Live online sessions : Small group action based learning + 1:1 coaching : 24 weeks
Being a manager is tough!
When you first become a manager, you think you need to know everything from day one. How to delegate, give feedback, coach underperforming team members. You have to make decisions that you feel horribly underequipped to make and, of course, you need to develop your team. An amazing, close knit, high performing team.
And you have to do this all under the watchful eye of your manager and your new team members.
It’s no wonder the joy of a promotion is soon overridden by the feeling of overwhelm and loss of confidence. Someone who was successful in their individual role suddenly needs to figure out how to be successful through others. It’s a big ask.
As time goes by, managers somehow find a way to do the job. But is it the best way? Is it the way that will develop high performing teams? Are they working on the important work that helps the business achieve it’s goals? Are they the manager you need them to be?
As a business, how do you help your managers excel?
Obviously you hope their manager will coach them. But lack of time in our busy world can limit this. And coaching is not a skill that comes naturally to some, so results can vary dramatically.
If any formal training is given, it’s traditionally a day or two tucked away in a classroom. Better than nothing for sure, but times have changed and there are more engaging ways to share learnings and put them into practice in the real world. In addition, the one off formal sessions provide little support or sustainment beyond that point.
So here’s the challenge…
How do we best support our managers to help our businesses succeed? The feedback I’ve been getting from businesses is that training would be more valuable if we could overcome the following challenges.
Introducing The Smarter Manager Coaching Programme
The programme is a mix of one to one coaching and live group sessions over a 24 week period. We kick off with a series of group sessions of up to 6 people. All live and online, they’re collaborative, active learning sessions that require only two hours participation a week. These are followed by one to one coaching sessions to focus on the personal development goals of each student.
It will tackle the manager’s most difficult challenges, allowing them to use the techniques and strategies on the job and come back to the next session and share new insights and ask any additional questions.
Small group session help them to develop peer support even after the programme has ended. And best of all, the content of the course is driven by them, based on the areas they (and their manager) feel they need the most support. This means the programme provides tailored, actionable coaching to build the right mindset and relevant skills.
All the sessions are live, online video sessions. This minimises time away from the day job and enables crucial ongoing support as they apply their learnings each week.
Here’s how it works
Week 1 : Intros
Two activities here
- A chat with the manager attending the programme to understand what they want to get out of the next 24 weeks.
- A chat with their boss to get their thoughts on what areas we should focus on
One of the big takeaways from these sessions is to identify the biggest challenge the manager would like to conquer. We take this – and add it to the challenges identified by the other programme members – and this provides the input into our Toolkit section in weeks 6-11
Week 2 – 5 : The Foundation
Now we kick off the group coaching sessions and cover some fundamentals before we tackle the techniques.
- Mindset
- Self Awareness
- Building Relationships
Week 6 – 11 : Building the Toolkit
Remember the big challenges identified from the one to ones? Well, we use these as the fuel for the next six sessions. This enables us to have real life examples to demonstrate tools and techniques that will support the manager well.
Of course, we don’t know what we will cover in each programme but types of things may include being more assertive, team motivation, coaching under performers and managing conflict.
It’s the method we use here to learn and reflect that is the most important technique from this section. The managers can apply this to the challenges they will inevitably encounter in the future.
Week 12 : The Review
This session is used to review what we have learnt over the last few weeks and fill in any gaps. We also start thinking about the 90 day plan to focus on over the next three months.
Week 12 – 24 : The 90 Day Plan
It’s doesn’t end here. We wrap up this section with a one to one coaching session to review a 90 day plan the manager will have created. This plan will become their accountability plan that they will discuss with their manager – identifying what they would like to achieve, the success criteria and what support they will need.
Managers will have the opportunity to set up three more hours of one to one coaching sessions over that 90 day period.
We then wrap up the programme, at the end of the 90 day period with a final group session. Sharing successes, new learnings and plans for the future. And hopefully discussion on how they can continue to support each other as a peer group now the programme has come to an end
Here’s what the students say
“You can tailor what you want from the course. Debbie works with you in advance to determine what you want from the programme”
“Learning in bite size chunks each week is beneficial, with opportunity to ‘use’ what you have learnt before the next session, and feedback to the group next time”.
“The Daily Review and Reflection approach works as it encourages you to spend 5 mins at the end of the day thinking about what did and didn’t go well and why. You then think what could I have done differently”
BENEFITS FOR THE MANAGER
Ongoing support
A chance to get clarification, share experiences as they act on what they learn. A safe place to ask questions and ask for help.
Actionable content
No information overwhelm. Short sessions focus on actionable steps that they can implement immediately
Personalised Content
The content is based on the challenges they are facing. We’ll cover proven techniques, share experiences and hold them accountable to take action.
A learned approach
As well as learning the tools and techniques to support them now, they learn an approach to tackle the challenges they will inevitably face in the future.
BENEFITS FOR THE BUSINESS
Less Disruption
Two hours per week makes it easier to fit around the day job. And it’s online so you don’t even need to factor in travel time.
Your Input
You know where your manager needs help, but you may not have the time to give it. Have your input, we’ll coach them, you give them a helping hand when needed.
Enhanced Accountability
The other programme members will be expecting to hear their updates on actions taken and lessons learnt. Teams rock!
Continuous learning
Bitesize chunks of learning enables fast action. The frequency of the sessions allows for the outcomes to be discussed and revisited
NEXT PROGRAMME STARTS IN MARCH 2018
Intake is limited to 6 students per programme
WHAT'S INCLUDED?
This includes:
4 one to one coaching sessions (60 minutes each)
12 group sessions (120 minutes each)
Access to recordings of the group sessions (private to the group), additional resources and templates relevant to each session.
Ongoing email support from myself and the rest of the group in between sessions.
Support in creating a 90 day action plan following the programme
A final group session to reflect on learnings, share successes and plan for the challenges ahead
The cost of the programme, inclusive of everything above, is
£1250 per person ($1590 USD)
DATES
Now reserving places for March 2018
All sessions are recorded for future reference.
THE COMMITMENT
THE TIME
In addition to the two hours a week, there will be about 30 minutes of preparation and reflection to do each week.
THE MINDSET
New Managers attending this programme must come with an open mind, and willingness to learn. Be prepared to challenge and most likely surprise themselves. Be as eager to give to the sessions as much as they are taking away.
THE TECHNOLOGY
We use video conferencing software (ZOOM.us) so you will need an internet connection and a webcam. Yes, we will use video. No, it’s not as painful as you think 😉
What to do next?
If you’d like to join the programme, or you would like more information, just email me at
Debbie@newhire365.com
(Oh and if you are still deciding, read on for more reasons why this will be so much more valuable than a couple of days in a classroom)
What makes this Smarter Manager Coaching Programme different to traditional training?
This programme has been designed to overcome the limitations of a classroom based training course.
“Traditional training is too cookie cutter. It doesn’t proactively address what the manager really needs”
This programme is driven by the programme attendees, based on the areas they feel they need the most support.
The learning approach is low on powerpoints, high on discussing options, applying what they have learnt and reflecting on further insights from that experience. The programme is dynamic all the way through, flexible to meet the needs of the programme attendees.
“Any one can learn the skills, but you need to change the mindset. And that doesn’t happen in 48 hours”
This programme is based on two key concepts – self awareness and the ability to learn. These learnings are the foundations for the rest of the programme and will be constantly revisited throughout the twelve weeks and the support as they work on their 90 day action plan beyond the programme.
“Classroom training is too much of a ‘time suck’ “
This programme is delivered over 24 weeks, split into manageable sessions of up to 2 hours. The sessions are online, video sessions, minimising time away from the day job.
“There’s no accountability after the training that the manager will actually apply what they have learnt”
This programme is all about accountability. At the end of each session, each person commits to an action to apply the learnings. We kick off the start of the next session with reflections and new insights after trying it out for real. And of course, this gives them the opportunity ask more questions or seek further clarification.
“They are surrounded by people that could become a great support network, but don’t have enough time to get to know them”.
These managers will grow and learn together over the 12 weeks of group sessions. Plenty of opportunity to build the relationships to last beyond the programme.
“The in depth coaching programmes are too expensive. Only an option for big companies and then probably only for their ‘high flyers’ “
If coaching is not provided to managers, they are not the only ones to suffer. Morale of their team, and efficiencies in the business will be detrimentally impacted by a manager who doesn’t have the right mindset and skill set. The intention is to keep this programme an affordable option for business who do not have huge employee development budgets.
Interested?
Email me with any questions or to register your interest