Haven Holidays teaches the story of management : Managers learn to see things from other people's points of view

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe a training program for junior managers at UK company Haven Holidays. Design/methodology/approach – The paper explains the reasons for the program, the form it took and the results it achieved. Findings – The paper details the main elements of the program: theories and techniques for time management; delegation; giving feedback; target setting. Practical implications – The paper reveals that the program was geared to the Haven Holidays business, using real‐life examples and issues to help delegates not only to understand the theory better but also to put their learning into practice straight away by solving real issues in the business. Social implications – The paper explains that the program encouraged the junior managers to understand the “story” of the people they work with – subordinates, peers, managers and customers – in order to comprehend how and why they react to certain situations. This information then helped the managers to choose the best course of action to manage this reaction to get the best available outcome. Originality/value – The paper highlights the advantages of teaching managers to see things from other people's points of view.