Managing People
Whether you lead a small or large team of academic or professional staff, the below courses and programmes are available to support you wherever you are on your management journey.
Pathways to get you started........
Please find below our curated resources that we have available to help you understand the skills needed to manage other people.
For anyone new or currently in a people management role we recommend our Induction information for People Managers.
We have some role-specific introductions for Senior Academic Leaders through our curated SAL Learning Pathway
Please note training sessions about managing performance and managing sickness absence are delivered by our HR Adviser colleagues and are available on request by contacting hradvisors@exeter.ac.uk.
Our Aspiring Managers Programme
The Aspiring Manager Programme is ideal for anyone with little (or no) previous management experience, but with intentions of pursuing a managerial role.
This is an in-person course delivered by CRISP CPD, and consisting of two half-days.
As part of the training, you will:
- Consider what makes a good manager
- Learn about specific skills which contribute to effective management, such as self-awareness and communication
- Reflect on theories and frameworks underpinning leadership and learning styles, as well as skills and attributes, such as emotional intelligence
- Learn how to tackle difficult conversations effectively, and to give and receive feedback
- Collaborate with your peers
… And much more!
How to book
You can book onto the programme via our course list, which can be accessed here.
If you have any questions about the course, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us via email to peopledevelopment@exeter.ac.uk.
Managing People workshops
Our managing people workshops are delivered by our external partners, Centre 4 Learning, who are accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management. They provide tailor-made interactive workshops delivered by hand-picked consultants and business actors all of whom have their own specialisms.
Each 3 hour workshop has been collaboratively designed so you can choose to attend any that are useful to you.
- Me as Manager: my role
- Me as Manager: my communication
- Planning for performance
- Managing performance
- Developing individuals
- Developing teams
- Difficult conversations
- Making a difference through change for managers
It is possible to gain accreditation from the Institute of Leadership for two pathways: 'Management Essentials,' and 'Management Practitioner.' The pathway best suited to you will depend on your current skills and experience.
PLEASE NOTE: Sessions from the ‘Management Essentials’ pathway will be taking place in Terms 1, 2 and 3 of the academic year 2025-2026. Sessions from the 'Management Practitioner' pathway will only run in Terms 1 and 2 . If you are already completing the ‘Management Practitioner’ pathway, or are planning to, please ensure you attend all relevant sessions in Terms 1 and 2.
It is possible that neither pathway will run again in 2026-27, (‘Management Essentials,’ nor ‘Management Practitioner’) so we would encourage you to complete either accreditation in 2025-26.
Please refer to the following document to read more about accreditation: C4L Accreditation details
Further development opportunities for Professional Services
The below programmes have been specifically selected for our Professional Services colleagues.
If you are new to managing researchers read through the guidance and useful info on our Resources and courses for managers of researchers webpage.
This page includes a useful checklist to work through when you start in the role.