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Corporate
Coach Group

Build the Skills Every Successful Manager Needs

Management Development Training 2 days

Effective managers will get the best performance from a team. To be effective, they need to develop key management skills: goal setting, clear communication, time management, conflict management, self-confidence and motivational techniques. This course will show you how to be an effective, competent and confident manager, who will earn respect.

Available as an open course at venues across the UK, as live online training via Microsoft Teams, or as bespoke in-house training tailored to your organisation.

★★★★★
"Very informative and well set out. I found the time keeping and productivity portion most helpful. Marco was very upbeat and kept the group working to the same goal." - Dennis Edwards, Flint House
CPD Accredited
Established 1997
12 CPD Hours
Delivery Options Upcoming Dates

Course Overview

What is Management Development Training?

The Management Development Programme is a structured two-day course that builds the core practical skills every manager needs to manage people and performance effectively. Unlike general leadership training, this programme focuses on the day-to-day mechanics of management: setting clear goals and standards, communicating expectations, resolving conflict, managing time and inspiring your team to perform at their best.

On day one you begin by identifying the areas of performance you most want to improve. The morning covers goal setting and clear communication; the afternoon focuses on rational conflict management and performance conversations. You will learn to manage difficult situations professionally, not emotionally, and leave with a personal action plan covering the changes you will make immediately.

Day two develops your time management and delegation skills in the morning, helping you shift from reactive firefighting to proactive, planned management. In the afternoon we explore emotional management and team motivation: how to maintain confidence under pressure and inspire your team to give their best effort, even in difficult circumstances.

By the end of the programme you will have a comprehensive, evidence-based framework for managing people and a concrete plan for applying every skill the moment you return to work.

Core Skills

The Key Skills Covered

The Management Development Programme builds six core management competencies. These are the practical skills that determine how effectively you manage performance, develop your people and achieve results through others.

  1. 1

    Clear Goal Setting

    Set specific, ambitious and worthwhile goals and commit to them until they are achieved. Everything a manager does is directed towards a goal; if that goal is unclear, effort is wasted and results suffer. Clear goal setting is the first habit of highly effective managers.

  2. 2

    Excellent Communication Skills

    Communicate your ideas clearly so that others understand, agree and act accordingly. Use positive, affirmative language to get better results from your team. Minimise misunderstandings by being specific, precise and structured in everything you say and write.

  3. 3

    Time Management, Prioritisation and Delegation

    Make the best possible progress in the minimum amount of time. Stop confusing busyness with productivity. Prioritise the work that matters most, plan ahead to prevent problems, and delegate effectively to develop your team and free your own time for higher-value activity.

  4. 4

    Rational Conflict Management

    Handle conflict and difficult conversations professionally, not emotionally. Learn to use objective language, protect the other person's self-esteem and reach a constructive resolution. Know when to stand firm and when to compromise, and always keep the focus on future behaviour rather than past mistakes.

  5. 5

    Self-Motivation and Emotional Management

    Maintain optimism and confidence under pressure. Learn what causes your emotions and how to manage them. Eliminate worry and replace it with rational self-confidence. It is impossible to inspire others if you cannot first inspire yourself.

  6. 6

    Inspire and Motivate Others

    Instil self-belief, enthusiasm and a positive mental attitude in your team. Use appreciation, praise and the power of suggestion to create an environment where people give their best effort willingly. Help others feel stronger, more optimistic and more capable.

Who Is This Course For?

Who Should Attend This Management Development Training Course?

Designed for practising managers who want a structured, reliable approach to managing people and performance.

Senior Managers

Strengthen your management approach and build a systematic framework for performance management across your team.

Middle Managers

Build the practical people management skills to manage upwards, downwards and across the organisation effectively.

Front-Line Team Leaders

Develop the day-to-day management skills that produce consistent, high-quality results from your team.

Newly Promoted Managers

Get the management toolkit you were never given when you were promoted and build your confidence quickly.

Also an excellent choice for HR and L&D professionals building a management development pathway across their organisation, technical specialists stepping into a management role for the first time, and experienced managers who have never received formal management training.

Course Agenda

Management Development Training Course Details

1

Day 1 • Morning • Management foundations, goal setting and communication

Establish what great management looks like, develop your own style and master the communication skills that get clarity and commitment from your team.

We begin by defining what management actually is and why it matters. Most people are promoted to management on account of their technical skills, yet the role of a manager is fundamentally different: it is about getting the best performance from other people. We explore the key distinction between doing the work yourself and enabling others to do it better, and why making this shift is the first step towards effective management.
Every manager has a natural style, but the most effective managers develop a conscious, intentional approach. Through self-assessment and reflection you will identify your current strengths and the areas where you need to grow. Rather than copying another manager's style, you develop an approach that is authentic to you and effective with your team.
Goal setting is the foundation of every managerial activity. Without a clear goal, effort is diffuse and results are inconsistent. We cover how to set goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound, and how to communicate them in a way that gains your team's genuine commitment. You will practise setting real goals for your own development during the course.
Effective managers ask questions that open thinking rather than close it. We cover the difference between closed, leading and open questions, and how to use questioning techniques to coach your team, diagnose problems early and draw out better solutions. The right question, asked at the right time, is one of the most powerful tools a manager has.
Appropriate humour builds rapport, reduces tension and makes your team more receptive. We cover how to use humour constructively in a management context without undermining authority or professionalism, and how to recognise when humour is counterproductive. The goal is to create a positive atmosphere without crossing boundaries that damage your credibility.
Most management problems stem from poor communication. We teach a structured approach to conveying your message clearly: defining your terms, using precise and quantitative language, checking for understanding and avoiding the ambiguity that causes misunderstandings. You will leave with practical techniques you can apply immediately in team meetings, one-to-ones and written communications.
The words you choose have a direct effect on how your team responds. Affirmative, positive instructions direct the mind towards the desired outcome, whereas negative instructions focus attention on what to avoid and often produce the opposite of what you intended. We explore the psychology behind this and practise reframing common management instructions to be more effective.
Every team includes at least one cynic: someone who habitually expects failure and tries to convince others to expect the same. Left unchecked, cynicism spreads and damages team morale. We give you a clear strategy for managing cynical behaviour constructively, distinguishing it from genuine critical thinking, and redirecting negative energy towards problem-solving.
The suggestions we make to our team members have a powerful effect on their beliefs and behaviour. We explore how to frame goals, tasks and expectations in a way that builds confidence and commitment rather than doubt and resistance. This module ties together the communication themes of the morning into a practical approach to influencing team performance through language.
1

Day 1 • Afternoon • Conflict management, performance and action planning

Learn to handle conflict and poor performance rationally rather than emotionally, use body language and assertiveness with confidence, and finish the day with a personal action plan.

Conflict is inevitable in any team; how you respond to it defines your effectiveness as a manager. We introduce a rational framework for managing disagreements that keeps conversations productive rather than personal. You will learn to de-escalate tension before it causes lasting damage and to address performance issues in a way that preserves working relationships.
One of the most important principles in conflict management is protecting the other person's self-esteem. When someone feels humiliated or attacked, they become defensive and rational conversation becomes impossible. We show you how to address the behaviour without attacking the person, so that difficult conversations can reach a constructive conclusion.
Emotional language inflames conflict; objective language resolves it. We cover the difference between subjective statements (opinions, labels, judgements) and objective statements (facts, behaviours, observable evidence), and how to make this shift consistently in performance conversations and difficult feedback situations.
Theory alone is not enough. We use structured practice exercises to help delegates apply the conflict management principles covered so far. You will work through realistic management scenarios, practise the language and techniques discussed and receive feedback on your approach. The goal is to build confidence so you can handle difficult conversations calmly and constructively back in the workplace.
A core management skill is knowing when an explanation is a genuine reason that requires a practical solution, and when it is an excuse that needs to be addressed directly. We give you a clear framework for making that distinction without being dismissive, and for maintaining high standards while remaining fair and supportive.
Arguments about past events rarely resolve anything; they simply generate more conflict. We explore why focusing on past mistakes is counterproductive in a management context and how to redirect conversations towards future behaviour and solutions. The question is not who was wrong, but what we will do differently from now on.
Knowing when to hold a position and when to adapt is a sign of mature management judgement. We explore the criteria for deciding which course of action is appropriate, and how to communicate your decision in a way that retains your team's respect regardless of the outcome. Compromise is sometimes right; capitulation never is.
Non-verbal communication carries significant weight in management conversations, particularly in high-stakes situations. You will learn how posture, eye contact, pace and tone of voice interact with your verbal message to either reinforce or undermine what you are saying, and how to align your non-verbal signals with your intended message.
Praise and appreciation are among the most powerful and cost-effective management tools available, yet they are consistently under-used. We discuss why genuine, specific recognition matters, how to deliver it in a way that motivates rather than embarrasses, and how to build a culture of appreciation that sustains high performance over time.
Day one closes with a structured review of the key concepts covered in the morning and afternoon sessions. Each delegate completes a personal action plan identifying the specific changes they will make on returning to work, together with measurable goals and timescales for each.
2

Day 2 • Morning • Time management, delegation and productivity

Move from reactive firefighting to proactive management by mastering prioritisation, delegation and the habits that separate genuinely productive managers from merely busy ones.

Management time pressure is unique: you are balancing your own output, your team's output and broader organisational priorities simultaneously. We introduce a management-specific time management framework that addresses all three levels and gives you a structured approach to organising your week for maximum impact.
Busyness is not the same as productivity. A manager who is permanently reactive, constantly in meetings and perpetually firefighting is not managing well; they are simply keeping up. We examine the habits and assumptions that create the illusion of productivity while consuming time without generating real value, and how to shift from activity to results.
The urgency and importance matrix identifies four categories of work. The most valuable quadrant, Q2, contains important but non-urgent activities: planning, training, relationship-building and prevention. Most managers spend too much time in Q1 (urgent and important, i.e. firefighting) because they neglect Q2. We show you how to protect time for Q2 work and reduce the fires that demand your constant attention.
Time is lost to three categories of wasters: self-generated (procrastination, poor planning, perfectionism), people-generated (unnecessary interruptions, poorly run meetings, unclear requests) and systems-generated (duplicated effort, unclear processes). We diagnose which category causes you the most significant loss and address each with targeted strategies.
A scored self-assessment questionnaire helps you identify your personal time management strengths and weaknesses across multiple dimensions. Your results guide the remainder of the morning's content and feed directly into your personal action plan, ensuring the learning is immediately relevant to your specific situation.
Delegation is one of the highest-leverage activities available to a manager. It frees your time for higher-value work, develops your team members and builds their confidence. Yet it is consistently under-used. We cover the principles of effective delegation: choosing the right task, selecting the right person, specifying outcomes clearly, agreeing check-in points and following up without micromanaging.
Not all tasks are equal. Effective managers distinguish between high-value and low-value activities and concentrate their effort accordingly. We cover practical prioritisation frameworks and show you how to apply them under real pressure, so that the most important work always gets done first, even when everything feels urgent.
Decision-making is a core management responsibility. We explore the principles of sound decision-making: gathering the right information, considering second-order consequences, consulting the right people and avoiding common cognitive biases. You will develop a personal decision-making framework that reduces errors and builds confidence in your judgement.
Interruptions are one of the most significant productivity drains for managers. We cover techniques for protecting focused work time, managing an open-door culture without sacrificing your own output and training your team to solve problems independently before coming to you. The aim is to be accessible without being permanently distracted.
The Pareto Principle holds that roughly 80 per cent of your results come from 20 per cent of your activities. We show you how to identify your high-value 20 per cent, reduce time spent on low-value activities and shift your team's efforts in the same direction. Applied consistently, this principle produces a step-change in individual and team productivity.
The morning concludes with a structured action planning exercise. Delegates identify the three to five time management changes they will implement immediately and set measurable targets for each. This ensures the morning's learning translates directly into changed behaviour back in the workplace.
2

Day 2 • Afternoon • Emotional management, resilience and leadership

Develop the emotional resilience and inspiring presence that defines highly effective managers, and leave with a complete personalised action plan covering all four sessions.

Managers set the emotional tone of their team. Your internal emotional state affects your decisions, your communication and your team's morale. We give you practical techniques for understanding and managing your emotions before, during and after high-pressure situations, so that you respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively.
Emotions do not arise from external events; they arise from your interpretation of those events. Understanding this principle is transformative: it means your emotional responses are not fixed reactions but habits of thought that can be changed. We explore the cognitive basis of emotion and show you how to interrupt unhelpful emotional patterns and replace them with more useful ones.
The expectations you hold about yourself and your team tend to be confirmed by reality. Negative expectations generate self-limiting behaviour; positive expectations generate self-fulfilling results. We examine the psychology of the self-fulfilling prophecy and show you how to use this principle deliberately to raise performance rather than inadvertently limit it.
Fear of failure, fear of confrontation and fear of looking incompetent are among the most common barriers to effective management. We introduce practical techniques for challenging fearful thinking, building genuine self-confidence and maintaining a realistic optimism even in uncertain or high-pressure situations. Confidence is a habit, not a personality trait.
Not all workplace conversations move in a productive direction. Complaints, cynicism and blame are common, and left unchecked they drain energy and damage morale. We give you a structured method for redirecting negative conversations without dismissing people's concerns, channelling the energy of dissatisfaction into problem-solving and constructive action.
A five-part framework for achieving any significant goal: decide clearly what you want; take action; observe results; adapt your approach based on feedback; persist until you succeed. We work through each component in depth and apply it to a real management challenge you are currently facing, giving you a practical tool you can use repeatedly.
Change is constant in modern organisations and many teams resist it. We explore why people resist change, how to communicate change in a way that reduces fear and increases buy-in, and how to sustain momentum through the difficult middle phase when progress is slow and enthusiasm is fading. Effective change management is one of the highest-value skills a manager can develop.
Feedback is one of the most powerful mechanisms for improvement, yet most managers and teams are poor at both giving and receiving it. We cover the principles of effective feedback: being specific and objective, focusing on behaviour rather than personality, linking the feedback to outcomes and following up to ensure the message has landed and the change has been made.
The final session brings together the themes of the afternoon and ties them back to the broader course framework. Each delegate completes a comprehensive action plan covering all four sessions, specifying what they will do differently, by when, and how they will measure the change. The post-course portal and three months of free telephone coaching support implementation back in the workplace.

Availability and Pricing

Delivery Options

Choose the delivery format that best fits your schedule and team.

All options deliver the same high-quality content.

Online Live Training

£700 +VAT

per delegate

Interactive live sessions delivered via Teams using our superior green-screen technology.

  • Same content as face-to-face
  • Learn from home or office
  • Delivered via MS Teams
  • Laptop or tablet with webcam
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Most Popular

Open Course

£900 +VAT

per delegate

Early bird offers available

Join scheduled courses at venues across the UK including London, Birmingham, Manchester & more.

  • Venues across the UK
  • 9:00 am to 4:30 pm
  • Tea and coffee from 8:45 am
  • Network with peers
Book Open Course

Bespoke In-House

£2250+VAT

per training day

We come to you. Training delivered at your premises, tailored to your team's specific needs.

  • Your premises or online
  • Tailored to your organisation
  • Dates to suit your schedule
  • We can train in your timezone
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All Our Training Includes

Full 2 days of expert training delivered by an experienced trainer
CPD-endorsed course: 12 CPD training hours (plus 2-3 additional hours via post-course online learning)
Full digital interactive course notes
Official training certificate
Access to free additional training material via our post-course portal
3 months of free telephone coaching while you implement your learning

Questions? Call 020 3856 3037 or 01452 856091

Upcoming Dates

Next Available Course Dates

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No upcoming dates are currently listed.
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Contact Us

Frequently Asked Questions

Course FAQs

You can book directly online via our course dates page, call us on 020 3856 3037, or make an enquiry and we will call you back. We accept payment by BACS, cheque or credit card. Once booked, you will receive a confirmation email with full joining instructions.
Yes. We can deliver this course exclusively for your team at your premises or online, on dates to suit you. Bespoke in-house training is priced per day rather than per delegate, making it cost-effective for groups of four or more. We can also tailor the content to address your organisation's specific challenges.
A management development programme is a structured course designed to build the core competencies every manager needs to manage people and performance effectively. Unlike general leadership training, a management development programme focuses on the practical, day-to-day skills of managing: setting clear goals and standards, communicating expectations, handling conflict, managing time and delegating effectively. This two-day programme gives managers a complete, evidence-based framework they can apply immediately on returning to work.
Most people are promoted to management positions on account of their technical skills and experience. However, management requires a completely different set of skills: goal setting, communication, conflict management, time management and the ability to inspire others. Management development training bridges that gap, giving you the structured knowledge and practical tools to succeed as a manager rather than simply as an individual contributor.
Effective managers have a disproportionate impact on organisational performance. A well-managed team is more productive, more engaged and less likely to experience high turnover. Poor management, by contrast, is consistently cited as the primary reason people leave organisations. Investing in management development is therefore one of the highest-return activities any organisation can undertake.
Yes, the training is highly interactive. Sessions include group discussions, exercises, case studies and individual action planning. The trainer actively teaches expert content rather than simply facilitating discussion, so delegates leave with structured knowledge they can apply immediately. The style is engaging and practical throughout.
After completing this course, you will have a clear framework of the six key management skills and know how to apply each one in your day-to-day role. Most delegates report feeling significantly more confident in handling difficult conversations, prioritising their workload and motivating their team. You will also leave with a concrete personal action plan covering the specific changes you have committed to make, supported by three months of free telephone coaching.
The course attracts managers at all levels, from newly promoted team leaders to experienced senior managers. Delegates come from a wide range of sectors including finance, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, professional services and the public sector. What they share is a desire to get the best performance from themselves and the people around them. The course is equally valuable whether you are new to management or have years of experience but have never had formal management training.
Open courses run from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. Delegates are welcome to arrive from 8:45 am; tea and coffee are available from that time. The course includes mid-morning and mid-afternoon breaks plus a lunch break.

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On This Page

  1. 1 Course Overview
  2. 2 Key Skills
  3. 3 Who Should Attend
  4. 4 Course Agenda
  5. 5 Delivery Options
  6. 6 Upcoming Dates
  7. 7 FAQs

Book This Course

Online Live Training £700 +VAT
Open Course £900 +VAT
Bespoke In-House £2250 +VAT/day
Book Open Course Enquire About In-House

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Customer Reviews

What Delegates Say About This Course

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★★★★★

"Fantastic course! Great material and very well delivered. Timing was spot on and I found all of the content helpful. Trainer presentation was Perfect, Thank you! "

Phil Allen

Humbly Grove Energy

★★★★★

"The two-day course was very helpful and covered many topics. The trainer linked the modules together very well so they were easy to understand. Time management and human psychology modules were particularly beneficial. Took notes and adopted methods that I will go on to implement in the work place. Chris is a fantastic trainer and delivers his message in an easy to understand manner."

Dan Acutt

Searls Land

★★★★★

"I thought the course content was interesting and I am looking forward to applying the skills and techniques offered throughout. Having managed a team for five years without this information, it will be interesting to see the changes after practising these skills. The trainer kept me engaged throughout and interested in what was being presented. I can often be quite easily distracted but I found the course content and delivery interesting."

Lara Perea-Poole

Issey Miyake

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Ready to Develop Your Management Skills?

Join our next open course, book a live online training session, or speak to us about tailored in-house delivery for your management team.

Book Open Course Enquire about In-House

Or speak to a member of our team directly:

020 3856 3037 01452 856091