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Quick Look Course Summary:Developing New Managers Course (1 day)
  • Length: 1 day(s)

  • Price (at your venue): 1 Person R 5,654 EX VAT 3 Person R 3,982 EX VAT 10 Person R 2,954 EX VAT

  • Certification Type:Non-Accredited

  • Locations & Venues: Off-site or in-house. We train in all major city centres throughout South Africa.

Also available as e-learning

Developing New Managers – self-paced online, 6 months’ access: R950 per learner (ex VAT); teams of 10 or more pay less.

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    ★★★★★ 4.8 on Google from 770+ reviews

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    Developing New Managers Course (1 day)

    A clear, supported route from strong performer to confident manager – so promotions succeed instead of costing you a good employee and gaining you a struggling manager.

    Most new managers are promoted because they were excellent at their previous job, then left to work out management alone. Some sink, some micromanage, and some quietly go back to doing the work themselves. Developing new managers properly takes a system, not luck: clear competencies, early identification of candidates, mentors, practical tools and regular support.

    This one-day course shows junior and middle managers, and the HR and L&D practitioners who support them, how to build that system. Delegates define the competencies a first-line manager needs, design a visible management track, and plan how to identify strong candidates early. They then work on the support side – mentors, peer networks, policies and tools, regular check-ins – and on how to give new managers real authority without abandoning them or micromanaging them.

    The day is practical and built around case studies of promotions that worked and promotions that failed. Delegates leave with a draft 90-day support plan for a new manager and a short list of changes to make to their organisation's management track.

    Why this course

    For your organisation

    • Fewer failed promotions and less lost talent
    • A visible management track that motivates ambitious staff
    • Consistent support for every new manager, not only the lucky ones
    • A stronger pipeline for succession planning

    For your delegates

    • A competency profile for first-line managers in your organisation
    • A 90-day support plan for a new manager
    • Practical ways to mentor and check in without micromanaging
    • Clarity on what new managers need from their own manager

    What delegates will be able to do

    • Explain why management skills must be developed and how new managers learn from being managed well
    • Define the roles and competencies required of new managers in their organisation
    • Spot strong management candidates early through performance evaluations and conversations about career goals
    • Design a clear management track that links development, succession planning and change
    • Assess a new manager's strengths and development areas and plan development opportunities
    • Set up mentoring, peer networking and regular check-ins for new managers
    • Give new managers decision-making authority while supporting rather than micromanaging them
    • Create a development plan with regular feedback and continuing growth opportunities

    Who should attend

    Junior and middle managers – both those recently promoted and those who promote and support new managers – and HR and L&D practitioners responsible for management development. It is useful for any organisation that regularly promotes technical specialists or high performers into their first management role.

    Course outline

    Day 1 – Building managers on purpose

    Managers are made, not born
    • Why great performers do not automatically become good managers
    • Management skills that can be learned
    • How new managers learn from being managed well
    • The cost of an unsupported promotion
    • Case study: the promotion that went wrong
    Creating a management track
    • Defining roles and competencies for first-line managers
    • Spotting strong candidates early through evaluations
    • Developing people who want to manage
    • Making the path to management visible
    • Linking the track to succession planning and change management
    Defining and building competencies
    • The competencies a new manager needs
    • Identifying strengths and development areas
    • Development opportunities: stretch tasks, acting roles and projects
    • Building an individual development plan
    Tools and support
    • Manuals, policy documents and delegated authority
    • Peer networks and go-to resource people
    • Pairing new managers with mentors
    • Regular check-ins at 30, 60 and 90 days
    • Rewarding effective managers and recording good practice
    Giving new managers room to grow
    • Decision-making authority and its limits
    • Making it safe to ask for help
    • Support without micromanaging
    • Continuous growth: feedback, mentoring and new challenges
    Action plan
    • Drafting a 90-day support plan for a new manager
    • Improvements to your organisation's management track
    • Lessons learned and evaluation

    How it is delivered

    One day, 08:30-16:00. In person at your offices anywhere in South Africa, at a BOTI venue, or live online. One delegate or a group of up to 20; content aligned to your competency framework on request. Workbook, competency and development-plan templates and a 90-day support plan included. We deliver it at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and anywhere else in South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online for teams in different places.

    Certificate: Delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance. This is a non-accredited short course; the training spend may count towards your B-BBEE skills development – check with your verification agency.

    What our clients say

    ★★★★★ 4.8 on Google from 770+ reviews · word-for-word quotes from signed letters of reference, from clients on this and/or related BOTI courses

    “All training programmes were delivered in a highly professional manner, with effective coordination and strict adherence to our scheduling requirements. The facilitators demonstrated a commendable level of expertise, and the quality of delivery consistently met our expectations.”

    A national public entity (innovation)Head: HR · Course: Eight programmes 2021-2026, from Customer Service Excellence and… · 2026

    “The training was practical, engaging and relevant to our workplace environment, providing participants with valuable knowledge and practical skills that could be applied in their respective roles.”

    A cosmetics manufacturerHR Department · Course: Reception and Telephone Skills Training · 2026

    “The facilitator was excellent and took time to ensure that the employee understood the content and was able to apply the learning in order to develop the portfolio of evidence.”

    A construction and renovations companyManager · Course: Taking charge as a Leader & Closing the Gap between Specialist and… · 2026

    Read what our clients say

    Frequently asked questions

    Can you run this course at our offices?

    Yes. Most groups are trained at the client's premises anywhere in South Africa; we can also host it at a BOTI venue or deliver it live online.

    How many people can attend?

    From one delegate to groups of 20. The price per delegate drops as the group grows – see the price table, or ask us for a quote.

    Is it accredited?

    No – it is a non-accredited short course and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.

    Is this course for new managers or for the people who develop them?

    Both. It covers how organisations and senior managers should develop new managers, and new managers learn what support to ask for. For hands-on supervisory skills, see Supervisory Skills for Team Leaders or the three-day Taking Charge as a Leader and Closing the Gap Between Specialist and Manager.

    Can it be aligned to our competency framework?

    Yes. Send us your competency framework or job profiles beforehand and the facilitator uses them in the exercises.

    Can you run this course in Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban?

    Yes. We train on site at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and across South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online so a team spread over several offices can attend together.

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      Free and no obligation.

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