Managing People Training Course

Duration 5 days 10 modules · 33 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends New Managers, Team Leaders and others
Fee from USD 1,100 KSh 95,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-LD-269

Before you join: Participants should have some experience working in a team and familiarity with normal workplace reporting relationships.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Managing people requires more than allocating tasks and monitoring results. Managers must set clear expectations, build trust, address performance shortfalls, resolve conflict, develop capability and make fair decisions under operational pressure. When these responsibilities are handled inconsistently, teams experience unclear priorities, delayed delivery, avoidable turnover and escalating employee relations issues.

This course develops the practical management skills required to lead day-to-day work with confidence and discipline. Participants learn to establish role clarity, adapt their management approach, communicate expectations, delegate effectively, give useful feedback, conduct performance conversations, coach employees and handle difficult behaviour. The course also addresses motivation, team dynamics, conflict resolution, inclusion and decision-making within established organisational policies.

Teaching combines focused instructor briefings with realistic management cases, group analysis, role-played conversations, simulations and peer feedback. Participants apply methods to situations such as missed deadlines, disengaged employees, conflict between colleagues, new-manager transitions and underperformance in regulated or customer-facing teams. Each participant leaves with a practical people-management toolkit, including conversation structures, performance documentation templates, delegation plans and a 90-day management action plan.

The course is suited to managers who already supervise staff or are preparing to take formal responsibility for a team. It is particularly relevant for professionals moving from technical, operational, project or client-service roles into positions where results depend on the performance and commitment of others.

What you will be able to do

  • Apply situational leadership methods to match direction and support to employee capability
  • Set measurable expectations using role priorities, behavioural standards and agreed review points
  • Conduct structured feedback conversations using the SBI model and active listening techniques
  • Delegate assignments with clear authority, constraints, decision rights and accountability measures
  • Manage underperformance through evidence-based conversations, improvement plans and follow-up reviews
  • Use the GROW model to coach employees towards practical development goals
  • Resolve workplace conflict using interest-based problem solving and agreed behavioural commitments
  • Produce a 90-day people-management action plan for an assigned team

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Handle difficult employee conversations with a clear structure and documented next steps
  • Delegate work without losing accountability for quality, deadlines or risk
  • Build credibility with direct reports through consistent expectations and follow-through
  • Coach employees towards stronger performance rather than solving every problem personally
  • Create a practical management routine for priorities, one-to-ones and performance reviews

For your organisation

  • More consistent management standards across teams and reporting lines
  • Earlier identification and correction of performance or conduct concerns
  • Clearer accountability for work quality, delivery dates and decision rights
  • Stronger employee retention through useful feedback, development and recognition
  • Reduced escalation of routine people issues to senior managers or HR

Course modules

10 modules over 5 days

Participants can define their management accountabilities and establish a disciplined weekly management rhythm.

  • Manager accountabilities for output, conduct, capability and team climate
  • Transitioning from peer contributor to accountable manager using role boundaries
  • RACI mapping clarifies decision rights, consultation routes and escalation points
  • Psychological contract expectations surfaced during early manager–employee conversations
  • Weekly management cadence balances delivery, support, review and forward planning
  • Situational Leadership II links management style to competence and commitment

Participants can translate team objectives into clear individual expectations and review measures.

  • SMART objectives connect individual deliverables with team priorities
  • Role scorecards define outputs, standards, deadlines and stakeholder responsibilities
  • Prioritisation distinguishes urgent requests from important planned work
  • Agreeing behavioural expectations prevents ambiguity around conduct and collaboration
  • One-to-one meetings track commitments, obstacles, support needs and development
  • Expectation resets address changed priorities without creating conflicting instructions

Participants can communicate clearly, listen diagnostically and maintain trust during routine management interactions.

  • Message planning separates purpose, audience needs, action and supporting evidence
  • Active listening uses paraphrasing, probing questions and accurate summarising
  • Ladder of Inference identifies assumptions driving premature management conclusions
  • Briefing structures communicate decisions, rationale, responsibilities and review dates
  • Questions distinguish facts, interpretations, concerns and proposed solutions
  • Manager follow-through builds credibility after commitments, concerns and agreed actions

Participants can delegate work with appropriate authority, controls and developmental intent.

  • Delegation analysis separates tasks to retain, assign, share or automate
  • Task briefs specify outcomes, constraints, authority, resources and acceptance criteria
  • Delegation levels match employee readiness with decision-making latitude
  • Checkpoints monitor progress without replacing employee ownership or judgement
  • Authority boundaries clarify when approval, consultation or escalation is required
  • Post-delegation reviews capture lessons, recognise contribution and adjust future assignments

Participants can give timely feedback and recognition that changes observable workplace behaviour.

  • SBI feedback describes situation, observed behaviour and resulting impact
  • Feedforward questions focus discussion on future actions and support
  • Evidence gathering separates observable facts from assumptions and hearsay
  • Balanced feedback recognises strengths while addressing specific performance gaps
  • Recognition methods link contribution to standards, values and team outcomes
  • Receiving feedback constructively models accountability and reduces defensive responses

Participants can diagnose performance concerns and manage fair, documented improvement processes.

  • Performance diagnosis distinguishes skill, will, resource and clarity problems
  • Performance evidence records outputs, dates, standards, impacts and prior support
  • Improvement plans define required change, measures, support and review dates
  • Difficult performance conversations state concerns directly and invite response
  • Root cause analysis tests workload, capability, process and behaviour factors
  • Escalation decisions follow organisational policy, documentation requirements and HR guidance

Participants can use coaching and development planning to build employee capability over time.

  • GROW conversations clarify goals, current reality, options and commitment
  • Coaching questions help employees analyse issues before requesting solutions
  • Development needs identified through performance data, aspirations and role requirements
  • 70-20-10 planning combines work assignments, feedback and formal learning
  • Stretch assignments build capability while maintaining proportionate managerial support
  • Individual development plans specify actions, evidence, deadlines and review points

Participants can strengthen commitment by recognising individual drivers and creating fair team conditions.

  • Motivation diagnosis examines autonomy, mastery, purpose, fairness and recognition
  • Job characteristics model links task design with meaningful employee experience
  • Equitable workload allocation makes visible tasks, opportunities and development access
  • Inclusive meetings distribute airtime, challenge interruptions and record dissenting views
  • Recognition preferences explored without making assumptions about individual motivation
  • Manager actions address disengagement through curiosity, clarity and practical support

Participants can intervene in conflict early and address difficult behaviour with professional clarity.

  • Thomas-Kilmann modes identify competing, avoiding, accommodating, compromising and collaborating responses
  • Interest-based negotiation separates positions from underlying needs and concerns
  • Conflict conversations establish facts, impacts, requests and behavioural commitments
  • Boundary-setting language addresses disrespectful, disruptive or repeated unacceptable behaviour
  • Team norms define meeting conduct, challenge protocols and decision-making practices
  • Mediation preparation identifies parties, issues, evidence, interests and feasible agreements

Participants can lead teams through operational change and implement a focused people-management plan.

  • Change messages explain rationale, local impact, choices and immediate actions
  • Stakeholder mapping identifies supporters, affected groups, blockers and information needs
  • Transition responses recognise uncertainty, loss, learning and renewed commitment
  • Team check-ins surface implementation risks, capability gaps and workload pressures
  • Management dashboard tracks objectives, one-to-ones, development and performance actions
  • Ninety-day action plans schedule priority conversations, routines and review milestones

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Weekly management cadence template
  2. Role scorecard and expectation-setting template
  3. Delegation briefing checklist
  4. SBI feedback conversation planner
  5. Performance improvement plan template
  6. 90-day people-management action plan

Who should attend

  • New Managers — need practical methods for leading former peers and direct reports
  • Team Leaders — need consistent approaches to performance, workload and employee development
  • Supervisors — need confidence handling conduct, attendance and day-to-day people issues
  • Project Managers — need to influence contributors without relying solely on formal authority
  • Technical Specialists — need management methods before taking responsibility for a team
  • Department Heads — need a common management standard for first-line managers

Skills and tools covered

Performance managementCoaching conversationsConstructive feedbackDelegation planningConflict resolutionTeam motivation

Tools and standards

Situational Leadership II, SBI Feedback Model, GROW Model, Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings to introduce management methods, followed by case work, group analysis, simulations and structured peer feedback. Participants practise conversations involving feedback, delegation, coaching, conflict and underperformance, using realistic workplace scenarios. Cases can be adapted for public sector, banking, NGO, corporate or operational settings. Facilitated reflection links each method to participants' own teams, while application planning turns course learning into specific management routines, conversations and follow-up actions.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have some experience working in a team and familiarity with normal workplace reporting relationships. The course is most useful for people who currently supervise others, lead project contributors or expect to assume line-management responsibility soon. Participants should be prepared to discuss realistic people-management situations without disclosing confidential personal information. No previous leadership qualification, coaching certification, human resources training or formal management experience is required. The course does not require prior knowledge of employment law, although participants should follow their organisation's policies and seek HR advice where appropriate.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

You should understand normal workplace reporting relationships and have some experience working in teams. Current or prospective responsibility for staff, project contributors or operational teams will make the course immediately relevant, but no formal management qualification is required.

Bring examples of management situations you need to handle, such as unclear priorities, performance concerns, conflict or delegation challenges. Do not bring confidential personnel files, sensitive employee information or material that breaches organisational policy.

The course is designed for new and experienced first-line managers, supervisors, team leaders and technical professionals moving into management. It also suits project managers who must gain commitment from contributors across functions.

This course concentrates on the daily responsibilities of managing people: setting expectations, delegating, giving feedback, handling performance and resolving conflict. Leadership courses may focus more on strategic direction and influence, while coaching courses focus more deeply on developmental conversations.

Participants leave with templates and conversation structures that can be used in one-to-ones, team meetings, performance reviews and development discussions. The 90-day action plan identifies specific management routines and conversations to implement with their own team.

Each training day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides about 6.5 contact hours. Time is divided between instructor input, cases, group work, simulations, feedback and individual application planning across the ten modules.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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