People Skills for Transport Manager – Tuesday 30 June

Transport managers and line managers play a vital role in ensuring compliance, safety, and performance. The Senior Traffic Commissioner’s Statutory Document No. 6 emphasises that maintaining good repute, professional competence, and effective management control depends not only on technical knowledge, but also on the ability to lead people, manage behaviour, and foster a culture of compliance.

It’s not unusual for people in management roles to experience the “magic weekend”; Successfully performing one role on a Friday and starting a new role on Monday morning with an expectation that they’ll be able to get the best out of people with little or no training.

This interactive course focusses on the interpersonal and communication skills that equip managers to handle difficult conversations confidently, manage driver conduct, and maintain high operational standards aligned with the Traffic Commissioner’s expectations.

The course, will focus on:

1. Understanding the human dimension of compliance.
   Recognise how leadership style and effective communication influence drivers’ and other people’s behaviour, adherence to rules, and overall performance. Know your triggers – Recognise how your emotional response to a situation can affect your approach and how to handle this.
2. Communicating with clarity and authority.
   Use assertive, respectful communication techniques to give clear instructions and feedback by recognising good performance and tackling issues.
3. Handling difficult conversations.
   Address topics such as driver infringements, human factors, maintenance standards, or behaviour and attitude problems in a way that maintains professionalism and promotes positive change.
4. Building a culture of compliance and trust.
   Encourage accountability and proactive reporting through open dialogue, consistency, and fairness — key traits cited in Statutory Document 6 as indicators of good repute and fitness.

For those members of the Backhouse Jones BACKup scheme, you can obtain a 20% discount code by contacting info@backacademy.com.