How a fresh produce group lifted manager confidence from 65% to 91%
An international fresh produce group raised average manager confidence from 65% to 91% with World Class Manager®, the CPD-accredited management development programme. The result comes from 734 matched start and end ratings from 99 managers between 2023 and 2026, and 99% of those managers ended their modules more confident than they began.
The challenge: what food and fresh produce managers said at the start
Fresh produce managers lead seasonal, fast-moving operations where time and clear communication are always short. When they joined, managers described their three greatest challenges in their own words. The most common were time and prioritisation (39%), communication (32%) and motivating and engaging the team (29%), coded from 140 managers’ answers.
What the organisation did
Between 2023 and 2026, 166 managers took part in World Class Manager®, the CPD-accredited management development programme from the Global Growth Institute. Managers worked through online modules, answered reflection questions in their own words and committed to actions with their own teams. Start and end ratings could be matched for 12 modules.
Manager confidence, start to end of each module
Results: manager confidence rose from 65% to 91%
Average confidence rose by 26 points, from 65% at the start of each module to 91% at the end. Across all World Class Manager® managers the rise is 23 points (71% to 94%). 99% of managers in this organisation ended their modules more confident than they began. The biggest gains came in these modules:
| Module | Start | End | Rise (points) | Matched ratings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Developing Me, Developing My Team | 54% | 92% | +38 | 47 |
| Great Goal Setting | 58% | 93% | +35 | 62 |
| Difficult Conversations | 53% | 87% | +34 | 65 |
What food and fresh produce managers said about the impact
In their own words, from the programme’s reflection and review questions. Verbatim and unedited, original spelling kept, shortened only where marked.
I am much more confident and feel less like an imposter. I know how to better communicate with my team and manage up to my manager.
I did struggle with time and priorities for myself and team, this has taken a different shape now and we are all much more effective and impactful.
I have seen the team improve on their own performances as I am able to manage my time better and spend more time assisting and supporting their development.
My ability to remain calm and structured has helped create a more open environment during training sessions and incident reviews.
My team has noticed that I am more approachable and open to listening. They have said that I communicate more clearly, provide better support, and take more time to understand their views and needs.
How the results were measured
At the start of each module, every manager rated themselves on the module’s core skill. At the end of the module, they rated their confidence again. Both ratings are shown as a percentage of the top of the scale (1 to 5, or 1 to 10), matched for the same manager and module, and averaged across 734 matched pairs from 99 managers. Challenges are coded from managers’ own words. All figures are self-reported: they show how managers rate themselves, not business outcomes. The organisation is anonymised and shown by sector and region only.
Frequently asked questions
Does management training improve manager confidence in food and fresh produce?
In this food and fresh produce organisation it did. Average manager confidence rose from 65% at the start of each World Class Manager® module to 91% at the end, across 734 matched ratings from 99 managers (2023 to 2026). 99% of those managers ended their modules more confident than they began.
Which management skills improved most?
The largest rises were in Developing Me, Developing My Team (54% to 92%); Great Goal Setting (58% to 93%); Difficult Conversations (53% to 87%).
What challenges did managers in food and fresh produce face?
In their own words at the start of the programme, managers most often named time and prioritisation (39%), communication (32%) and motivating and engaging the team (29%) as their greatest challenges.
How is the confidence score measured?
At the start of each module, every manager rates themselves on the module’s core skill. At the end of the module, they rate their confidence again. Both ratings are turned into a percentage of the top of the scale, matched for the same manager and module, and averaged. The score is self-reported: it shows how managers rate themselves, not business outcomes.
Are these results typical?
Yes. Across all 177 organisations in the matched data (28,460 ratings from 3,397 managers), average confidence rose from 71% to 94%. Every one of the 35 organisations with 15 or more managers in the matched data saw a rise, of between 16 and 34 points.
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