training and mentoring
SME advisors have to recognise when
executives have a problem that is not immediately
apparent to them.
The argument for business owners to make a What might have presented itself as a need for
contribution to costs is borne out in practice: improved IT skills, for example, could be con-
the commitment is always greater if payment cealing an issue about the calibre of the com-
is involved - even a nominal amount. “When pany’s general management. As Mark Prisk
people buy a service, they value it more. It observed, “It needs someone to work along-
may cost perhaps £10 to register for a semi- side you who has first-hand experience and
nar, but this ensures that attendance is high can provide qualitative judgement.”
and the expectations of benefits from that ses- Finding people who have that experience
sion are greater. and who can help a new generation of entre-
“Clearly, if intensive one-to-one training or preneurs bring it to bear on their businesses
counselling were involved, the fees would be would be easier today than it would have been
higher, but still on a matched-fund basis. This even two years ago.
worked well with the Manufacturing Advisory Economic conditions have released suitable
Service before the format changed and it be- talent into the marketplace so there is an ex-
came regional.” panding pool of seasoned executives with
This approach would mean that the number hands-on experience and the ability to com-
of definable services on offer – whether 30 municate that knowledge to executives need-
‘packages’ or 3000 individual components, or ing their services.
somewhere between the two – is less impor- There is one flaw in that model, however. It
tant than establishing who should be provid- assumes that the mentoring skills are dis-
ing them. persed around the UK in the same proportions
The service providers have to be broad as the demand. There is evidence to suggest
enough in their understanding of smaller busi- that this is not the case in practice, however.
nesses to recognise when executives have a covering organisations from the professional
problem that is not immediately apparent to sole traders to businesses employing 200 or
them. more staff and whose shares are traded daily
Economic conditions have released suitable talent into the marketplace so there is an expanding
pool of seasoned executives with hands-on experience and the ability to communicate that knowledge.
The Informed Executive
75
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