Any management training course will acknowledge that there are a number of ways to motivate your team. Certainly, you need to be charismatic and ensure that you communicate honestly and openly with your team. However, the most immediate way to motivate anyone is to reward them.

When you talk of reward, the first thing that comes to mind is money. Indeed, if you manage a sales team, you will know that they can become very motivated when there is a financial prize on offer. To be fair, almost anybody can be motivated by money if the sum is sufficient. In fact, if an employee cannot be motivated by money, you might question why they are working for you.

Some employees respond well to the idea that they will receive an award. Actually, what they are responding to is the idea of recognition. One of the easiest ways to give staff the reward of recognition is to simply thank them.

This can be simple verbal thanks given one to one. A written word of thanks is also appreciated. In fact, many companies have certificates which are given out for exceptional performance. Often, cynical employees will not see certificates as a personal and sincere form of thanks. However a personal letter will be appreciated. Giving thanks in a group setting can be most effective.

It doesn’t how much management training you receive there are certain truths which can’t really be taught. Whilst the following core beliefs are widely presented as essential to business success, they are attitudes which are usually part of an individual’s psychology. People can be reminded of these attributes but it has to be their own personal development and ambition which drives them to take on board the lessons.

One of the first strategies for success is to actually focus on innovation and opportunism. Actively seek out the chance to break new ground.

Always look at how you could improve your product or service. Are there more efficient ways you could do things?

Never be afraid to fail. After all, someone who never fails is clearly someone who is not trying hard enough. Clearly they are working within their own comfort zone. After all, every failure is an opportunity to learn and discover new things. The discoveries are not limited to the subject areas where the failures occur. Perhaps the really important findings are what you learn about yourself.

Remember that only you can control your own future. Accept responsibility for your actions. Go further and relish it.

Whatever you do, see it through to the end. The tenacity to not only attempt something, but to keep trying no matter what happens is paramount.

Whilst any full management training course will include information on recruitment processes, the information conveyed will often lay dormant in the minds of the delegates as they may go for long periods without being involved in recruitment. In fact, every time a manager goes into the recruitment process, they should take some time to think about it or find themselves learning the same things from the same basic errors again and again. Always plan meticulously.

One of the most basic points is that the people you interview should be made to feel welcome. If you want to attract the very best candidates to your team, you need to ensure you come across in as positive a light as possible. Do not indulge fantasies of self-importance. In any case, the more relaxed a candidate is, the more likely you are to get an accurate picture of their strengths and weaknesses.

Remember to ask open questions. ‘How would you describe yourself?’, and ‘Why do you want to work for us?’ are good examples. These will allow the interviewee to speak at length. The more freely someone speaks to you, the more you will understand them. For example, notice what they prioritise and consider important.

Management training is a very large subject area. In fact, even the way in which training is carried out most effectively has become a subject area in its own right. One of the methodologies used by many types of trainer including sports psychologists is known as the Four Key Stages of Learning.

The first stage is known as unconscious incompetence. This is where not only do you know how to do something, you don’t even realise you don’t know how to do it.

The second stage is conscious incompetence. This is the stage at which you learn the most. You discover your limits and what the challenges are in learning a new activity or task.

The third stage is conscious competence. This is the time when you need to practice and keep practicing. The basic skill is learnt but not yet mastered.

Once you have learnt an activity to the extent that it is almost automatic, you are ready to move onto the fourth key stage of learning. You have probably worked out already that this is known as unconscious competence. This is where the task or activity can be done without conscious thought. This frees you up to think about more complex matters.

Have you ever worked for an organisation where there is a manager who is described as brilliant, but not a very good manager? That person may well be ‘brilliant’ but the thing they are not brilliant at is management. The faults of these exceptional individuals can vary from a genuine shyness to an almost certifiable lack of soft skills training. One thing is certain, if those people are highly valued they need to engage in some one-to-one management training in order to improve their communication skills and personal skills.

In the worst cases, these managers will avoid eye contact with staff as they slide into their office. A manager needs to demonstrate charisma. If you are leading people, you should be presenting them with open body language, and preferably a smile, whenever you see them.

However, some might see the above as ‘nice to have’, but not essential. Unfortunately the lack of social niceties is usually the tip of the iceberg. It really doesn’t matter how busy a manager is, their prime job has to be to manage their team. They should therefore manage their time so that they communicate clearly and regularly with their staff. Regular memos, team briefings or personal development training and reviews can all be appropriate measures.