THE New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich is hosting a three-day management course with a difference next month, featuring actors and aimed at helping business managers to perform better in their own role as leaders.

In a recent poll, the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) found that more than two-thirds of the 3,000 people it surveyed were “accidental managers” – people who said they had landed a managerial role by mistake.

Two out of five claimed they didn’t want the responsibility and three out of five said they had received no management training whatsoever.

Besides the effect this has on the managers themselves, the research also revealed a significant impact on the people under their charge. Nearly half of those surveyed said they had left a job because of a bad manager and a similar proportion said they would even take a pay cut if it meant being able to work with a better manager.

Now, the New Wolsey Theatre is teaming up with leadership and management development specialist The Lighthouse Group to create a unique “development experience” which aims to motivate as well as educate managers in how to tread the ground between being an autocratic “boss” and, on the other hand, being seen as a “push-over”.

Sarah Holmes, chief executive at the New Wolsey said: “It is understandable that managers may wonder desperately how to be inspirational and unless they are trained how are they to do this; how can they be expected to improve?”

The course, which runs from April 22 to April 24 and is entitled Wake Up Your Potential, is suitable for either newly-appointed or existing managers.

Themes will include communication, presentation, delegation, empowerment and achieving and maintaining high levels of performance.

There will also be a light-hearted insight into a different aspect of leadership, with participants getting to see the theatre’s production of Yes, Prime Minister, featuring Michael Fenton-Stevens as Jim Hacker.

Tony Kerley, programme director, said: “At Lighthouse, we specialise in leadership and management training and believe in helping people develop extraordinary skills.

“In fact, we explode the idea of ‘training’, preferring to use engaging and uplifting development techniques instead. This way, our customers enjoy the process of improving their abilities and make use of their learning for improved performance for years to come.”

He added: “The New Wolsey Theatre is a venue which provides a thoroughly refreshing learning experience for existing and new managers alike which includes the use of actors to make the learning extremely memorable.”

Individual places on the three-day course cost £749. A discount of £100 per person is available on bookings for five places, with a year’s free membership of the theatre’s Culture Club also included. To book, call Lighthouse on 01473 610555 or email tony@lighthouse-group.co.uk .

The New Wolsey Culture Club provides a variety of facilities and profile-raising opportunities for businesses to work in partnership with the theatre to support the local community.

Membership normally costs £500, with benefits incuding 15% off tickets for all employees. For details call New Wolsey development manager Katrina Beckford on 01473 295902 or email kbeckford@wolseytheatre.co.uk .