Let’s face it – the life of a team leader is chaotic. We know you know that’s true!
Practical, immersive team leader training
Do you have multiple team leaders, supervisors, or managers in similar roles (e.g in a large department or a call centre) who handle the same challenges but with different, sometimes inconsistent, approaches?
Are you looking to standardise performance of all the leaders across a large team, department or organisation?
Our “A Week in the Life of a Team Leader” training program is a unique, customised in-house training solution designed to create consistency, improve decision-making, and build collective expertise among your team leaders, managers and supervisory staff.
The challenge: inconsistency in team leadership
You have great team leaders, but they’re not all on the same page. One leader handles a difficult employee conversation one way, while another uses a different approach. A policy that is strictly enforced by one team leader is interpreted differently by another. This lack of standardisation can lead to:
- operational chaos and inefficiencies due to team leaders ‘reinventing the wheel’ for similar situations,
- employee frustration due to mixed messages and a feeling of unfairness,
- increased compliance risk and potential legal issues due to inconsistent application of policies and employment law.
Our solution: an immersive, consensus-driven workshop
This is a non-traditional team leader training course. Instead of simply telling your managers what to do and how to do it, we create a dynamic simulation that challenges them to think on their feet and, most importantly, build consensus on the best way forward.
What makes our program special?
Many team leader training programs focus on abstract theory. Our focus is on the practical reality of leadership in your workplace: the chaotic, unpredictable nature of a busy work week. We don’t tell your managers what to do; we provide the forum for them to agree on the best way to handle complex scenarios, ensuring every decision aligns with your policies, procedures, best practices and culture.
The program: an immersive leadership simulation
“A Week in the Life of a Team Leader” isn’t a typical workshop; it’s a high-fidelity simulation of your team leaders’ most challenging, realistic work week.
Here’s how the program works
Consultative design: your customised team leader training
To design and customise the workshop, we conduct deep consultations with you and your stakeholders to understand the specific, nuanced challenges your supervisory team faces. This includes identifying:
- common operational bottlenecks,
- difficult employee relations scenarios,
- policy grey areas that currently lead to inconsistent decisions,
- events that can cause a smooth-running day to turn chaotic.
This consultation ensures the program is 100% relevant and acts as an immediate leadership skills development tool for your specific environment. We bring all of the information together to create a simulation of a chaotic work week full of challenges, twists and turns for your leaders to navigate together.
The simulation: chaos by design
The core of this team leader workshop is a simulated work week that unfolds over the course of the training. We present a variety of realistic events that pop up at different times—some on a Monday morning, some late on a Friday afternoon. The time of day adds a layer of ‘flavour’ that impacts the urgency and potential response.
Events and scenarios
Events can range from urgent operational issues to complex personnel matters, such as:
- handling an unexpected equipment or technology breakdown (impacting service levels),
- dealing with an employee confrontation or grievance,
- responding to a sudden compliance audit request,
- managing a shift-swapping request that conflicts with policy.
The collaborative problem-solving process
For each event, your team leaders work together to:
- Analyse the event: What is the immediate issue and the potential impact?
- Determine the response: What is the best or most appropriate course of action?
- Validate the decision: Where do company policies and procedures, franchise manuals, or employment law guide the decision?
- Design a new standard: If no clear policy exists, the group collectively designs a new, agreed-upon standard operating procedure (SOP) to ensure the situation is handled consistently in the future.
This process facilitates consensus-building in leadership, transforming existing team leaders and supervisors into a unified, high-performing team.
Key benefits of our ‘A week in the life of a team leader’ training workshop
- Consistency: Achieve a unified approach to team leadership and the running of the department, ensuring all employees receive consistent guidance and support.
- Empowerment: Empower your team leaders and supervisors by trusting them to co-create the solutions and best practices for their own teams.
- Practical skills: Develop real-world problem-solving skills that are immediately put into practice within the simulation.
- Reduced risk: Mitigate operational and legal risks by ensuring all leaders are aligned on policy application and legal compliance.
- Enhanced teamwork: Encourage a stronger sense of camaraderie and shared purpose among your supervisory or management team as they work together to solve challenges.
What this program does not cover
The purpose of this training is to simulate a working week that forces team leaders to work together on solving common problems. The outcome is for building consensus about ‘how we do things around here’ and build a strong team at the same time. We do not cover specific leadership skills relating to managing people. If that’s what you’re looking for, then check out our team leader development program.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What makes this different from other team leader training?
We don’t use generic scenarios. This program is a custom-built simulation of your specific workplace. The focus is on collaborative problem-solving and consensus-building, not just passive learning.
How many people can participate at once?
The program is designed for groups of four or more managers, supervisors, or team leaders who have similar responsibilities. This ensures a rich and productive discussion.
Will this program help new team leaders?
Yes, it’s highly effective for new and experienced managers alike. New leaders gain an accelerated understanding of company standards, while experienced managers can share their expertise and help refine best practices.
Do you offer this as a public course?
No, this is an exclusive in-house training program. Its effectiveness lies in its deep customisation to your organization’s unique environment and challenges.
What is the time commitment?
The program duration is flexible and can be designed to fit your schedule, from a focused one-day intensive to a multi-day workshop, depending on your needs.
Who runs the workshop?
We let you decide who runs the workshop. We can facilitate the workshop for you, but we do need someone there who is the expert on your workplace. We won’t know every piece of policy and procedure so it’s critical to have someone in the room who does.
Where do workshops take place?
While we prefer your group of learners to be away from the workplace to shield them from distractions, that may not be possible. Learners may need to access your networks, knowledge base or other pieces of technology that are only available at your workplace. Also we understand that if you’ve got all team leaders together in a room, there’s no one out on the floor. So if you’ve got a board room or conference room, that can be a great training venue.
