"Management is nothing more than motivating other people."

- Lee Iacocca

Essential Strategies for People Managers

Are you ready to elevate your approach to people management and unlock the secrets to fostering high-performing teams and driving organisational success?

Welcome to "The Art of People Management", a transformative six-week online intensive program designed to empower managers and leaders like you to thrive in today's dynamic work environment.

Throughout this immersive program, you'll embark on a comprehensive journey of self-discovery and skill development, delving into key leadership principles and practical management tools.

Each week is carefully crafted to address crucial aspects of management, from self-awareness and adaptive leadership to effective communication and feedback.

• Gain profound insights into your management style and its impact on team performance.
  
• Develop practical skills and strategies to navigate complex management challenges with confidence.
• Foster a culture of trust, collaboration, and continuous improvement within your team.
  
• Elevate your ability to provide effective feedback, drive performance, and inspire excellence.
• Establish a roadmap for personal and professional growth, setting the stage for long-term success.
  

Learning Objectives:

1. Develop self-awareness: Deepen your understanding of your management style, strengths, and areas for growth.
   
2. Enhance communication skills: Learn effective communication techniques to inspire, motivate, and empower your team.
   
3. Master adaptive leadership: Gain strategies to navigate complexity, change, and uncertainty, fostering resilience and agility in people management.
   
4. Cultivate a culture of feedback: Develop the skills to provide constructive feedback and create an environment of continuous improvement and learning.
   
5. Foster collaboration and teamwork: Learn techniques to build high-performing teams, promote collaboration, and leverage diverse perspectives.
   
6. Drive organizational success: Acquire the tools and insights needed to align individual and team goals with organisational objectives, driving sustainable growth and success.
   

"The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things.
They are the one that gets the people to do the greatest things."

- Ronald Reagan

Who Will Benefit?

"The Art of People Management" is ideal for people managers and aspiring leaders, this program is tailored for individuals who currently manage more than one direct report.

Whether you're leading a small team or overseeing larger groups, the 6-week intensive offers invaluable insights and strategies to help you excel in your role.

Active Learning Format:

Unlike passive online courses, our program is designed for active engagement and real-world application ensuring you get the most out of the program.

Over six weeks you'll experience a blend of:

• self-directed learning
  
• interactive exercises
• practical application of management tools
• weekly group coaching and debrief circles via video conferencing
  
• personalized support and guidance
• Option to add private coaching (additional fees apply)

Ready to take your leadership journey to new heights
and bring out the best in your people?

Sign Up Today

2025 Dates

Autumn 2025

Commencing:  Tuesday 13th May 2025. 10.30am - 12pm AEST then weekly at the same time
Concluding:  Tuesday 24th June 2025. 10.30am - 12pm AEST

Registrations Closed

Spring 2025

Commencing:  Dates and times to be confirmed. (Group sessions will be weekly at the same time)
Concluding:  TBC

Express Your Interest

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Course Content

Week 1 - Self Intelligence

Self Intelligence delves deep into the core of effective leadership: understanding oneself. We explore a series of topics and show you how to use your superpower of self-reflection to increase mental complexity, strengthen mindset, and form better beliefs within the context of people management.

Benefits:

• Enhanced Self-Awareness: Gain profound insights into your thought patterns, behaviors, and decision-making processes, be empowered to lead with authenticity and integrity.
  
• Improved Emotional Intelligence: Develop a deeper understanding of emotions, both yours and others, fostering stronger connections and more effective communication.
  
• Increased Resilience: Equip yourself with the tools and techniques to navigate adversity and setbacks with grace and resilience, emerging stronger and more resilient as a leader.
• Empowered Leadership: Harness the power of self-intelligence to inspire and motivate your team, driving collective success and achieving extraordinary results.

Key Learning Objectives:

1. Mental Complexity: Learn to navigate the intricate landscape of human cognition, understanding how to manage and leverage the complexities of your own mind and those of others.
2. Mindset Mastery: Explore the power of mindset and its profound impact on leadership effectiveness. Cultivate a growth-oriented mindset to overcome challenges and inspire growth in yourself and your team.
3. Belief Systems: Identify and challenge limiting beliefs that may be hindering personal and professional growth. Develop strategies to cultivate empowering beliefs that fuel leadership success.

Week 2 - Perspective Pivots

Step onto the metaphorical balcony and gain a bird's-eye view of your management challenges and opportunities. Through the concepts of the Balcony Dance-floor and Sanctuary, you will learn to zoom in and out of situations, gaining clarity, insight, and perspective on your biases, conclusions, and assumptions. Recognise the value of taking time away from a situation and discover how moments of reflection can lead to profound insights and breakthroughs.

Benefits:

• Enhanced Decision-Making: Equip yourself with the ability to make more informed and strategic decisions by gaining perspective and clarity on complex people management challenges.
• Reduced Bias: Cultivate awareness of biases and assumptions, enabling you to approach situations with greater objectivity and fairness, fostering a more inclusive and equitable workplace culture.
• Improved Problem-Solving: Develop the skills to navigate challenges and obstacles with greater resilience and creativity, leveraging moments of reflection and insight to uncover innovative solutions.
• Personal Growth: Embrace the opportunity for self-reflection and introspection, fostering personal growth, resilience, and fulfillment in your role.

Key Learning Objectives:

1. Balcony Dance-floor: Understand the metaphor of the balcony as a place of observation and reflection, and the dance-floor as the arena of action and engagement. Learn how to transition between the balcony and the dance-floor, gaining perspective and insight while remaining actively engaged in managing your people.
2. Sanctuary: Explore the concept of creating a mental or physical sanctuary, a space for reflection, rejuvenation, and insight. Discover how moments of solitude and stillness can provide clarity and perspective, enabling you to make more informed decisions and navigate challenges with greater wisdom.
3. Beware of Biases: Develop the awareness to recognise and challenge biases, conclusions, and assumptions that may cloud judgment or hinder effective decision-making. Learn strategies to mitigate the impact of biases and cultivate a more open-minded and inclusive leadership approach.
   

Week 3 - The Games We Play

Dive into the intricacies of human interaction and communication by exploring the concept of gamesmanship within the realm of leading a team. Uncover the dynamics of finite and infinite games, as well as the transformative power of challenging your team to move beyond the game of drama and into a mindset of responsibility and empowerment.

Benefits:

• Enhanced Communication Skills: Develop the ability to engage in more open, honest, and constructive conversations with staff, fostering trust, collaboration, and innovation.
• Conflict Resolution: Equip yourself with practical strategies for addressing conflicts and challenging situations with confidence and empathy, transforming conflicts into opportunities for growth and learning.
• Management Agility: Expand your management toolkit with a nuanced understanding of human dynamics, enabling you to adapt and thrive in a variety of interpersonal and organisational contexts.
• Cultivating a Culture of Curiosity: Foster a culture of curiosity and continuous learning within your team, encouraging exploration, experimentation, and creativity.

Key Learning Objectives:

1. Finite vs. Infinite Games: Understand the distinction between finite games, which are played to win, and infinite games, which are played to keep the game going. Learn how to apply this framework to leadership situations for strategic decision-making and long-term success.
2. Roles + Revelations: Identify the roles of victim, persecutor, and rescuer within the drama triangle, and explore how these roles manifest in workplace dynamics. Learn strategies to break free from the drama triangle and foster healthier, more constructive interactions.
   
3. Shifting Dynamics: Discover the antidote to the drama triangle through the empowerment dynamic, which comprises the roles of self-author, supporter, and challenger. Cultivate the skills and mindset needed to step into these empowering roles and facilitate growth and innovation within your team.
   

Week 4 - The Adaptive Manager

Delve into the realm of adaptive leadership with tools and strategies to navigate the complexities of team dynamics and individual development. We explore transactional and transformational leadership, as well as the principles of situational leadership, empowering you to effectively manage team member competency and willingness in any situation.

  Benefits:

• Enhanced Team Performance: Equip yourself with the tools and strategies to maximise the potential of your team members, fostering higher levels of engagement, productivity, and innovation.
• An Agile Approach: Develop the flexibility and adaptability to manage yourself and others effectively in any situation, navigating the complexities of team dynamics and individual development with confidence and skill.
• Personalised Development: Gain insights into the unique needs and capabilities of each team member, enabling you to provide tailored support and guidance to facilitate growth and development.
• Empowered Teams: Foster a culture of empowerment and accountability within your team, empowering individuals to take ownership of their roles and contribute to collective success.

Key Learning Objectives:

1. Transactional vs. Transformational Leadership: Understand the differences between transactional leadership, which focuses on exchanges and rewards, and transformational leadership, which inspires and motivates through vision and empowerment. Learn how to leverage both styles to engage and empower your team members effectively.
2. Adapt don't Adopt: Master the art of situational leadership, which involves adapting your leadership style to the specific needs and capabilities of your team members. Explore the four leadership styles - directing, coaching, supporting, and delegating - and learn how to apply them based on individual readiness and willingness.
   
3. Maximising Potential: Develop the skills to assess and manage both the competency (skill level) and willingness (motivation and commitment) of your team members. Learn how to tailor your approach to support and challenge individuals at different stages of development.
   

Week 5 - Feedback: The Food of Champions

Master the art of feedback by recognising it as a cornerstone of effective management, leadership and team growth. Learn to harness the power of feedback, cultivating a culture of continuous improvement and excellence within your team. From providing positive reinforcement to delivering performance-enhancing feedback, you will gain the skills and confidence to lean into challenging conversations that inspire and empower your team members to reach new heights of success.

Benefits:

• Enhanced Employee Engagement: Cultivate a culture of recognition and appreciation, boosting morale, motivation, and productivity within your team.
• Improved Performance: Equip yourself with the tools to provide constructive feedback that inspires growth and development, driving continuous improvement and excellence.
• Strengthened Relationships: Build trust and rapport with your team members through open and transparent communication, fostering stronger, more collaborative relationships.
• Management Effectiveness: Elevate your effectiveness by mastering the art of feedback, empowering you to inspire and motivate your team to achieve their goals and aspirations.

Key Learning Objectives:

1. The Lifeblood of Success: Explore the profound impact of feedback on individual and team performance, recognising it as a catalyst for growth, development, and achievement.
   
2. Vital Voices: Learn how to effectively recognise and reinforce positive behaviors and achievements, fostering a culture of appreciation, motivation, and engagement.
   
3. Crucial Insights: Develop the skills and techniques to deliver constructive feedback in a supportive and empowering manner, helping team members identify areas for improvement and maximise their potential.
   

Week 6 - Knowledge to Action

This culminating week of the program provides you with an opportunity to bridge the gap between knowledge and action, translating insights gained throughout the program into tangible results. Through reflection and discussion, you will revisit key ideas and lessons learned from each week's tools and strategies, gaining clarity on how to implement them effectively in your role of people manager.

Benefits:

• Increased Leadership Effectiveness: Translate newfound knowledge and insights into practical action, enhancing your effectiveness and driving positive outcomes for yourself and the team.
• Closing the Gap: Bridge the knowing-doing gap by identifying and addressing barriers to implementation, fostering a culture of accountability, action, and continuous improvement.
• Enhanced Employee Engagement: Apply tailored management approaches to inspire and motivate team members, unlocking their full potential and fostering a culture of high performance and engagement.
• Sustainable Growth: Establish a foundation for sustainable growth and success by committing to ongoing learning, reflection, and action, continuously evolving as a manager and driving personal and organisational excellence.

Key Learning Objectives:

1. Revisiting Key Concepts: Reflect on and consolidate key ideas and tools introduced throughout the program, deepening understanding and retention of essential management principles.
2. Overcoming the Knowing-Doing Gap: Explore the concept of the knowing-doing gap and its implications for self-leadership and team management. Identify barriers to implementation and develop strategies to overcome them, transforming knowledge into action.
3. Committing to Action: Commit to an individual management approach that aligns with your personal values, management style, and organisational goals. Develop a concrete action plan for continual application of learned principles to bring out the best in yourself and your team.

"People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

- Theodore Roosevelt

Program Schedule

To ensure you learn and live what is presented, the information is released and discussed progressively over an extended period using various interventions leading to deeper understanding, real life application and leadership growth.

Contact Hours

• Program duration: 6 weeks.
  
• Course pre-work: 1 hr
• Online modules and worksheets: ~2 hrs per week.
• 6 Group Coaching Circles: up to 1.5 hrs per session.
• Private coaching: Optional
  

Register Now

Join the next Cohort

Delivery Methods

Our programs are based on the principle that “Learning is not Fast Food” participants are exposed to powerful concepts, principles and frameworks that have been continually tested and found to be the most useful tools for transformation. We have selected approaches that have been pioneered at Harvard, Stanford, The University of Sydney, the US Naval College and deployed personally by our team in their personal and professional lives. 

Each module is based on the principle of "Triple Loop Learning" allowing for deep personal reflection that informs new behaviour. Group learning environments are know to heighten learning, allowing you to delve deeper into the principles presented.

Insights on Demand

Access videos, mp3 recordings and worksheets to level up your leadership. Access the resources online from any desktop or mobile device anytime you like.

Group Coaching Circles

Join the team group coaching circles held via video conferencing.
This is a place to switch off from the demands of work and come together with your cohort to deep dive the content, maps, models and frameworks. Questions are answered and insights, wins and challenges are shared.

 Ongoing Support

Learning is a personal experience and is greatly enhanced with peer coaching.
Managers and Leaders can choose to *upgrade to receive personal 1:1 coaching sessions with their facilitator.

*additional investment applies

Discover if this is right for you or your team

If your wondering whether this program meets your development needs. I invite you to book a free leadership discovery call to determine if ‘The Art of People Management’ is a good fit for you. In this call, we’ll uncover exactly where you’d like to take your management skills to, what’s holding you back and how the content can bridge any gaps.

Schedule a Leadership Discovery Call

Meet The Program Creator

In my role at Blue Chip Minds, I see first-hand the effects on businesses and their workforce when conventional thinking and traditional leadership is the norm. Participants of our corporate programs often share stories of Leaders they don’t trust, toxic work environments, feeling undervalued and not heard. Most express deep appreciation to us for creating the right circumstances for them to take time to reflect on their work and life, to integrate knowledge within themselves and for helping them to gain clarity on how they can be a better human personally and professionally.

I created the Future Ready Leader's Toolkit in response to the common development opportunities identified while coaching executives, managers and leaders.  I observed an ever increasing need to create a platform to specifically assist Managers and Leaders to reflect on their results and adapt accordingly and to grow with other leaders in similar situations. My aim is to help leaders embrace their deepest need for love and growth, to help motivate them to pursue their personal and professional goals, to identify and manage priorities effectively, to show them how to confidently step into the unknown future, to build greater levels of trust with the people they live and work with and to rekindle the joy that comes naturally from leading others.

Georgia

GEORGIA ELLIS

Founder Blue Chip Minds

"In my experience, it is a rare honour to meet a genuine, engaging, intelligent coach such as Georgia whose humanitarian drive ensures financial and reputational drives are secondary.' or perhaps 'As an experienced coach, Georgia holds a mirror for self-reflective learning, whereas other coaches become lost in their own reflection."


- Matt Needham Executive Manager Clinical Practice and Outcomes. Relationship Matters Australia

FAQs

Q: Do I need to lead a team to participate?
A: Yes, the program requires you to practice using the tools in-between group coaching circles. Therefore being responsible for at least 1 team member will make your experience of the program more enriching and beneficial.

Q: I am not based in Melbourne can I participate?
A: Yes! The program is delivered online

Q: Are there any prerequisites to participate?
A: No, however we usually provide pre-course reading to ensure all participants start from a similar foundation of understanding.

Q: Is this an online course?
A: We have a global community and have made the course accessible to anyone from anywhere. The course is a mix of self study (online modules) and live online group sessions.

Q: I'd love to do the course however I am experiencing financial hardship what can I do?
A: We offer 'pay what you can' scholarships to approved participants. Apply here.

Q: Can I enroll a group from my workplace to participate together?
A: Yes. You can register more than one person from the same workplace to participate in our public program or create a cohort exclusive to your workplace and to fit with your schedule (minimum numbers apply). Contact us directly to discuss your organisations specific needs.