Education
The Course
24 CPD accredited modules that teach the method, the language and the tools of world class management.
- Bitesize video, around an hour per module
- Editable workbooks and reflection prompts
- CPD certificate on completion
Global insightBuilt on ten years of data from 250,000+ managers
The globalstandard formanagers.
Ten years. 250,000 managers. More than 50 countries. We have turned that global insight into the standard for how managers are developed, with the course, the coach and the community working around every manager, 24/7.
The managerAt the centre of everythingSupported 24/7
Three parts. One system. Around every manager.
250,000+Managers trained
1,000+Organisations
50+Countries
500,000+Written manager reflections analysed
Trusted by 1,000+ organisations across 50 countries
From London to Shanghai. One standard.
The moments that make or break a manager are the same in Paris, New York and Ulaanbaatar. That is why one standard works everywhere: built on insight from managers in more than 50 countries, and delivered in seven languages.
LondonNew YorkJohannesburgIstanbulAmsterdamRiyadhCairoHong KongUlaanbaatar
Most managers were never trained.
They were good at their job, so they got promoted. Now they are responsible for people, performance and culture, often with no formal management training at all. The cost of that gap is huge, and almost invisible until it isn't.
70%
of the variance in team engagement comes down to the manager.
Gallup, State of the Global Workplace82%
of new managers receive no formal training before they step into the role.
CMI, The Everyone Economy£84bn
annual cost to the UK economy of poor management practice.
CMI and YouGov, 20233.4×
higher staff turnover in teams led by poorly rated managers.
McKinsey, Great Attrition studyFor a CEO, this is the productivity question. Better managers are the highest-leverage investment an organisation can make. This is what we exist to fix.
From our own research: the gap between caring and doing.
1,850 managers across 24 organisations told us what they value, and what they actually do.
Standards
25%often challenge bad behaviour in a meeting.
Challenge it in the roomCustomers
55%spend time with their customers, while 97.5% say they care about their experience.
Get in front of customersListening
56%actually ask for feedback, while 90% say they have made it safe.
Ask every weekSelf-reported · 1,850 managers · 24 organisations. See all five findings
Wrapped around every manager, 24/7.
Education through the course. Support through the coach. Current thinking through the community. Three parts, one system, always on.
Support
The Coach
An AI coach grounded in the method, there in the moment a manager needs it, day or night.
- Private, encrypted and in seven languages
- Rehearse difficult conversations first
- A written summary after every session
Current thinking
The Community
Livestreams with CEOs, CFOs and researchers, plus regular insight on LinkedIn, so managers stay ahead of what is changing.
- A growing library of livestream episodes
- New findings from our own research
- Always free to watch
A day with World Class Manager
07:40local time
The Course
Moment 1 of 7
One manager. One day. Always supported.
Ten minutes on the train
Module 4, Great Goal Setting, on their phone before the team stand-up.
One stat worth sharing
A research post on LinkedIn: only 25% of managers often challenge bad behaviour in a meeting. It starts a real conversation in the team.
The one to one they were dreading
They describe the situation in their own words. The Coach asks one sharp question, then helps them build a plan.
A lunchtime livestream
Inside the Data: what our research reveals about the state of management today.
Workbook open in the meeting
This morning's goal setting tool, used live with the team.
A rehearsal before tomorrow
In the Rehearsal Room the Coach plays the other person, so the difficult feedback lands well for real.
The question they would not ask out loud
Private, patient and there at 3am, if that is when it surfaces.
Not a course with an AI add-on. One system for manager productivity, working every hour of the day.
Two series. Every critical skill.
Series 1 builds the foundations. Series 2 takes managers further. Tap any module to see what's inside.
Series 1 builds the foundations: how world class managers think and behave, set goals that align with strategy, run meetings that matter, hold great one to ones and bring out the best in their people.
Series 2 takes managers further, into the advanced skills senior leaders need from them: delegation, coaching, feedback, difficult conversations, conflict and change, with a strong thread of emotional intelligence and resilience throughout.
Bitesize videoBuilt around real management situations
Editable workbooksTaken straight into the next one to one
Reflection promptsQuestions that drive real change
CPD assessmentCertified on completion
Also available: a three module Workplace Wellbeing series, built with Lancaster University.
Live in four weeks. The heavy lifting is ours.
Light touch on your team. We align the programme to your strategy, launch it with your people and report progress every six weeks.
- 1
Choose your format
Online, blended or coach supported.
- 2
Align to strategy
We map modules to your goals.
- 3
Launch
A live virtual launch with your people.
- 4
Track progress
Participation reports every six weeks.
- 5
Award and embed
CPD certificates and impact data.
Three ways to deliver.
The same programme, shaped around how your managers work.
01Fully onlineReady to go from day one
The full curriculum online, self-paced, with a project manager's guide and participation reports every six weeks.
02BlendedOnline learning, with people
Digital learning combined with live workshops and bespoke webinars tailored to your priorities. The format clients see the strongest results from.
03Coach supportedOne to one or team coaching
Pairs the curriculum with experienced WCM coaches. Best for senior leaders and high potentials.
The productivity return.
World Class Manager is the bridge between where you want your managers to be, and where they are. 4,712 managers told us what they did differently after each module, across 24 organisations and ten years. In their own words.
44%of managers say they spend most of their time firefighting
Get your managers out of the firefight
Reactive managers cost you twice: their own time, and everything that does not get done.
“I have blocked time in my diary to focus on the projects that I am currently working on which means non urgent workload does not interrupt my thought process.”
Pharmacy
Value it against: Management hours going to the wrong work, priced at loaded salary.
60%of managers say they need to delegate more and trust their team
Stop paying senior salaries for junior work
Work held at the wrong grade is paid for at the wrong grade.
“Since completing the World Class Manager course, I have adopted a more strategic and coaching focused leadership style. I delegate more effectively, hold more meaningful one to one conversations, provide clearer and more constructive feedback.”
Financial services
Value it against: The grade differential. Work held one level too high is paid for one level too high, every week.
76%of managers say they can make their meetings more effective
Make every meeting earn its place
The largest admitted gap in the archive, and the fastest one to act on.
“I started applying structured briefings with my team, ensuring clarity of objectives and expectations. I improved meeting management by setting clear agendas and focusing on outcomes.”
Financial services
Value it against: Attendees, times hours, times loaded salary. The one cost your finance team can already calculate to the penny.
44%of managers say they need to spend more time thinking than doing
Get your strategy off the slide deck and into the diary
Strategy does not fail in the boardroom. It fails when managers spend the week on whatever shouts loudest.
“I have started planning and prioritising my day more effectively, using clearer team briefings, focusing meetings on actions and outcomes, and encouraging more open communication and feedback within the team.”
Agriculture and fresh produce
Value it against: The strategic initiatives that slipped last year because the managers accountable for them were busy.
The same pattern in every sector.
NHS, local government, a games studio, gas turbines, pharmacy, agriculture, financial services. Managers score warm on people and cold on throughput, and every sector loses capacity in the same two places.
Index score 0 to 100, pooled across 24 organisations. A baseline diagnostic, not a measure of change.
Delegation and capacity74.2
Motivation and discretionary effort73.5
Capability building70.9
Decision and conflict velocity68.7
Feedback and improvement loop67.0
Direction and clarity66.4
Where throughput is lost
Meeting effectiveness55.7
Time and priority44.4
We chose the World Class Manager programme because of its ease of implementation, impact and clear ROI. We value our managers and investing in them is key to our long-term success.
Nick UlyczChief Operating Officer, Aldermore BankPositively impacting our customers' experience, at scale, is key for us. The World Class Manager programme enables us to develop critical management skills throughout our business, for thousands of our valued members of staff, nationally.
Karen LewisPeople Director, LNERWe serve so many important stakeholders, who in turn impact on our nation's health and wellbeing. Great management is key to all of this and World Class Manager assists us by building this collective management strength.
Ian BullockCEO, Royal College of PhysiciansThe team at GGI are extremely responsive and worked in true partnership with us to enable World Class Manager to be accessed quickly and easily by our leaders. GGI kept in close touch with us and provided additional support where required, including webinars to support the learning.
Richard BellHead of Talent Development, TorusClient story
World Class Manager at Domestic & General.
How a major UK services business built management capability at scale.
BBC Breakfast
Wayne Clarke on the state of UK management.
Why management matters more than ever, and what it costs when it goes wrong.
Sample module
Difficult Conversations, previewed.
The most requested skill from managers worldwide, made immediately practical.
Self-reported and verbatim. We claim no measured percentage uplift, and we show you why. Read the methodSee the full research
Amazon Top 100 MBA BestsellerThree years running
The book behind the method.
After training 250,000 managers across 50 countries, Kogan Page invited Wayne Clarke to write the book that became the framework behind every World Class Manager programme.
Grounded in real-world data from over 1,000 organisations, How to Become a World Class Manager is the definitive guide to managing and leading people at the highest level. The Arabic edition is published by Jarir Bookstore in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
1,000+Organisations researched
Top 100Amazon MBA bestseller
2Languages, English and Arabic
Delivered by a world class team.
Consultants and partners across five continents, bringing deep expertise in management development, organisational performance and coaching.
Simple pricing. Every manager covered.
Move the slider to see your price. The coach and the community are included in every plan.
Foundations
Series 1 · 12 modules
£0per manager / year
Your total£0
- All 12 Series 1 modules: the foundations every manager needs
- Goal setting, one to ones, meetings, communication, time
Complete
Series 1 and 2 · 24 modules
£0per manager / year
Your total£0
- All 24 modules across Series 1 and Series 2
- Adds coaching, feedback, delegation, conflict, change and EQ
World Class Coach, 24/7Livestreams and communityCPD certificationProgress reports every 6 weeksLaunch and rollout support
Annual licences. Prices exclude VAT. Need bespoke content, your branding or a multi-country rollout? Talk to us about Enterprise.
Three ways to take the next step.
Pick whatever fits where you are. We'll take it from there.
Book a demo
See it in action.
Thirty minutes with a senior member of the team, using real scenarios your managers face.
Book a 30 minute demoTrial a module
Try before you commit.
Pick any module, experience it yourself and decide on the evidence.
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