HR Skills workbook

Our HR skills workbook will help your team leaders, supervisors and managers learn the basics of HR management so they can take responsibility for their team rather than constantly pass the buck to the HR team - it's powerful stuff


HR Skills for Managers Self-Study Guide

Just £24.99

Hi thanks for your interest in our HR skills E-Workbook, you’ve either sat and completed one of my 12-month leadership masterclasses (and got it for free) or found it online and thought it could help you resolve an issue you have managing your team. And well done for opening it, Keep Educating Yourself is KEY to running a successful business or team and moving them forwards.

So why write the book in the first place? I wrote it for a couple of reasons:

  • Firstly, it’s a compilation of the notes and discussions with many teams from all different industries I have made and had during the 12-month action focused leadership and management program and it complements the Reflective Leadership Logbook that I have written, which all learners receive at the beginning of the program.
  • Secondly, because I’ve read hundreds of books over the years. Some are really helpful, some are hugely motivational, but not many have given me the tools to go and resolve an issue tomorrow. They promote creative thinking which is great if you have the time, but actually “I have a team member who needs managing right now and bringing the whole team down, what can I do”

Well you could read the HR Skills E-Workbook where you will find the answers, the actions in there will help you – almost instantaneously, and that's a promise.



HR Skills workbook

That’s the type of HR skills workbook I wanted to write, a book that answers issues and arms managers with practical tools to manage and lead their teams, build their business and generate profit. There are obviously no guarantees, you have to actually go and do some work, I can’t do it for you. However, if you do need a consultant to visit your business to help with problem solving, business building, team building or vision and mission implementation then please feel free to contact me and if it’s something I can’t help with I bet I know someone I can put you in touch with.

So why me? What do I know? What’s my background?

I would describe myself as a business and team development specialist (I love concentrating on the team’s performance to generate profit and rewards). I’m not an expert – I was once told an Ex is a has been and a spirt is a drip under pressure! I don’t profess to know everything (my wife and kids might disagree)??! I specialise in Management and Leadership development, Team and Business development, Marketing, Coaching and delegation, change management and HR. My training delivery and consultancy style is direct and supportive, and I speak from bloody nose experience rather than ivory tower philosophy.

I have had successes and failures, I’ve rushed in where only fools dare and sometimes it’s worked and sometimes it’s blew up in my face. Saying this though, I am hugely positive and have a great outlook on life, I’m a goal setter and a goal achiever – I don’t have a “bucket-list”, I have a “book-it” list and there is a huge difference.

I direct three companies. The first is a property management company, the second is my publications company which specialises in management and leadership educational books and the third is my training company. I have published five other books, two of which are hiking guides rather than just business management and marketing literature – so time management is not just a buzzword, it’s a way of life. 

When people ask me about how I manage my time so effectively I advise them not to try to manage their time, I advise them to try and manage their energy levels - that's the secret - I discuss it in another one of my management educational books "Managing Time"



A little of my history:

After returning from working a summer season in the states (just north of San Francisco) I started my management career within leisure centres and sports clubs, as a trainee, in and around Nottingham (UK). After a couple of years, I left for the shiny lights of South-East London and joined a management program within the hospitality industry. My goal was to be running my own outlet within 12 months which everyone laughed at. After 11 months I was successful in my application for my first management position in High Wycombe – so in your face doubters. 

The business was a massive success, one of the most profitable in the company.

My boss saw the potential in me and asked me to apply for a business in Birmingham, on broad street, which was the place for a night out in the West Midlands (I even met President Clinton on a walk about in Brindley place). The business started trading at just under a £1million per annum and we doubled it within three years. During this time, I trained other managers in 25 outlets to do the same and we had the most profitable area in the country, with the lowest staff turnover. The knowledge and experience I have built up over the years - really does work.

Moving on a few years, I bought a hugely underperforming pub/restaurant in the Peak District. I built the trade from £26,000 per year to £1.3 million in the eight years I had it. I know, I had to re-read those figures again just to make sure. It’s the reason we took it on, you literally taught the staff to smile and it doubled the weekly takings (I do have more top management tips other than smiling).


HR Skills for Managers Self-Study Guide

Just £24.99

At the same time and after moving on from the pub/restaurant I have delivered training courses and consulted on business and team development for all sorts of companies which include:

Chatsworth house, Wetherspoons, Stanley Black and Decker, Wembley stadium security managers, Rullion, Slater Gordon, Qoda, Exclusive Networks, Paperstone, Hambleton steel, Team 4 Travel (Austria), Mahle Powertrain, Potter Clarkson, Grimsby Institute of Further & Higher Education, Leeds Trinity University, Birmingham museum and loads more.

As you can see from the list above, there are a range of companies, and do you know what they all say (well nearly all) – ahhh but Adrian, our industry is different, it won’t work! - ...and of course it does, EVERY TIME. 

As well as the HR skills workbook I have other workbooks on leadership, coaching and management which can be found here


The HR Skills Workbook  



Other Recommended Management Books

These management books are well worth a read, I have read them all over the years


Testimonial Alert

Ken Blanchard has been a hero of mine for all of my adult life (Adrian Close) and the following is part of a conversation had on LinkedIn

“Go for it, Adrian! Building a great business culture builds human satisfaction and great performance... I love your vision, value, and voice framework... We need you to take a leadership role, Adrian! Preferably here in the US!

Ken Blanchard- Best selling Author | Speaker | Leadership Expert | Thought Leader


HR Skills Workbook



As well as lots of smaller businesses and organisations, below are examples of some larger organisations who have received training from our director of learning at Ultimate Leadership Training:


spring care

arches
Zeelo

branded
Gatwick School

ned
catch

Nimbus
CAB

Please contact us to discuss any training requirements you have, we either deliver for you or sell you the course for your trainers to deliver to your team


Thanks for visiting my HR skills workbook page, here's a link to my homepage as well as the HR skills workbook we also write management, leadership, coaching and HR courses which we sell for you to deliver, here's a link for more information. here's a link to the one minute manager book again. 

HR Skills Workbook