The Skills Farm. Stronger Managers. Better Businesses.Let’s talk

PRACTICAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TEAM LEADERS AND MANAGERS

Stronger managers createconsistent performance.

Practical manager development that turns underprepared managers into confident people leaders who build stronger teams and deliver better results.

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.”

Marina Lovejoy-BlackLearning Experience Manager, Octopus Energy Services

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
01

Senior leaders become the safety net

Managers escalate people problems, hold onto too much work and rely on senior leaders to step in.

02

Performance depends on who manages you

Expectations, feedback and accountability vary across teams. Underperformance is addressed too late.

03

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.

5 questions1 minute1 clear result

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 needed

THE PROGRAMME

A practical manager development programme built around your business.

Every programme begins with leadership alignment, followed by practical development and workplace support shaped around your managers and priorities.

01

Align

Agree what good management looks like, what leaders will model and what success needs to look like.

  • One leadership alignment day
  • Clear behaviours, outcomes and success measures
03

Apply

Support managers to apply their learning, reinforce new behaviours and review what is changing.

  • Workplace application and follow up
  • Reinforcement, coaching and measurement

HEAR FROM CLIENTS

In our clients’ words.

Hear how clients describe the partnership, the learning and what changed at work.

Countryside Properties

1:02

“...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.

Lawsons

0:42

“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.

THE INVESTMENT

The right support.
A clear commitment.

A focused day for a specific challenge. A programme for a shared approach across your managers.

RECOMMENDED FOR BROADER DEVELOPMENT

Manager development

From£10,000

Per programme for up to 12 managers

For businesses where management varies across teams and new behaviours need time and support to take hold.

Included in your programme

  • One leadership alignment day
  • Three practical development days
  • Preparation and tailored programme design
  • Workplace application support
Discuss your programme

FOCUSED SUPPORT

Training and facilitation

£1,650

Per delivery day

For a specific management challenge or a focused team session, without committing to a full programme.

What will the whole assignment cost?

Preparation, programme design and tailoring are quoted separately. We agree the full scope and total price before you commit.

We start with the problem you need to solve, then agree whether a focused day is the right fit.

Discuss a training day

No VAT. Travel and venue costs are quoted separately where required.

Not sure which fits?

You do not need to arrive with a training brief. Tell Jamie what is happening and explore the right starting point.

Talk it through ↗
Jamie Summers

ABOUT JAMIE

A learner centred facilitator who understands performance.

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 responsibility of managing performance and being accountable for results. That experience shapes practical development built 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 insights
016 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 insight
027 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 insight
036 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 insight

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Clear answers before we start.

What organisations usually want to know about the 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

Are your managers equipped to get the best from their people?

Tell Jamie what is happening in the business. You don't need a finished training brief. Just an honest view of the challenge you are trying to solve.

What happens next
  1. Jamie responds personally.
  2. The first conversation explores the business challenge.
  3. You do not need a completed training brief.

Prefer email? Contact Jamie directly

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