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DEEPLY HUMAN. HIGHLY PRACTICAL.Senior leaders become the safety net
Managers escalate people problems, hold onto too much work and rely on senior leaders to step in.
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT
Socially IntelligentLeadership™
We help leaders understand their impact on others, have the conversations that matter and build teams where people take ownership, grow and perform.
Bespoke training, coaching and leadership programmes for organisations across the UK.
DEEPLY HUMAN. HIGHLY PRACTICAL.
20+ yearsdeveloping leaders and improving performance
2,000+supported through leadership, management and sales development
11 countriesexperience delivering learning internationally
EXPERIENCE INCLUDES WORK WITH
TRUSTED WITH DELIVERY AT SCALE370leaders supported
“Jamie supported more than 370 leaders through our leadership development programme at Octopus Energy Services. He has a rare talent for creating trust quickly, bringing concepts to life in a practical and relatable way, and helping even the most hesitant participants see the relevance and value in what they are learning.”
THE ACCIDENTAL MANAGER PROBLEM
Your best performer became a manager.
Nobody taught them how to lead.
When managers are promoted without preparation, the impact shows up in performance, senior leadership time and retention.
82%of managers enter management without formal management or leadership training.Source: Chartered Management Institute
Performance depends on who manages you
Expectations, feedback and accountability vary across teams. Underperformance is addressed too late.
Good people disengage or leave
Weak coaching, unclear direction and avoided conversations leave capable people frustrated and unsupported.
This is not a motivation problem. It is a capability gap. People have been given responsibility for others without being prepared to deliver through them.
THE MANAGER CAPABILITY CHECK
Is inconsistent management holding back performance?
Answer five practical questions and get an immediate view of where your managers may need support.
A QUICK ORGANISATION CHECK
Five questions.
One clear picture.
This looks at the management habits across your organisation. It does not judge individual managers.
No personal details neededHOW WE WORK
Development that becomes part of everyday working life.
We start with your business, not a standard course. Together, we agree where development can make the biggest difference and how to put it into practice.
Understand & test
Get to know your business, identify what is getting in the way of performance and agree where development can help.
- Leadership alignment for manager programmes
- Clear behaviours, outcomes and success measures
Develop & apply
Build practical development around genuine management challenges, conversations and decisions.
- Workshops, coaching and action learning
- Practice using real workplace situations
Embed & sustain
Work with leaders to reinforce new behaviours and review progress through workplace application, participant insight and stakeholder feedback.
- Workplace application and follow up
- Reinforcement, coaching and measurement
WIDENING LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY
Talent exists everywhere.
Opportunity doesn’t always follow.
We help organisations and employee networks develop and progress underrepresented talent, including LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent colleagues.
Building leadership capability also means creating the conditions in which more people can contribute, influence and progress.
Explore this workHEAR FROM CLIENTS
In our clients’ words.
Hear how clients describe the partnership, the learning and what changed at work.
“...the learning is properly embedded in our organisation and becomes business as usual.”
Quote: Marion WhittyHead of Learning and Development
Read the transcript
Stacey Mitchell, Sales & Marketing Director
I think the main benefit for me for working with Skills Farm was training the sales managers before the sales consultants and for the heads of departments to be sitting in on both of the training sessions. This ensures that we're all on the same page and that we can continue the training by individually coaching one another as we go along.
Rachel Stares, Learning & Development Manager
We're a really small team, so being able to rely on the expertise of Skills Farm has been a great help to us. They will ensure that all of the training and the development that they offer is bespoke to the team that they're delivering it to, but also to the organisation. They put a great deal of effort into understanding the business and getting to know the team, which makes the face to face delivery as impactful as possible.
Marion Whitty, Head of Learning and Development
Skills Farm provide the relevant support before the learning takes place, during the learning and, importantly, after the learning too. Ultimately, they ensure the learning is properly embedded in our organisation and becomes business as usual.
“It's a real partnership approach.”
Jodie MonaghanHead of Tusker Academy
Read the transcript
Jodie Monaghan, Head of Tusker Academy
We can talk about an idea or a concept or a programme. It's a real partnership approach. So everything that we do, Skills Farm understand, and they get to know Tusker culturally and what we want to try and achieve as a business, as well as just training us. So it's all about working out what we want to deliver together.
Mark Sellwood, IT Supervisor
Being trained by Skills Farm has helped me my confidence with managing my team. So I know how to have formal conversations with my team. I can pull before push. I've implemented a ways of working with my team which we didn't have anything before, and it's given them more confidence in what I can do as well. They get more visibility of how our team is now managed.
Jodie Monaghan, Head of Tusker Academy
Being in the training room with anyone from Skills Farm is brilliant. It's so exciting, but you come away really energised and enthused, and there's follow up sessions as well for some of the courses that we do. So you get to actually go out and do something for the next few months and then follow up on it, which is the most valuable bit of training because you come out of the classroom and actually do something.
“They are fantastic at improving people's confidence.”
Paul SextonManaging Director
Read the transcript
Paul Sexton, Managing Director
The big sell for me was the fact that they deal with people, not targets. That was very important to me. They designed their training to change habits and work with individuals in personal and also professional development.
Paul Sexton, Managing Director
They are fantastic at improving people's confidence. With that, with confidence, comes efficiency and effectiveness, which is critically important to Lawsons.
Andrew Elloway, Assistant Branch Manager
I would say the difference is with Skills Farm that it's a lot more engaging. They tend to get you all on board, get your ideas through, and sort of progress you and grow you as a person by including you in the relevant topics.
These testimonials describe earlier client projects, rather than the programme offered today. Names and roles are those given at the time of filming. Videos include captions.
WAYS TO WORK TOGETHER
Start with what your business needs.
A focused assignment, a manager programme or a longer term partnership. We agree the scope and full investment before you commit.
A FOCUSED START
Training and facilitation
Delivery rate£1,650Per delivery day
For a specific management challenge, a team session or a focused pilot before deciding what comes next.
- Start with one clearly defined challenge
- Agree what the assignment needs to achieve
- Review what you learn before taking the next step
Preparation, programme design and tailoring are charged separately. A pilot is scoped and quoted individually.
Discuss a focused assignment ↗RECOMMENDED FOR MANAGER DEVELOPMENT
Manager development programme
From£10,000Per programme for up to 12 managers
For organisations that want a shared approach across their managers, with time and support to put learning into practice.
- One leadership alignment day
- Three practical development days
- Preparation and tailored programme design
- Workplace application support
The recommended programme remains our main offer for broader manager development.
Discuss your programme ↗A LONGER TERM PARTNERSHIP
Ongoing leadership development
InvestmentShaped togetherQuoted against an agreed scope
For organisations looking to develop their leaders over time, rather than through one standalone programme.
- Connect development to business priorities
- Agree the people, focus and delivery rhythm
- Review progress and adapt the work together
We agree the duration, support and investment around your organisation. There is no standard package price.
Explore a partnership ↗No VAT. Travel and venue costs are quoted separately where required.
Not sure where to start? Talk it through with Jamie ↗
ABOUT JAMIE
Leadership experience. Not just leadership theory.
Jamie Summers brings more than 20 years of development experience and six years leading commercial teams, including a team responsible for £39 million in annual revenue.
He understands the difference between learning about leadership and actually applying it when the pressure is on. That experience shapes practical development around the conversations, decisions and people challenges your managers face every day.
INSIGHTS FOR STRONGER MANAGEMENT
Practical thinking.
Apply it today.
Useful ideas for organisations that want stronger managers, better conversations and more consistent performance.
View all insights016 minute read
Leadership dependency
Why senior leaders become the safety net for underprepared managers
Repeatedly stepping in can solve the immediate problem while making managers more dependent on senior leaders.
Read the insight027 minute read
CHOOSING THE RIGHT PARTNER
How to compare bespoke management training providers
Two providers can both describe their management training as bespoke while offering very different levels of diagnosis, design and support.
Read the insight036 minute read
CHOOSING THE RIGHT INVESTMENT
How much does bespoke management training cost?
Management training prices vary enormously. The useful comparison is not the day rate, but what the investment is designed to change.
Read the insightFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Clear answers before we start.
About our recommended manager programme, delivery and next steps.
Who is this programme designed for?
It is designed for team leaders, new managers and experienced managers who need practical support to lead people, manage performance and build stronger teams. It is particularly useful when management quality varies across the business or capable people have been promoted without enough preparation.
How many managers are in each cohort?
Each cohort supports up to 12 managers. This creates enough variety for useful discussion while giving every manager time to participate, practise and receive meaningful feedback.
Where is the programme delivered?
Programmes are delivered in person across the UK. The location and delivery rhythm are agreed around your people and operational needs.
How long does the programme usually run?
Following the leadership alignment day, the three practical development days are usually delivered across six weeks. This gives managers time to apply what they are learning between sessions while maintaining the momentum needed for meaningful change.
How is the programme tailored to our business?
The programme is shaped through a leadership alignment day with the people responsible for the business and its managers. Jamie listens to stakeholders and managers, identifies the situations, language and performance priorities that matter, then designs the three development days around what managers actually need to do differently at work.
How will we know the programme is making a difference?
Clear outcomes, leadership behaviours and success measures are agreed during the leadership alignment day. Progress is reviewed through workplace application, participant insight, stakeholder feedback and evidence that management practice is becoming more consistent. Senior leaders are expected to model and reinforce the behaviours they want to see, helping them become part of how the organisation is led.
Can we book a single training day?
Yes. Training and facilitation are available at £1,650 per delivery day. Preparation, programme design and tailoring are quoted separately. For broader management development, we recommend the programme from £10,000 for up to 12 managers, including leadership alignment, three development days, preparation, tailored programme design and workplace application support. Your full scope and total price are agreed before you commit. There is no VAT. Travel and venue costs are quoted separately where required.
What happens after I get in touch?
Jamie responds personally. The first conversation explores what is happening in the business, what you need managers to do differently and whether a programme could help. You do not need a completed training brief or a finished solution in mind.
START WITH THE PROBLEM
What would you like to change in your organisation?
Whether you are facing a leadership challenge, looking to test a focused pilot or considering a longer term development partnership, let’s start with what you want to achieve.