Today, thousands of new managers will be appointed across the UK. Their posts created as part of natural wastage or succession planning. Managers can help you deliver success. They are valuable investments in your future. They can help you compete, grow and diversify.

The first 100 days is the time when these new managers need, and are most receptive to, management development. If you wait longer, operational pressures, scheduling and budgetary constraints and shifting priorities can mean that several months, or even years, may pass before a new manager receives any focused management training. And by then it may be too late...

The way we do business in the UK has changed rapidly over the last few years. We are now more dependent on 'knowledge workers', technical specialists, IT staff, project managers, analysts. This move away from front-line staff is eroding the traditional command-and-control structure for managing performance. Managing performance has become more complex and coupled with an ongoing 'war for talent', businesses see holding onto even a mediocre performer as an imperative.

But if you don’t manage the problems you are heading for big trouble. Problems breed, escalate and spread throughout your organisation. You will see sick absence rise. You will see your staff feeling isolated, stressed and sometimes distressed. You'll see low morale affecting your profits and sales. And you’ll wish you'd tackled the problems head-on right at the start.

At sothis we know it can be easier to overlook problems than deal them face-to-face. That's why were here to help you tackle the problems quickly and effectively, giving you the tools and knowledge to take on performance management problems and deliver effective change.

Motivation is the key to success. If we're motivated we're enjoying ourselves. We're ready for a challenge. We're strong and positive and we're committed to delivering a successful outcome - at home and at work. Without motivated staff, people who want to work hard for you and the business, you'll always be at the back of the pack.

Motivation is the key to managing performance. We depend on our workers, teams and departments. They deliver the results. They keep our businesses in profit. They help achieve our goals and objectives. Teams must be motivated, whether the manager is there or not... and this is where we encounter a basic truth. We do not motivate people - they motivate themselves. The manager or team leader just creates the environment and deliver opportunities for people to motivate themselves.

At sothis we can help you, your managers and staff to motivate themselves and create the right environment so that your people are all pulling together for your business.

Delegation is the cornerstone of every successful business. Delegation keeps your business running. It empowers your people and delivers your business results. But even though we all think we can delegate successfully, are we doing it effectively enough to avoid problems in a downturn? Delegation is a skill and even if you've a great deal of experience, you could be making some elementary mistakes that are costing you time and money right now.

All managers, however competent or motivated, need to delegate. They cannot do everything alone. Delegation does not diminish authority. Done properly it enhances respect and is vital for your success. At sothis we can help you and your managers to hone their delegation skills; to communicate the needs of the business and delegate so that your staff understand how vital their role is in your company's future.

Without communication all businesses would fail. But communication is about much more than just getting your message across. Effective communication is a process by which we assign and convey meaning to create shared understanding. And it's this shared belief and understanding that creates partnerships that enable your business to grow and prosper.

At sothis, we know that communication is a skill – one that can be learned. It requires interpersonal skills, listening, observing, speaking, questioning, analysing and evaluating. Collaboration and co-operation, working together towards a common goal, can only happen with effective communication.

Some people see annual appraisal systems as a pointless, bureaucratic and uncomfortable process. They've had a bad press and many employees see them as a waste of time. But performance appraisal is vital to the future of any organisation and done properly they help build a shared vision.

Effective appraisals help develop individuals, improve organisational performance and feed into business strategy and planning. They help employees feel valued, they can highlight achievement and provide the right forum to discuss areas of improvement for both individuals and the organisation. They are also an integral part of Investors in People recognition.

At sothis we can help you develop sound appraisal systems that meet your needs and get to the heart of - and tackle - any performance issues.

The Investors in People (IiP) accreditation is a business improvement tool designed to advance an organisation's performance through its people. More than 30,000 UK organisations have achieved IiP and a two-year study by the Institute of Employment Studies (IES) established that IiP delivers, on average, an extra £176 per employee in gross profit to a business - every single year.

The IiP standard is built upon three principals.

• Plan - developing strategies to improve the performance of the organisation.
• Do - taking action to improve the performance to the organisation
• Review - Evaluating the impact on performance to the organisation

Most organisations can achieve IiP status within a year to 18 months and see an improvement in productivity, customer satisfaction, quality, motivation and reputation.

At sothis, we can help you achieve IiP. We're experts at getting businesses ready, streamlining the process, tailoring your procedures and ensuring you achieve IiP first time. We can support and guide you every step of the way, all through the process, ensuring you're making the most of this opportunity to improve your business and increase profits.