Managing What Matters
Putting people at the heart of management
People are at the heart of every successful organisation.
Every organisation relies on its people to deliver results, solve problems, build relationships and create value. The way those people are managed has a significant influence on performance, engagement, wellbeing and organisational success.
Yet many managers are promoted because they are good at what they do, not because they have had the opportunity to develop the practical skills needed to manage people well.
Managing What Matters is a practical management development programme that takes managers back to the fundamentals. It helps them build the confidence, judgement and everyday skills needed to manage people fairly, consistently and effectively.
Why Managing What Matters?
At its heart, management is about people.
Good management is built on simple but powerful principles: treating people with fairness and respect, setting clear expectations, listening, encouraging growth, recognising contribution and addressing challenges with confidence and consistency.
We believe that when people feel valued, treated fairly and supported to succeed, organisations perform better.
Good management is not about following the latest trend or having all the answers. It is about creating the conditions where people can do their best work.
Managing What Matters focuses on the everyday practices that build trust, strengthen relationships and improve performance.
Grounded in practical experience and informed by recognised good practice, the programme gives managers useful tools, greater confidence and ideas they can apply immediately in the workplace.
The programme
Managing What Matters is built around six interconnected themes.
Managing with Purpose
Understanding the manager’s role and creating clarity, confidence and direction.
Unlocking Potential
Recognising strengths, motivating others and helping people perform at their best.
Communication & Influence
Building trust through better conversations, active listening and clear communication.
Coaching, Delegation & Development
Helping people grow through effective coaching, meaningful delegation and ongoing development.
Performance Matters
Creating accountability, addressing challenges constructively and supporting consistent performance.
Innovation from Within
Encouraging ideas, curiosity and continuous improvement.
Delivered By
Decades of experience delivering high-impact leadership development
Rebecca Maxwell
Perception Insights
Janis Bovaird-Martinez
John Drysdale
Who is it for?
Managing What Matters is designed for:
- New and aspiring managers
- Team leaders and supervisors
- Experienced managers looking to refresh their management practice
- Technical specialists moving into management roles
- Organisations investing in management capability
The programme can be delivered as an in-house programme tailored to your organisation, or through one of our scheduled Open Programmes.
Choose the right route for you
In-house Programmes
Develop managers across your organisation through a programme designed around your strategy, people, values and culture.
Open Programmes
Join managers from a range of organisations and sectors on one of our scheduled programmes.
In-house Programmes
Building confident managers and stronger organisations
Every organisation depends on the quality of its managers.
Managers influence performance, engagement, wellbeing, retention and organisational culture every day. Yet many are promoted into management with limited preparation and are expected to balance operational demands while supporting and developing their people.
When management practice is inconsistent, employees can experience very different standards of communication, support, decision-making and fairness. Difficult conversations may be avoided, expectations can become unclear and good people can become frustrated or disengaged.
Investing in management capability is not simply about developing individuals. It is about creating a shared and consistent approach to management across the organisation.
Why invest in management development?
When managers share a common understanding of what good management looks like, organisations can benefit from greater consistency and confidence.
Good management does not happen by accident. It develops through clear expectations, practical learning and opportunities to apply new skills in the workplace.
- Greater consistency in management practice
- More confident and capable managers
- Fairer and more consistent decision-making
- Better communication across teams
- Stronger accountability and performance
- Improved employee engagement and wellbeing
- Better retention and internal progression
- Greater confidence in managing change
Designed around your organisation
Managing What Matters provides a proven framework, but every in-house programme is shaped around the organisation we are working with.
We work with you to understand your strategic priorities, people challenges and organisational context.
Together, we agree the desired outcomes, the management behaviours you want to strengthen and the measures that will help demonstrate success.
The programme can be adapted to reflect:
- Your organisational strategy
- Your people strategy
- Your values and behaviours
- Your culture
- Your management expectations
- Current organisational priorities
- The experience and needs of your managers
Our approach
Discover
We begin by understanding your organisation, your managers and the challenges you want the programme to address.
Design
We shape the content, format and learning experience around your objectives, culture and organisational context.
Deliver
We provide practical, engaging sessions grounded in real management situations and recognised good practice.
Apply
Participants are encouraged to use their learning between sessions, reflect on their experience and apply practical tools in the workplace.
Evaluate
We work with you to review progress, assess impact and identify opportunities to strengthen and embed the learning.
Learning that makes a lasting difference
We believe managers learn best by doing.
Alongside practical models and tools, the programme can include experiential learning, discussion, reflection, workplace application, action learning and real organisational challenges.
Participants have the opportunity to share experiences, test ideas and consider how their learning applies within their own teams.
Our aim is not simply to deliver an enjoyable programme. It is to create meaningful and lasting changes in how managers think, behave and support their people.
Measuring success
From the outset, we work with you to define what success looks like.
Evaluation can be designed around measures such as:
- Participant confidence and capability
- Changes in management behaviour
- Feedback from participants and their teams
- Employee engagement and wellbeing
- Retention and internal progression
- Organisational performance indicators
- Measures linked to your strategic objectives
Where appropriate, we can also help you consider Return on Investment and Return on Expectation, ensuring the programme delivers value for participants, managers and the wider organisation.
A trusted partner
Managing What Matters is delivered by experienced facilitators who understand the realities of organisational life.
We have worked with organisations across the corporate, public and third sectors, supporting managers at different stages of their development.
We combine recognised good practice with practical experience and work collaboratively with clients from initial design through to delivery and evaluation.
We do not simply deliver training and walk away. We work alongside you to build management capability that supports your people, your culture and your organisation.
Let’s explore what is right for your organisation
Every organisation is different.
We would welcome the opportunity to understand your priorities, discuss your people strategy and explore how Managing What Matters could support your managers.
Open Programmes
Take time to invest in your management practice
Our Open Programmes bring together managers from a range of organisations and sectors to learn, share experiences and develop practical approaches to managing people.
Whether you are new to management or looking to refresh your skills, Managing What Matters provides a supportive and engaging learning experience that can be applied immediately in the workplace.
The programme combines practical tools, discussion, reflection and workplace application. It is designed around real management challenges rather than management theory.
Join an Open Programme
From time to time, we run Managing What Matters as an open programme for individuals who want to take part, rather than as part of an in-house organisational programme.
Open programmes may be online or in person.
If you’d like to hear about future opportunities, tell us which format interests you and we’ll be in touch when a suitable programme becomes available.
What you will explore
The programme covers six core themes:
- Managing with Purpose
- Unlocking Potential
- Communication & Influence
- Coaching, Delegation & Development
- Performance Matters
- Innovation from Within
Every session focuses on practical management situations, giving participants ideas, tools and techniques they can use with their own teams.
Who should attend?
Managing What Matters is suitable for:
- New and aspiring managers
- Team leaders and supervisors
- Experienced managers looking to refresh their practice
- Technical specialists moving into management roles
- Managers whose organisations do not run an in-house management development programme
The mix of participants is one of the strengths of the programme. It creates opportunities to learn from different sectors, share experiences and build useful professional relationships.
Why choose an Open Programme?
An Open Programme provides space to step away from the day-to-day demands of work and reflect on how you manage.
Book your place
Places on the Edinburgh Open Programme can be booked online.
For questions about the programme, suitability or booking, please contact us.
Participants benefit from:
- Practical tools and techniques
- Time to reflect on their own management practice
- Learning from managers in other organisations
- Opportunities to discuss real workplace challenges
- Greater confidence in managing people
- Ideas that can be applied immediately
Places are limited to maintain an interactive and supportive learning environment.