Developing Managers

The first step on the management ladder can often be the hardest. Promotion into management is a significant career achievement, but one which also brings new responsibilities, demanding a broader suite of capabilities in areas such as HR, finance or team management.

New managers may also be asked to implement strategic decisions made by the senior management team, and have to decide on the best way to achieve required results. As a result, new managers often need support if they are to make a real contribution in the workplace.

Why choose the Developing Managers programme


'Developing Managers' is a fast and effective programme designed to introduce new managers to the tools they need to do their job, and to do it well. Designed specifically for those recently promoted out of an operational role, the six-session programme introduces the suite of competencies necessary for effective frontline management - above operations but not yet fully involved in strategic decision-making. While referencing discrete capabilities, the programme emphasises the holistic nature of good management, and shows how it contributes to the achievement of organisational goals.

The programme is also an excellent diagnostic tool, enabling new managers - and their employers - to understand their strengths while highlighting areas where capacity needs to be built. As a result, the programme is an ideal stepping-stone into more formal, or more focused, accredited management courses.

'Developing Managers' represents an essential first step in the professional development of new managers in any sector.

Core features


  • An introduction to essential practical and strategic capabilities for first-time managers.
  • Six sessions over three days.
  • Relevant to all sectors and organisations.
  • Course leaders combine industry expertise with academic insights to deliver practical understanding and theoretical depth.
  • Delivered at the University's Cambridge and Chelmsford campuses to minimise travel time from across the region.
  • Can be tailored to create a bespoke course.

Delivery

The programme is delivered in Cambridge and Chelmsford by course leaders experienced in both industry and research, giving delegates a rare opportunity to access direct business knowledge and current theoretical understanding.

Delegate groups are small - a maximum of 18 per programme - and each course is delivered using interactive workshop techniques designed to encourage maximum engagement and involvement. Case studies play a significant role, and will reflect the background of the delegate group to ensure relevance; the programme as a whole is open to new managers from any sector or type of organisation, and can be tailored to meet more specific needs to create a bespoke programme for in-house or on-campus delivery.

Developing Managers

Key benefits


For new managers:

  • A fast, efficient introduction to the new manager's role.
  • Builds confidence through an understanding of core capabilities and managerial theory.
  • Workshop-style delivery ensures active engagement, with case studies carefully selected for relevance and impact.
  • Mixed delegate groups new and different management experiences.

For employers:

  • Immediate support for new managers to build capability and improve workplace performance.
  • Reveals both strengths and weaknesses to steer professional development strategies and succession planning.
  • Programme can be tailored for individual organisations to maximise relevance.


The Courses

Frontline management: The art and science of management for improved performance

An overview of the new manager's role, the contexts in which they may operate, and how to ensure efficiency and effectiveness at the 'frontline'.


Managing people: Achieving business goals through teamwork

New managers are often unused to the complex reality of managing people; this course looks at how to achieve goals through teamwork, and reviews the fundamentals of HR.
Managing client relationships - 'Where the rubber hits the road'

All new managers have 'clients' - whether external or internal, and this course considers the ways in which diverse business practices come together to meet client demands. The session assists new managers to understand, anticipate and meet client needs.
Managing client relationships II: Quality management in practice

Using basic marketing principles, this session explores the practice and theory of quality assurance and continuous improvement in the context of client relationships.
Finance fundamentals for Frontline Managers

This broad overview of finance basics helps new managers understand how tools such as profit and loss statements or balance sheets are essential underpinnings to good decision-making.
Strategy at the Frontline

Although rarely involved in developing core strategy, new managers will be asked to meet strategic goals. This final capstone session looks at how the new manager can bring together all the competencies discussed so far, in the context of strategic drivers, and emphasises the holistic nature of management and the vital role each capability plays in delivering success.
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