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Leaders learning performance management during a training session

Performance Management Training for Managers

Set clear expectations, run reviews that work, and handle underperformance fairly and confidently.

5 Star Rated

10+ Years Experience

In-House Training

In-person team training from £1,400 per day or £1,150 per day remote for a group.
 

See detailed pricing information below

Trusted By Teams Across the UK

In the private and public sectors, from SMEs to publicly-listed companies, I've delivered training across a wide range of organisation sizes and sectors.

Client logo Reckitt Benckiser
Client logo Reed Business School
Client logo Mercia Asset Management PLC
Client logo Indium Corporation
Leader reviewing goals with a team member one-to-one

Manage Performance With Confidence and Clarity

Managing performance is the part of leadership most managers were never taught. Let's be honest, it's also the part most managers dread.

 

Setting objectives, running honest reviews, tackling underperformance before it becomes entrenched - these are learnable skills, and most people are left to work them out alone.

This practical one-day performance management training course for managers gives you the structure to do it properly.

 

Set clear expectations people understand, give feedback that improves things rather than souring them, and apply a fair, confident approach to underperformance that protects both the individual and the team.

Delivered in-house across the UK or live online, and tailored to your organisation's own appraisal and review processes.

By the end of the day, you will be able to:

  • Set objectives people actually understand and can be measured against.

  • Run appraisals and reviews that feel useful rather than a box-ticking exercise.

  • Give feedback that improves performance without damaging the relationship.

  • Spot underperformance early and address it before it escalates.

  • Handle formal performance conversations fairly, calmly and confidently.

  • Keep clear, appropriate records of performance discussions.

  • Motivate and stretch the people who are already performing well.

 

You also receive 3 months of personal email support from me for any follow-up questions.

Why Performance Management Matters

Most performance problems aren't dramatic. They're the capable person who's quietly drifted, the standard that slipped and nobody mentioned, the appraisal everyone endures and nobody acts on.

 

Left alone, they cost far more than they should - in output, in the workload absorbed by everyone else, and eventually in the good people who get tired of carrying it.

Managers who handle performance well deal with things early, when they're still small and still fixable. That's a skill, and it's teachable.

What organisations typically gain from this training:

  • Consistency - the same standards and process applied across every team

  • Earlier intervention - problems addressed while they're still minor

  • Fairness - a defensible, documented approach that protects everyone

  • Better reviews - appraisals that change something rather than filling a form

  • Retention of strong performers - who stay when poor performance isn't tolerated

Performance Management Course Content

For in-house training the content is tailored to your organisation - including your own appraisal system, review cycle and internal processes.

Contact me to find out how I can help you.

Every participant receives:

  • A comprehensive course workbook packed with notes, exercises, and templates.

  • Step-by-step frameworks and templates to put your leadership skills training into action.

  • Practical examples that can be applied to real workplace challenges straight away.

  • Certificate of Completion after the course.

  • Post-course email support - you can email me with questions for 3 months after the course, answered personally.

The Performance Management Cycle

Performance management isn't an annual event; it's a year-round cycle. This module sets out the whole shape of it, so the appraisal becomes a summary of an ongoing conversation rather than a surprise. ✔ What performance management actually involves - and what it isn't ✔ The performance cycle: planning, ongoing review, formal review ✔ Where most organisations' processes break down ✔ The manager's role versus HR's role ✔ Working within your organisation's existing framework

Setting Expectations and Objectives

Most performance problems begin with an expectation that was never made explicit. This module covers making standards clear enough that success and failure are both obvious. ✔ Writing objectives that are specific and measurable ✔ SMART objectives - and their limitations ✔ Setting behavioural as well as output expectations ✔ Linking individual objectives to team and organisational goals ✔ Agreeing expectations so people genuinely sign up to them

Motivation and Engagement

What actually drives people to perform, and how to use it - including how to stretch and retain the people who are already doing well. ✔ The psychology of motivation (Maslow and Herzberg) ✔ Common motivation myths that waste managers' time ✔ Recognition that genuinely lands ✔ Motivating and developing high performers ✔ Spotting disengagement before it becomes departure

Feedback and Performance Conversations

The everyday conversations that keep performance on track, and how to run a review that's worth having. ✔ Giving feedback that's clear, specific and actionable ✔ Structured approaches to feedback conversations ✔ Running one-to-ones that surface issues early ✔ Preparing for and conducting an appraisal or review meeting ✔ Avoiding bias and inconsistency in how you assess people

Managing Underperformance

The part managers most often avoid. A fair, structured, confident approach - from the first quiet conversation through to formal processes. ✔ Recognising underperformance early and diagnosing the cause ✔ The informal conversation - often the only one you'll need ✔ Moving from informal to formal, and when that's justified ✔ Performance improvement plans that actually improve performance ✔ Keeping clear, factual, appropriate records ✔ Staying fair, consistent and calm when it gets difficult ✔ Knowing when to involve HR

Meet Your Trainer
Mark Baglow

Hi, I'm Mark. When you book this course, you get me – not an associate, not a script read off a slide.

I've spent fifteen years in the world of education, training and development. During my career I learned the thing that still shapes every course I run: people don't remember what you tell them, they remember what they do.

 

My training is practical, hands-on and refreshingly jargon-free – real tools you'll use on Monday morning, not dry theory you'll have forgotten by lunch.

I'm a certified DISC analyst, and I've designed and delivered leadership, management and communication training across sectors including education, software and financial services.

 

I'm based in Birmingham – right in the middle of the country – so I can reach you easily for in-person training anywhere in the UK, or even internationally! I also provide live online training if that suits you better.

I keep my business deliberately personal: you deal with me directly, from first enquiry to post-course follow-up, and every session is built around your people and your real-world challenges.

Read more About Me

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Pricing & Learning Options

In-House Group Course Live Online

Private group training with Mark Baglow for your organisation live online via Teams.

Tailored to your requirements.

Detailed course notes and resources included.​

Recommended group size of up to 10 participants.

Pricing is a day rate for the group - not per person

from £1,150

per day

Works out at under £120 per person for a group of 10

In-House Group Course In-Person

Private group training with Mark Baglow in-person at your workplace.

Tailored to your requirements.

Detailed printed course notes and resources included.​

Recommended group size up to 12 participants.

Pricing is a day rate for the group - not per person

from £1,400

per day

Works out at under £120 per person for a group of 12

Best Value for Teams

Half-day courses for in-house training are available on request.

Your satisfaction, guaranteed. I'm confident you'll find this training genuinely valuable. If it doesn't deliver what we agreed, I'll put it right.

The final cost of in-house training depends on delivery format, location (including London), group size and any specialist tailoring; travel and accommodation may apply for in-person sessions. No VAT is currently charged.

How In-House Training Works

Bringing training in-house for your team - whether in-person or online - is simpler than you might think. 

Here's the whole journey:

Get in touch: Tell me a bit about your team and what you'd like to achieve.

Fill in the form or book a free 30-minute call.

Free scoping call: We talk through your goals, your team and any specific challenges. No charge, no obligation. We can also look at your existing appraisal system to fit the training to your needs.

Tailored proposal: I send a clear proposal with tailored content and a price. Tailoring and prep are included as standard - no hidden extras. No VAT is currently charged on top of my prices.

Delivery: I deliver the session at your site or live online, fully tailored to your organisation.

Follow-up: Everyone leaves with a workbook and post-course resources to embed what they've learned.

Want to Learn More?

No VAT currently charged · Free discovery call · Tailoring & prep included

Optional - but handy if your email filters are strict, so I can reach you.

Unlock Deeper Insights with DISC

Understanding personality types helps you tailor how you set expectations, give feedback and motivate different people. Optional individual DISC reports are available alongside this course.

Learn more about DISC reports →

Public Course Dates

This course is currently offered as in-house training, but public course dates can be added according to demand. Register your interest below and I will let you know as soon as any public dates are added.

 

Online performance management courses are delivered as live instructor-led training via Microsoft Teams.

Looking for in-person or remote training for your team?

Please contact me to discuss in-house training options.

Who Is Performance Management Training For?

This course is for anyone responsible for managing other people's performance - whether that's a formal appraisal process or simply keeping a small team on track.

Particularly useful if you're introducing or overhauling an appraisal system, or if you've got managers avoiding conversations they should be having.

  • Line Managers and Team Leaders - who want structure and confidence in how they set expectations and review performance

  • Department Heads - looking for consistency in how performance is managed across their area

  • HR and People Professionals - rolling out or refreshing an appraisal process, or supporting managers through difficult cases

  • Business Owners - managing performance without a formal HR function to lean on

  • Aspiring Managers - preparing to take on responsibility for others

If you want to create a culture of trust, recognition, and accountability, this course gives you the frameworks and tools to make it happen.
Trainer leading a workshop on motivation and engagement

Why Choose Mark Baglow Training

What People Say

Mark recently came to visit us to provide our management teams with some vital tools to enable us to navigate all possible scenarios we could face in day to day management of teams and individuals.

 

We all took away different aspects which were incredibly useful and have already made a difference to the feel of the management within the company.

Phil G

Manager, Energy Sector

Frequently Asked Questions

For more general questions about booking, pricing, delivery and more, please visit the main FAQ Page

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Group of managers attending a motivation training session

Whether you’re leading a small team or managing across multiple departments, this course will help you inspire better results through great communication, clarity, and motivation.

 

Understand how to motivate your team, manage underperformance, and create a culture of growth and success.

 

Just fill in the form to get the conversation started.

 

You can also book a free 30 minute no-obligation consultation call here

Optional - but handy if your email filters are strict, so I can reach you.

Ready to Manage Performance With Confidence?

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