Dealing with Unrealistic Expectations as a First-Time Manager (When You’re Still Learning the Job)

David Buirs | Leadership Expert

This article addresses the overwhelming pressure of dealing with unrealistic expectations as a first-time manager. It helps new leaders distinguish between unfair demands and their own learning curves. Practical scripts for managing up and negotiating priorities are provided.

Three months into your first management role, you are drowning.

Your boss wants results yesterday. Your team needs help. You are still figuring out what good management even looks like. And somewhere in there, you are supposed to be doing your actual job too.

Nobody told you it would feel like learning to swim while someone is yelling at you to win the race. Dealing with unrealistic expectations as a first-time manager is often the first real crisis you face.

You’re Not Behind, You’re Just New

Here is what most starting leaders don’t hear enough: this feeling is normal.

You got promoted because you were good at your old job. Now you have a completely different job. Where being helpful doesn’t mean doing the work yourself. Where your success depends on other people’s performance.

And while you are still figuring out this new role, your boss is expecting you to deliver like you have been doing this for years.

The Impossible Position

Early-career managers get squeezed from both sides.

Your team needs you present and helpful. They have questions. They need decisions. They are watching to see if you are actually going to be a good manager.

Your boss needs results. They want progress, good news, proof that promoting you was the right call. Often, companies skip essential in-company management training, assuming you will just “figure it out.”

And you? You are just trying to figure out what a one-on-one should look like. How to give feedback. Whether you should be in all these meetings. Nobody is giving you space to learn. Everyone assumes you already know.

Is It Unrealistic or Are You Learning?

Sometimes you can’t tell if the expectations are actually unrealistic or if you are just overwhelmed because everything is new.

It might be unrealistic if:

  • You don’t have the resources other teams get.
  • The timeline doesn’t account for dependencies outside your control.
  • Your team is understaffed or missing key skills.
  • You are being asked to fix problems that existed before you got here.

It might be a learning curve if:

  • Other managers at your level are hitting similar targets.
  • You are spending a lot of time on things that don’t move the needle.
  • You haven’t asked for help or clarification on priorities.
  • You are trying to do everything yourself instead of delegating.

Both can be true at the same time. The expectations can be aggressive AND you can still be learning.

How to Talk to Your Boss

This is the conversation new managers avoid. You don’t want to admit you are struggling. You don’t want to look like you are making excuses.

But staying silent doesn’t help either. Start with what you are learning, not what you are failing at.

The Script: “I want to talk about priorities. I’m three months in and learning a ton about what it takes to manage well. I also want to make sure I’m focused on what matters most to you. Can we talk about what success looks like for me this quarter?”

You are not saying “this is too hard.” You are saying “I want to do this well, help me understand what that means.”

Then get specific about constraints: “Right now I’m juggling [list 3-4 big things]. If the priority is X, I want to make sure I have what I need to deliver. That might mean pushing Y back or getting support on Z. What makes sense?”

You are showing you understand tradeoffs. You are managing up, not complaining.

What to Negotiate (And What to Just Do)

Pick your battles when dealing with unrealistic expectations as a first-time manager.

Don’t negotiate on:

  • Learning the basics of your job.
  • Being present for your team.
  • Delivering on commitments you have made.
  • Working hard.

Do negotiate on:

  • Timelines that don’t account for reality.
  • Taking on new projects when you are already stretched.
  • Doing work that should be delegated.
  • Meetings that don’t need you.

When the Problem Is Actually You

Sometimes the expectations aren’t unrealistic. You are just not managing well yet.

Signs this might be the case:

  • You are constantly busy but nothing important is getting done.
  • You are doing work your team should be doing.
  • You haven’t delegated anything significant.
  • You are avoiding hard conversations.

If this sounds familiar, the answer isn’t to push back on expectations. Get better at managing. This is where leadership coaching becomes essential. You need to learn to delegate and have those uncomfortable conversations.

This is hard to admit. But it is fixable.

You’re Learning a New Job

You are not doing your old job poorly. You are learning a completely new one.

That takes time. It takes mistakes. It takes asking for help even when it feels uncomfortable.

The managers who make it through this phase aren’t the ones who never struggled. They are the ones who figured out how to ask for what they needed and keep learning even when it was hard.

Start Here

This week:

  1. Write down what you think your boss expects from you.
  2. Schedule a conversation to confirm you are right.
  3. Identify one thing you need (clarity, resources, time) and ask for it.

You aren’t supposed to have it all figured out yet. You are supposed to be figuring it out.

Schedule a free introduction call. Just to see if there’s a click and where you might need help.

Managing a Negative Employee as a First-Time Manager: What Works

David Buirs | Leadership Expert

This article guides new leaders on managing a negative employee as a first-time manager. It distinguishes between temporary frustration and toxic patterns that harm team culture. Practical steps are provided for curiosity-based conversations and setting necessary boundaries.

Someone on your team is negative. Every meeting, they’ve got a complaint. Every decision gets an eye roll. Every new initiative gets a “yeah, but…”

Do you say something? Ignore it? You don’t want to shut people down, but you also can’t pretend this isn’t happening. Managing a negative employee as a first-time manager is one of the toughest early tests you will face.

Why First-Time Managers Freeze Up

Most new managers see negativity and do nothing. You worry about making it worse. You worry they’ll get defensive. You worry you’ll look like you can’t handle feedback.

So you wait. And hope it gets better.

It won’t.

The Oil Stain Effect

I’ve seen this multiple times. A negative employee starts complaining. At first, it’s just them. Then someone else joins in. Before you know it, half your team is focused on what’s wrong.

Negativity spreads like an oil stain. Team meetings become complaint sessions. Good ideas get shot down. People who were positive start wondering if they’re missing something.

But managing a negative employee as a first-time manager doesn’t mean crushing all complaints. Sometimes negativity is useful feedback wrapped in frustration. Your job is figuring out which one you’re dealing with.

Is This a Bad Day or a Pattern?

Watch for a bit. Is this person having a rough week, or is this who they are every day?

One bad day doesn’t make someone negative. Even a bad week doesn’t. People get frustrated. That’s normal.

But if it’s been three weeks and every conversation is negative, that’s a pattern. Patterns don’t fix themselves. The longer you wait, the harder the conversation gets.

When to Address It

Address it when:

  • It’s a pattern, not a one-off.
  • It’s affecting other people.
  • It’s about attitude, not legitimate concerns.

Let it go when:

  • Someone’s having a bad day.
  • They’re raising valid concerns (even if the tone isn’t perfect).
  • It’s directed at a problem, not at people.

The difference? “This process is broken because X” is feedback. “Everything here is terrible” is negativity.

How to Have the First Conversation

Start gentle. Be curious, not confrontational. This is a skill we often refine in leadership coaching, because the tone makes all the difference.

Pull them aside privately. Just a casual one-on-one.

“Hey, I’ve noticed you seem frustrated lately. Is everything okay? Is there something I can help with?”

No accusations. No “you’re being negative.” Just curiosity.

Most of the time, this opens things up. Maybe there’s something you didn’t know about. Listen. Really listen. Don’t defend or explain. Just hear them out.

If there’s a real issue underneath, work on fixing it together. “What would make this better?” Now you’re solving a problem, not managing an attitude.

If Nothing Changes

Sometimes the gentle approach doesn’t work. They seemed better for a day. Now they’re back to the same pattern.

This is when you set boundaries.

“We talked last week, and I thought we’d made progress. But I’m still hearing a lot of negativity in meetings. I need to be direct: this is affecting the team. When you [specific example], it makes it harder for everyone to stay focused.”

Be specific. Not “you’re always negative” but “in yesterday’s meeting, when Sarah suggested the new process, you immediately said it wouldn’t work without hearing her out.”

Then: “I want to support you, but I also need this to change. What do you need from me to make that happen?”

You’re still supportive. But you’re making it clear this can’t continue.

What Your Team Is Watching For

Your team is watching how you handle this. This is often a key topic in in-company management training: preserving the team culture.

If you let negativity run wild, they learn that complaining is fine. If you shut down all complaints, they learn to never speak up.

Managing a negative employee as a first-time manager is actually managing the culture of your whole team. Handle it well and everyone benefits. Avoid it and everyone suffers.

What to Do This Week

If you’ve got someone who’s consistently negative:

  1. Decide if this is a pattern or just a bad stretch.
  2. Schedule a casual one-on-one.
  3. Start with curiosity: “I’ve noticed you seem frustrated. What’s going on?”
  4. If nothing changes after two weeks, have the boundary conversation.

Your team needs someone who’s willing to have uncomfortable conversations when it matters.

Schedule a free introduction call. Just to see if there’s a click and where you might need help.

Setting Boundaries for Early-Career Managers: Why It’s So Hard (And What Actually Works)

David Buirs | Leadership Expert

This article addresses the common struggle of setting boundaries for early-career managers. It explains why saying “yes” to everything hurts both the manager and the team’s development. Practical techniques, including the “Yes, And” method, are provided to help managers reclaim their time.

You just got promoted to manager. Congrats. Now everyone wants something from you.

Your inbox won’t stop. Your calendar is packed. Someone asks for “just a quick minute” for the third time today. You say yes to everything because that’s what good managers do, right?

But when you can’t master setting boundaries for early-career managers, you end up drowning in other people’s urgent stuff while your actual job gets ignored.

Why Early-Career Managers Can’t Say No

Most new managers struggle with setting boundaries because they want to be liked. This is a recurring theme in my leadership coaching; the fear of becoming the “bad guy.”

You remember the managers who got weird after their promotion. Distant. Hard to reach. You told yourself you’d be different. The approachable one. The one with a real open door policy.

So you say yes to everything. Every meeting. Every question. Every problem your team could probably solve themselves. And then you wonder why you’re exhausted.

What You’re Missing When You Can’t Set Boundaries

When you are always saying yes, here is what doesn’t get done:

  1. You stop planning. No time to think about next quarter or spot problems before they blow up.
  2. You stop learning. That course you wanted to take? Still on the list.
  3. You stop coaching. Real coaching takes focus. When you’re interrupted all day, you just give quick answers instead of helping people figure things out.
  4. You lose focused work. The big analysis. The strategy doc. The performance review that needs real thought. All of it gets rushed or pushed to nights and weekends.

What Happens When You Never Say No

You think boundaries will make you look bad. But here is what actually goes wrong when you can’t set them.

Your team learns they need you for everything. You are creating people who can’t solve problems on their own. This is exactly why organizations invest in in-company management training: to prevent managers from becoming the bottleneck that slows down the entire department.

Your boss thinks you are only good at small tasks because you never have time for the bigger strategic work. You get tired and annoyed. People can tell. The work that would actually help your team get better never happens.

The “Yes, And” Trick from Improv

Here is a simple technique that helps with setting boundaries for early-career managers without sounding like a jerk.

In improv, performers use “yes, and” to accept what someone says and then add to it. You can use the same thing to acknowledge requests without automatically doing them.

The “Yes, And” in practice:

  • The Request: “Can you jump into this meeting?”
    • Your Answer: “Yes, I can see why my input would help, and I think Sarah actually knows more about this. Let me connect you two.”
  • The Request: “Can you help with this?”
    • Your Answer: “Yes, this sounds important, and I’m tied up until Thursday. Can it wait or should we find someone else to help?”
  • The Request: “I have a problem.”
    • Your Answer: “Yes, I hear you’re stuck, and I’d like to hear what ideas you’ve already tried.”

This works because you acknowledge the person. They don’t feel blown off. But you still protect your time.

Boundaries You Can Actually Use

Here are some boundaries you can start using today.

Around time:

  • “I’m available for questions Tuesday and Thursday, 2-3 PM.”
  • “I keep mornings free for focused work.”
  • “I check email three times a day. Urgent stuff goes on Slack.”

For what you will do:

  • “I can point you to resources, and then you take the first shot at solving this.”
  • “Let’s spend 15 minutes on this, then you keep going.”
  • “I’ll review what you come up with, but I need you to build it.”

About decisions:

  • “This is your call. I trust your judgment.”
  • “Bring me your recommendation, not just the problem.”
  • “I’ll decide, but you need to do the analysis.”

These boundaries don’t just protect your time. They help your team get better at their jobs.

How to Start Setting Boundaries

Pick one thing that keeps pulling you away from important work. Figure out a “yes, and” response that redirects it. Use that response three times this week.

You will feel weird about it. That is normal. Someone might push back a little.

But you will also have time to actually plan. To think. To help your team grow instead of just answering questions all day. Setting boundaries for early-career managers means you can finally do the parts of the job that matter. Planning. Developing people. Making real decisions.

Your team doesn’t need you available every second. They need you clear-headed and focused.

Interested how you can apply this in your work? Schedule a free introduction here.

Twenty years of experience vs. your new role: The Veteran Wall

David Buirs | Leadership Coach & Management Trainer

Detailed guide for starting managers facing the “Veteran Wall” of giving feedback to senior employees. Explains the application of DISC colors to mitigate status-threat responses. Positions personal leadership and internal validation as the core for effective feedback.

You sit in the meeting room. Your palms are sweating. Across from you sits the person who built this department. They have twenty years on the clock. You have six months in your seat. You need to tell them their behavior is toxic. The silence feels heavy. You feel like an imposter.

The “Veteran Wall” is the invisible barrier of seniority. It is built from years of service and institutional knowledge. Most new managers try to climb it with politeness. This fails every time. You cannot “nice” your way into respect.


Experience is not a shield

You are the manager for a reason. Tenure does not grant immunity from feedback. High turnover often starts with one untouchable expert. Your team looks at you. They want to see if you have a spine.

Do not hide behind your job title. That is corporate theater. Speak to the person. Address the behavior directly. When an expert is allowed to underperform, the culture rots. Your high-performers will leave first. They are waiting for you to lead.


‘Coloring along’ with DISC

The DISC model helps you build a real connection. Everyone communicates through a specific color preference. A Red personality wants the bottom line fast. They respect strength and brevity. Do not apologize for the feedback.

Yellow types need to feel heard. They fear social exclusion. Frame the feedback as a way to reconnect with the team.

Green seeks safety and a steady pace. They hate sudden change. Use a calm tone and offer clear steps forward.

Blue demands facts and logic. Show them the data. Prove why the current behavior fails.

Speak their language to lower their guard. This is about removing friction. It has nothing to do with manipulation. It is about recognizing the human on the other side.


The trap of seeking validation

Many young leaders suffer from “approval addiction”. You want the veteran to like you. You want them to say you are doing a good job. This is a dangerous trap.

If you need their validation, you cannot lead them. Neuroscience shows that status threats trigger a fight-or-flight response. When you challenge a senior expert, you trigger this response. They will push back. Your job is to stay grounded. Do not take their defense personally.


Personal leadership as the foundation

Real leadership coaching starts with looking in the mirror. Stop seeking validation from the senior experts. Your authority comes from your internal values.

Acknowledge the tension. Tell them you respect their history. Then tell them why the current path fails. This is how you build a real connection. True leadership is being the same person regardless of who is in front of you.

Schedule a free introduction call to discuss the possibilities for your situation here.

Stop promoting your best experts into failing leaders

Leadership coaching Amsterdam | David Buirs

Summary: This article analyzes Gallup’s data on management talent and the impact of AI on leadership requirements. It argues that while technical management skills are becoming automated, human-centric coaching and communication skills are becoming the primary value drivers. The content advocates for leadership training for new managers as a strategic necessity for organizational relevance.

Gallup studied 2.5 million teams. The conclusion was shocking. Only 10% of managers naturally possess the talent to lead well. The other 90% require deliberate development to succeed.

Most companies ignore this. They take their best individual contributor, hand them a new title, and hope for the best. This is what is causing the huge global drop in workplace engagemement: untrained and disengaged managers. Train them, Gallup says, and we can unlock close to 10 trillion USD (!) in productivity.

The invisible cost of the management gap

When a promotion happens without leadership training for new managers, the team pays the price. You see it in the data. Performance slips. People stop speaking up in meetings. Eventually, your best talent leaves.

The pain is felt most by HR. You are left putting out fires caused by leaders who do not know how to lead. You deal with high absenteeism and the cost of high employee turnover.

The transition from peer to manager is not a step up a ladder. It is a complete change in craft. The technical skills that made them a top performer are now secondary.

Why AI makes human leadership non-negotiable

The rise of AI is rapidly devaluing technical expertise as a management cornerstone. When machines can handle data analysis, scheduling, and technical optimization, the demand for managers with purely hard skills will decrease. Conversely, the demand for strong communication and coaching skills will increase.

In an automated world, the only remaining competitive advantage for a leader is the ability to connect, inspire, and develop others. This shift makes leadership training even more important for companies and leaders that want to stay relevant. If you cannot coach, you will become obsolete.

Personal leadership as the foundation

Management is not about controlling others. It starts with personal leadership. A manager who cannot regulate their own stress or own their calendar will never build a high-performance team.

We often see “corporate theater” where managers pretend to have control while drowning in role ambiguity. Without a grounded philosophical approach to their new responsibility, they default to micromanagement or total avoidance.

How to reduce absenteeism and turnover

To fix the engagement crisis, leadership must be treated as a clinical skill.

  1. Identify leadership potential before the promotion. Not every expert wants to manage people.
  2. Implement evidence-based leadership programs. Focus on measurable ROI.
  3. Provide leadership coaching for those in the first four years of their role. This is the critical window where habits are formed.

Conclusion

Leadership is not a reward for past performance. It is a service to the future of the organization. If your managers are struggling to delegate or fear giving feedback, they are not failing you. The system failed them by leaving them untrained.

Schedule a free introduction call here to discuss the possibilities for your company..

The Help-Trap: Your Good Intentions Might be What’s Exhausting You

David Buirs | Leadership Coach & Management Trainer

Summary: This article explores the “Help-Trap,” where leaders inadvertently hinder their team’s growth by providing all the answers. It explains how shifting focus to increasing team ownership and resourcefulness reduces manager burnout and builds long-term capability. By prioritizing independent thinking over short-term popularity, managers can transform from an “answering machine” into a catalyst for growth.

Many managers have some sense of what success looks like: generating output X or hitting a growth percentage Y. But they are often confused as to how to actually achieve that. They channel their energy towards short-term solutions and struggle with their team’s dramatically low sense of accountability and ownership.

When the team comes to them with a problem, the manager gives the answer. Problem solved. These are good intentions, but they are channeled incorrectly. It is short-term thinking. Well-intended, but ineffective long-term. Our ego’s love it though. I’ve been there many times. Nothing beats giving a smart answer and feeling useful.

The Thinking Manager

But this newsletter is for the Next Level Manager (NLM), the type of manager that works intentionally. They don’t just “do” management; they think deeply about what effective leadership actually is and how to help their team achieve their long-term goals.

They realize that in order to achieve those business goals, the development of their team’s capabilities is critical. Because they are the people that have to deliver those results. Help them become 20% more capable, and results can increase by 20%.

Strategies for Increasing Team Ownership

An essential driver behind that process is the amount of ownership and resourcefulness a team possesses. This is a dynamic metric, not a static one. You have influence over it. If you make increasing team ownership your objective, you will approach questions from your team differently.

This requires sacrifice. You might have to disappoint your team. You might even have to leave them hanging. You have to accept short-term hits to your popularity because you need to move away from giving them the answers to every question they bring you.

Avoiding the Dependency Cycle

Every time you offer an answer, you create a little more dependency. They see you as a little bit more important, and you are slowly setting yourself up for long-term failure. This is the Help-Trap. I have been on both sides: the trapper’s side and the trapée’s side. Both feel good short-term, but keep you stuck long-term. The more answers you give, the more questions will come your way, and the busier you will be. Many leaders who burn out are caught in this trap.

With the rise of AI, individual knowledge becomes less valuable. If you cling to being the person with all the answers, your position devalues over time. Instead, become a catalyst for your team’s learning. Instead of giving the answer, express your trust in their capabilities to find it themselves: “I know what you’re capable of, I’ve seen you do it before. See what solutions you can come up with.”

Practical Steps Toward Resourcefulness

It is important to distinguish between questions your team cannot know or solve on their own (budget, leave dates, etc.) and questions they can solve (internal conflicts, client problems). As we all use AI more, we are becoming worse at creative thinking. This makes this an uphill battle, but it is one worth fighting. Tell your team: “Anytime you come to me with a problem, tell me what solutions you have already considered.”

To make this practical, the NLM facilitates monthly sessions where team members show the rest of the group the process they followed to find a creative solution. The focus is not on the actual solution; it is on the steps they took to get there. During these sessions, use public recognition for the team members who showed the most resourcefulness. By highlighting someone who solved a problem without waiting for an answer, you signal to the rest of the team that you value independent thinking over simply “checking in.”

Investing in Long-term Impact

Think of it this way: if they are lost in the forest, do you give them direct instructions to get out? Or do you teach them to read a map and use a compass? I’ll zoom in on the process, and importance, of teaching new skills to your team, in a future edition of this newsletter. How to teach them to ‘read a compass’. But before we get there, we must let go of the tendency to give our team all the answers.

This shift is a vital part of leadership coaching. The leaders I work with transform their definitions of success, in ways that helps them, and their careers.

If you are ready to stop being the “answering machine” and start building a high-ownership team, schedule your free introduction call to discuss the possibilities for your specific situation.

The Identity Crisis: What are we actually here to do?

David Buirs | Leadership Coach & Management Trainer

Summary: This article defines the fundamental responsibilities of a first-time manager by addressing the “Player-Coach Trap.” It argues that primary duties shift from technical output to human-centric leadership and providing team perspective. The core responsibility highlighted is the development of an inner compass through reflection to lead others effectively.

Welcome to the first edition of The Next Level Manager.

I am David. I want to help you find some breathing room in your own to-do list.

In my coaching work, I see the same pattern over and over. I call it the “Player-Coach Trap.” It happens when you think your value still comes from the technical tasks you used to do: the code, the deals, or the designs.

It does not.

The Shift: Leading from the Inside Out.

Moving to the next level means your priority has to change. You are not responsible for the work anymore; you are responsible for the people.

This requires a different kind of growth. It is not about learning a new software, but about developing the maturity to handle the human side of business. This is where “perspective” comes in. To bring it, move from giving the answer to asking deepening questions:

  • “What haven’t we thought of here?”
  • “What is a different way this could work?”
  • “What is the essence of what we’re trying to accomplish. Are we still moving towards that?”

The source of these questions must be your own deep sense of what you and your team’s mission is, and why. If you have that inner compass, you will naturally sense when the team deviates from the course. You’ll get it through reflection. Quiet, focused, thinking-time. Even 5 minutes a day is enough.

The Main Question to Ask

You can ask yourself: achieving what 3 objectives will make you score your year a 100/100 at the end? That’s where your compass is pointing.

You cannot give your team clarity if you do not have it yourself.

From this position of clarity, you can help your team gain perspective. Through questioning. By asking these questions, you don’t “fix” the problem for them; you help them see the path back to the track themselves. Giving someone the answer is like scrolling their social media feed for them: it’s forgotten the next minute. But helping them find new answers themselves, is what actually helps them grow, comparable to making their own social media post. That’s what they’ll remember.

The First Step

Leave the hero role behind. Your job is no longer to be the most productive person in the room, but to be the one who brings the most perspective to it. When you make that shift, you will feel it immediately. You’ll have achieved a different, more relaxed state. And from that, you can start making a much bigger impact.

The next level is not a promotion. It is a decision to lead from the inside out. It starts with you.

HR- or L&D Manager: You are not a firefighter, even if your workday feels like it

David Buirs | Leadership Expert

Summary: This article addresses HR managers dealing with high operational pressure due to inexperienced first-time leaders. It explores the psychological transition from specialist to manager and the necessity of personal leadership as a foundation. The content highlights the 7:1 ROI of management training to reduce turnover and absenteeism and improve engagement and retention.

You open your inbox and there is the first sick report of the day again. Followed by a message from a frustrated employee who “needs to talk” about their manager. You know exactly what is happening. That one talented specialist who was promoted six months ago is stuck. He is working harder than ever, but his team is falling apart. For these experts, targeted management training for new managers is crucial to make the leap from content to impact.


Searching for the right course

New managers often lack a clear compass in the beginning. They fall back on their intuition or on how they were once managed themselves, which is not always the best blueprint for their current team. Sometimes they are overconfident and steamroll over people with a tunnel vision on results. Others withdraw and become too detached out of fear of making mistakes. You see them searching: one day too task-oriented and authoritarian, the next day too soft because they do not want to lose the connection. These fluctuations in style cause a restlessness that lands directly on your desk.


Why HR often needs to “clean up the mess”

It is a classic pattern for which you pay the price. A good technical expert is pushed into a leadership role without hesitation. The result? A manager who micromanages because he does not dare to let go of the wheel. And who gets to conduct the difficult conversations, manage the absenteeism, and handle the exit interviews when talent leaves? You.

This constant patching up eats your calendar. You simply do not get to the strategic work you were actually hired for. You are busy all day closing holes in the culture caused by faltering leadership. Targeted management training for new managers prevents HR from remaining the organization’s cleanup crew.


Stop the bleeding with personal leadership

Real leadership is not a list of skills you simply check off. It starts with the courage to look in the mirror. We must return to the foundation: Personal Leadership. Only when a manager understands why he holds on to that control so convulsively or why he avoids that confrontation does something change on the shop floor. Without that psychological depth, any management training remains a case of mopping with the tap open.


The calculation your Board understands

Let’s be honest: you also have to sell this internally. The cost of high employee turnover in teams is enormous, but the solution pays for itself twice over. Figures show that every dollar you put into decent leadership development yields an average of 7 dollars in value.

That means less absenteeism, lower recruitment costs, and above all: a team that runs independently again. It gives you the space to be that strategic partner again instead of the permanent crisis manager. A good investment in leadership coaching or management training for new managers is therefore not a cost, but pure profit for the peace in your organization.

Schedule a free introduction call here to discuss the possibilities for your context.

Low engagement for your organisation in Amsterdam? Here’s the solution according to Gallup’s global survey.

David Buirs - Leadership Coach & Management Trainer

Summary: This article addresses how to increase your organisation’s engagement, and fix high employee turnover and low eNPS in Amsterdam-based organizations. Referring to Gallup’s global workplace engagement survey, identifies poor management as the primary cause of low decreasing engagement. The text advocates for management training, including teaching managers how to coach, to improve retention and ROI.

Low Engagement Keeps HR and L&D Professionals Awake at Night

The latest quarterly HR audit figures are in, and the signals are concerning. Employee engagement is declining, the eNPS (Employee Net Promoter Score) has stagnated, and turnover among high potentials in the Amsterdam region is increasing. As an HR Director or L&D Manager, you understand that strategic plans are only as effective as the managers responsible for executing them.

The realization is clear: there is a problem. However, you are not alone. Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2025 report shows a worldwide decline in engagement, primarily driven by an even sharper decrease in engagement among managers. A manager’s level of engagement has a direct and significant impact on the engagement of their team.


The Solution to Low Engagement: Management Training

According to Gallup, approximately $9.6 trillion in productivity can be unlocked globally if managers are fully engaged. To achieve this, Gallup advises that the most effective action companies can take is to train their managers. Furthermore, they recommend teaching managers how to coach.

As technical skills become less permanent, coaching abilities become increasingly essential. In my management training programs, I teach new managers how to coach their teams effectively. This leads to higher engagement, more motivated employees, and fewer issues for HR to resolve.


The Cost of the ‘Accidental Manager’

Many managers in the Amsterdam business market have transitioned into their roles based on subject matter expertise rather than leadership skills. Without targeted leadership development, they inadvertently become the source of the challenges HR faces daily:

  • Rising Absenteeism: Often the result of a management style that fails to recognize early signs of stress.
  • Low Retention: In a competitive market like Amsterdam, talent leaves for competitors as soon as the relationship with their direct supervisor deteriorates.
  • Declining Employee Engagement: Without proper guidance, employees lose their connection to the company’s mission.

Approximately half of all managers have never received formal management training. This lack of guidance is the root cause of many management issues. These are not individuals with bad intentions; they are professionals who are navigating their roles without a clear framework. Conducting difficult conversations, facilitating effective meetings, managing underperformance, and motivating staff are all skills that can be learned, yet they often fail in practice due to a lack of proper support.


Management Training That Supports HR KPIs

By investing in professional leadership coaching, we address the core of the issue. We train managers to move beyond just monitoring output and instead create an environment where psychological safety and performance coexist. This is the only sustainable way to structurally improve the eNPS.


Investing in Leadership in the Amsterdam Region

Whether your organization is located at the Zuidas or is a growing company in Amsterdam-Noord, the war for talent is won through the quality of your management. You require a partner who understands that training is only successful when burnout rates decrease and internal mobility increases.

My programs are designed to provide managers with the tools to:

  1. Create Clarity: Managers learn exactly what is expected of them—and what is not—enabling them to lead with focus.
  2. Increase Engagement: They learn how to keep employees genuinely involved and motivated, which is directly reflected in the eNPS.
  3. Build High-Performing Teams: Facilitate the transition from a group of individuals to a cohesive team that delivers top performance.


Conclusion

Is it time to elevate the leadership development within your organization? You can read more here about how my customized management training in Amsterdam can support your HR objectives. Alternatively, you may schedule a complimentary introductory meeting via www.davidbuirs.com/contact.