team management

Think You’re a Good Manager? Ask Your Team.

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Last week I asked a simple question: how good are you as a manager?

Most business owners can quickly tell me what their team needs to improve. But how often do you turn that around and ask your team what you could improve?

Your team sees your management from a completely different perspective, so I’ve put together a simple Manager Feedback Scorecard you can print out and give to them.

It asks your team to rate you across six areas:

People Management
Communication
Technical Skills
Leadership
Problem Solving
Training & Development

The important part is asking them to be honest, and being prepared to listen to what comes back.

If several people rate you poorly in the same area, don’t defend it. Use it. That’s probably an area where becoming a better manager could also help you build a better team.

Download the scorecard here, give it to your team and see how you go.

And I’d genuinely love to hear what comes back.

Hugh Bowman
ActionCOACH Geelong

How Good Are You as a Manager?

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It’s pretty easy to point out the things your team could be doing better.

They’re too slow. They don’t communicate properly. They’re not learning quickly enough. They struggle to work together. They need too much direction.

But here’s a question I think more business owners should ask:

How would your team rate you as their manager?

It can be a confronting question, particularly when you’ve spent years building the business and employing the people around you. But if there are ongoing problems within your team, it’s worth looking at management from both sides.

In this video, I challenge business owners to ask their team for some genuine feedback across six areas:

  1. People management
  2. Communication
  3. Technical skills
  4. Leadership
  5. Problem solving
  6. Training and development

You might score really well in some areas and discover there are others where your team sees things very differently to you.

And that’s the point.

Good management isn’t about assuming you’re doing a good job. It’s about being willing to find out, learn from the feedback and become better at leading the people in your business.

Watch the video below and then consider giving the exercise a go with your own team!

You might be surprised by what you learn.

 

Thanks
Hugh

Why the Tradies With Better Systems Will Win in 2026

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As the federal budget once again focuses on boosting housing supply, one critical issue keeps resurfacing. Australia does not have enough skilled tradespeople to fix and renovate existing homes, let alone build the new homes being promised.

This year’s budget included measures aimed at addressing the shortage, including funding for a new trade skills assessment system and programs designed to help overseas trained tradies become licensed and working in Australia faster. While these initiatives may help over time, the reality for many trade businesses right now is that skilled staff remain difficult to find.

This is exactly why I believe the trade businesses with better systems, stronger leadership and organised processes are going to be the ones that perform best through 2026 and beyond.

When labour is tight, every team member matters more. Good systems around communication, quoting, scheduling, follow up and accountability become critical. I see too many trade businesses lose work simply because quotes are not followed up properly, admin becomes overwhelmed or the owner is trying to manage everything manually.

The best trade businesses attract the best staff. People want to work in businesses that are organised, professional, well led and structured properly. Businesses with strong systems and clear expectations tend to retain good people longer and create better team culture.

The businesses that continue to grow are usually not the ones working the hardest. They are the ones operating the smartest. They have systems in place that help their teams perform consistently, improve customer communication and create a better experience from enquiry through to completed job.

At ActionCOACH Geelong, I work with tradie business owners to improve systems, leadership, sales processes and profitability. Because in a market where skilled staff are harder to find, the businesses that are organised and structured properly are often the ones that pull ahead.

Business Systems for Tradies – What and Why?

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In this blog I want to talk about why business systems are essential for tradie business owners and the most common ones every growing business needs. Systems make it possible to delegate tasks effectively, improve consistency, and increase the overall value of your business. Without documented systems, you end up repeating the same instructions and struggling to grow. Having the right systems in place allows you to step back from the daily grind and focus on the high value activities that move your business forward. 

Here are the key systems I believe every business should have documented and working well: 

Job Management System
Quoting & Invoicing
Accounting System
Scheduling
Customer Service
Sales Process
KPI’s and Reporting
Team Meeting Agenda
Equipment Maintenance
Return Materials 

Each of these systems helps create structure and reliability. Whether it is using a job management program, setting up a clear quoting and invoicing process, maintaining high standards in customer service, or running team meetings that keep everyone aligned, strong systems make everything smoother and easier to manage. 

Understanding what systems your business needs is the first step. In my next blog, I will cover how to create and implement these systems so they actually work in your day-to-day operations.

NEXT BLOG: How To Document Business Systems

Reach out if you want to chat about your systems.  

Thanks
Hugh.