By the later part of the year, development needs usually become clearer. You can see who has stepped up well and who is starting to struggle, where confidence is missing and where standards need strengthening. Rather than starting from a list of courses, it helps to start from the person you already have in mind.
1. For People About to Step Up, or Recently Promoted
Some people are promoted because they are excellent at the job: reliable, respected and the obvious person to step up. But being trusted to do the job is not the same as being prepared to lead people. New leaders suddenly have to delegate, set expectations, manage former peers, give feedback and keep standards consistent. Left to work it out alone, poor habits can form quickly.
New & Aspiring Leaders is designed for people around 12 months either side of promotion. Over seven weeks it combines live online workshops, one-to-one coaching and practical workplace application, covering managing former peers, delegating without becoming the bottleneck, giving feedback early, handling difficult performance conversations and building a more accountable team.
Best fit for: new managers, supervisors, team leaders, shift and section leaders, and high performers preparing to step up.
2. For First-Line Managers Who Need Recognised Development
ILM Level 3 Leadership & Management
Many first-line managers are promoted because they are good, reliable and experienced. Once in post, they are expected to communicate differently, motivate others, make decisions and manage performance. That needs a different skill set.
The ILM Level 3 Award gives team leaders and supervisors recognised development and a clearer foundation for leading others, covering leadership styles, motivating a team, communication, problem solving and decision making. It is particularly useful for people who have already stepped into management and are realising leadership takes more than technical ability.
Best fit for: team leaders, supervisors, first-line managers and recently promoted managers.
3. For Middle Managers and Senior Operational Leaders
ILM Level 5 Leadership & Management
At middle-management level, leadership broadens. Managers are expected to influence across departments, improve performance, lead through change and connect day-to-day activity with wider business goals.
The ILM Level 5 Award is for managers already operating at a more senior level or preparing for broader responsibility. It covers influencing and driving results, managing performance, leading improvement, strategic decision-making, managing change and building high-performing teams.
Best fit for: middle managers, experienced managers, senior operational leaders and those moving into broader leadership roles.
4. For People Responsible for Training Others
Many organisations rely on experienced people to train others: a team leader, a technical expert, or whoever has become the go-to person for showing how things are done. But being good at the job does not mean knowing how to teach it. Without structure, internal training becomes inconsistent, information gets missed and people learn different versions of the same process.
Train the Trainer gives internal trainers the tools to plan, structure and deliver effective sessions, covering how adults learn, setting clear session objectives, delivering a short training session and using feedback to improve.
Best fit for: internal trainers, technical experts, team leaders, supervisors and anyone responsible for helping others learn.
Which Route Is Right?
Programmes can also be delivered in-house and tailored to your organisation, alongside more than 25 one-day courses in areas such as communication, conflict and performance management. Browse all courses.
Final Thought
The best time to support someone is often before the role starts to stretch them. If someone in your organisation is about to step up, already managing people or responsible for developing others, now could be the right moment to put structure around their growth.
Not sure which route fits? Tell us about the person or team you have in mind. Book a free discovery call.
