Bidding is stressful, and the signs are it’s getting
increasingly so. Pressure to do more, more complex bids, in ever compressed
timelines, with the same resource.
Bid leaders are looking for ways to improve productivity and
win rates. The ‘rise’ of AI in bidding is one example.
Increasing training in bidding is another. There are many workshops, courses and accreditations for bid
writing, process, capture, or design to train people in the ‘core’ skills of
bidding.
But there’s one area of training that’s missing for many
bidders and bid teams. An area shown by research and experience to improve performance across all parts of an organisation. And that reduces stress while increasing team satisfaction as well as performance.
That area is management and leadership training.
It might seem obvious that a well-managed and well led bid team is likely to perform better than one not so well managed and led.
But a recent poll of APMP members who were bid managers and leaders indicated that almost 30% of respondents hadn’t had any management or leadership training.
What’s the impact of not training someone how to do their job?
You
might say your bid managers and leaders ARE trained to do their job – they’ve
been on all the APMP courses, bid writing courses etc. And they’ve added
significant experience over many bids – where they’ve proven their bid
capability.
But those are the technical skills of bidding. They’re not the skills required to manage and lead a team or bid function. The skills of motivating, engaging, organising and enthusing a team, as well as budgeting, planning and structuring the bid function to fit effectively in the wider work winning functions of the organisation. Research from many areas shows that expecting managers to ‘pick up’ these skills organically doesn’t work well.
It doesn’t work well for the team. Even if your new, untrained manager has the capability to become an effective manager, it’s unlikely to happen immediately. And while they’re picking up those skills through trial and error, they’re not being as effective as they could be.
That means the team are suffering the consequences of that ‘ineffective’ period.
Managers are usually seen as being the biggest factor in team satisfaction, engagement and motivation. In a bidding environment with pressure, and high workloads the need to be motivated and engaged to create the best possible bid, and potentially work extra hard to complete it on time is vital. If those positive factors aren’t being created and maintained, people get stressed and often leave.
And not knowing how to do the management and leadership elements of their job isn’t good for bid leaders either.
As a first time manager, there are a whole range of new responsibilities and expectations (from the business and from their team) that the newly promoted manager may not be fully aware of, let alone be fully capable of delivering.
That could include responsibility for team wellbeing, team development, making changes to the team. Or communicating and promoting the value of the bid team to senior management. Justifying, securing and managing the budget for the bid function. Forecasting and a range of other expectations they’ve not had before. Trying to get to grips with all this ‘extra’ responsibility can lead to stress for them. And in a vicious cycle, a stressed manager can have an even more negative impact on their team.
The good news is you can ‘fast track’ how quickly a new
manager gains the capability to manage and lead. If you’re planning ahead, you
can even build those skills for those in your team who are potential future
managers.
There are plenty of external management and
leadership courses you can send bidders onto to learn the skills of management
and leadership. You might even have an internal management course if you’re a
larger organisation.
If you’re leading a bid function already, look beyond more bid writing or process improvement courses, and think about the benefits you, and they will gain from your team learning the core skills of management and leadership.
If you’re a bid manager and want to get onto one of these courses, ask your boss as part of your development planning.
And especially if you’re one of the 45% of bidders who responded to the Bid Solutions 2025 salary survey saying they didn’t have a Personal Development Plan – think about starting with Management and Leadership training to kick off that plan.
It won’t just help you with your current, or next job. As you progress your career, showing you’re a capable manager and leader (of any function) will increasingly be what recruiters and senior management are looking for. Not just your bid writing or bid process skills.
Our Management and Leadership Skills for Bidders course
accelerates how quickly a new manager can learn and integrate good people management
into their bid leadership.
Go to the home page to see what’s included in
the course, and how to sign up.
