friction and find it difficult to maintain the respect and cooperation of their staff.

A good manager is able to motivate and inspire their staff. This means that they can persuade individuals to work with their preferred systems. However, they should not overlook the experience and specific skills of their colleagues. They should be incorporating these factors into their planning and team building.

In fact, the very best managers will ensure that their staff all understand the various options and have a say in how things are done. An ideal situation is that all staff are as well informed as their manager. This will ensure their support and make you look better to your superiors.

Management training courses include more and more subject areas. However, one thing which still seems to get left to the experts is anything to do with accountancy. This is partly because an incredible number of otherwise intelligent people seem to go into a blind panic when confronted by numbers.

In smaller businesses, it is not possible to separate everything out into departments. Even where there is a specific financial director and a department of numerical wizards, the fact is that all departments and particularly managers need to be aware of the financial implications of their actions. One of the clearest examples of this is cash flow.

Whenever the company’s buyers are negotiating purchases, they need to consider all the implications of the deals they do. For example, they may have been offered a heavily discounted price on the basis that they order six month’s worth of an item in one go. If the payment terms are the normal 30 days after delivery, this could cause real problems for cash flow. If the company is cash rich, this might be a good deal, but the majority of businesses these days operate on a rather tighter basis. Of course, the question of storage and related costs also has to be considered.

The modern middle manager is under pressure from all sides. This is hardly surprising given the current economic turmoil. However, when it comes to downsizing, it is often the middle managers who are first to go. This is often short sighted as these are the people who are responsible for actually managing the majority of the workforce and ensuring that customers are kept happy.

On the other hand, many middle managers have been promoted to their positions, not because they are recognised as professional managers but because they were good at the job they did before being promoted to manager.

This probably helps explain why middle managers are seeing the value of management training courses more than ever before. After all they cannot rely on gut instinct and working ever longer hours.

Middle managers need to be able to fight for their jobs. They need to demonstrate that they understand the latest in management theories. Even more importantly they should be able to show how to apply these theories.

The more involved in your personal development you become, the more you will be able to motivate those around you. Ensure that your communication skills, in particular, are at their best.