Performance and Development Conversations Training for Managers

In-House Training Courses > Performance and Development Conversations

This course creates awareness of the positive impact of coaching conversations. Participants learn how to approach conversations, encourage dialogue and feedback, use influencing styles to achieve outcomes, along with skills to handle potentially difficult situations.

Course Context

Effective performance and development discussions are key to increasing motivation, developing potential, and improving performance. Whether the focus is on having performance conversations as part of a formal appraisal process or as routine discussions, it is clear that ‘it’s the quality of the conversation that matters most.’

This interactive course focuses on how to have quality conversations which will encourage participation and result in productive, positive outcomes and how to approach challenging and sensitive issues with confidence.

This training can also be delivered as a 1-day course with extra emphasis on skills-building sessions.

Course for employees

Please note that we also deliver a version of this course for employees. Please contact us for more information.

How will managers benefit from this training?

They will learn:

  • what makes a good performance and development conversation
  • how to prepare effectively for performance and development conversations and ensure outcomes are achieved
  • to deliver positive and developmental feedback effectively using a range of approaches
  • key coaching techniques to enable employees to improve their performance levels further, and address development needs
  • how to identify what underpins challenging behaviour, and deal with it confidently and constructively

Who would benefit from attending this course?

This course is suitable for leaders, managers or team leaders who are looking to improve the quality of conversations they have with colleagues and team members. The course content can be adapted to reflect the most common types of performance management conversations in your workplace.

The course content and capacity can be customised for individuality and to ensure organisations’ specific learning criteria are met. Consultancy in conducting performance and development conversations also an option either as a standalone service or in conjunction with training.

Course Overview

The course content includes:

What makes a good conversation?

  • Looking forward and looking back
  • The what and the how – performance and behaviours
  • Consider both manager and staff perspectives

Preparing for the conversation

  • What are my meeting aims, and what are theirs?
  • Do I want compliance or commitment?
  • Push and Pull influencing – my Influencing approach

Giving effective feedback

  • Useful models and frameworks
  • Phrases to structure feedback

Coaching conversations

  • The GROW coaching model
  • Solution-focused questioning & listening skills
  • Generating continuous improvement, and scaling questions
  • Practical coaching exercise

Dealing with challenge

  • Dealing with difficulty – the PACR approach
  • Barriers to achievement – competence, capability, motivation, confidence, permission

Review and summary

  • Action planning
  • How to use the templates and checklists provided in the course workbook

Comments from participants who attended the Performance and Development Conversations Training for Managers

“Very interesting course and will allow me to have meaningful and effective career conversations with staff."

"I will consider how I approach staff and how I can get the best out of them conversation wise."

"I feel I can now plan more for conversations with staff, both informal catch ups and more structured meetings/one to ones."

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Find out more

 

Please get in touch with us if you have any questions. 

We are always happy to talk about our courses and help you to work out the best match for your requirements.

WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY

"The quality of the training has been fantastic and our employees are really engaging with the trainer and getting something out of it. Also In Equilibrium makes the whole process very easy to arrange."

— Employee Engagement & Wellbeing Officer, Sophie Holland
AGE UK
 
 

"We wanted to provide a course that taught useful and practical coping strategies that our members could put into place straight away. In Equilibrium’s experience showed us that they could provide this, and they tailored the course perfectly."

— The Association of Electoral Administrators
 
 
 
 

"In-Equilibrium recently presented Mental Health Awareness to Managers in all of our area offices. The training was really well received and all of the trainers were praised for their in-depth knowledge and understanding."

 

— Roger Bullivant Limited
 

"The training was very well received by staff who now all intend to implement the session’s practical tips and techniques into their existing roles. A large proportion of the staff rated the facilitator and their delivery as excellent and their only recommendation was for a further and longer session!"

— Leeds City College
 

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