Course Description

Management Essentials is designed to set you up for success as a manager and equip you with the fundamental skills of effective management. Whether you are new to management, have been managing for a while without formal training, or simply want to refresh your approach, this practical two-day workshop will give you the tools, confidence, and mindset to lead others effectively.

The course explores the evolving expectations of managers — from directing tasks to inspiring performance, developing people, and managing change with confidence. You'll learn how attitude and behaviour shape success, and how to translate insight into practical action in your daily management practice.

Target Student

This course is ideal for:

• Newly appointed or aspiring managers looking to build confidence and core management skills.
• Experienced team leaders or supervisors who have not received formal management training.
• Established managers seeking a refresher or wanting to update their approach to reflect modern management practices.
• Professionals preparing for promotion into a management or team-leader role.

Pre-requisites

There are no formal pre-requisites. However, delegates will benefit most if they:

• Currently manage, supervise or coordinate others (or will do so soon).
• Can bring examples of real-life management challenges from their workplace to discuss and apply learning to.
• Complete a short pre-course reflection (provided before the workshop) identifying their key management strengths and challenges.

Performance Based Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Understand their role and responsibilities as a manager.
• Identify different management and leadership styles, and when to apply them.
• Give constructive feedback and have confident performance conversations.
• Understand what motivates individuals and teams, and how to harness it.
• Communicate clearly, confidently and with purpose.
• Build trust, engagement and strong working relationships.
• Use one-to-one coaching techniques to develop others.
• Manage time and priorities effectively.
• Delegate appropriately to build capability.
• Apply strategic and commercial thinking to day-to-day decisions.
• Support motivation, resilience and performance through change.

Course Content

Day 1 – The Foundations of Management

• Understanding the Manager's Role: Exploring what's expected of managers today; balancing people, task and results; management vs. leadership.
• Seeing the Bigger Picture: Understanding how your role connects to the organisation's strategy, values and goals.
• Delegation and Leadership in Action: How to delegate effectively; matching tasks to capability; building trust through empowerment.
• Building Trust and Team Performance: Stages of team development (Tuckman model); creating psychological safety; understanding team dynamics.
• Coaching and Growing Others: Introduction to coaching conversations (GROW model); questioning and listening skills; helping others find their own solutions.
• Managing Expectations and Ambition: Setting SMART objectives; aligning individual and organisational goals; supporting career growth.

Day 2 – The Skills of Effective Management

• Communicating with Clarity and Purpose: Adapting communication styles; managing remote or hybrid communication; active listening and empathy.
• Feedback and Difficult Conversations: Using the SBI model; handling defensiveness; staying constructive and forward-focused.
• Influencing with Impact: Understanding influence styles; building credibility and trust; influencing upwards and across teams.
• Navigating and Leading Change: Supporting teams through uncertainty; managing reactions to change (Kubler-Ross model).
• Motivation and Resilience: What drives motivation (Herzberg, Self-Determination Theory); supporting wellbeing and maintaining team morale.
• Strategic and Commercial Thinking: Seeing the bigger business picture; understanding value, cost, and priorities; making commercially sound decisions.
• Time and Priority Management: Practical tools for managing workload; prioritisation frameworks (Eisenhower Matrix); dealing with competing demands.
• Future-Ready Recruitment: Selecting for potential and values fit; behavioural interviewing; avoiding "mini-me" bias.
• Performance Management: Setting standards; monitoring progress; addressing underperformance constructively.