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Introducing MGR360

Happy Effective Team

For the past two months, we’ve been preparing the launch of MGR360, the go-to training certification for people managers.

It’s a project I’m deeply proud to lead as CEO. And now that we’re live, I figured our first blog post should explain not just what we’re doing, but why we’re doing it and how we want to make a difference for you.

Our Reason for Being, by the Numbers

Along with my cofounder, veteran tech CEO Joel Trammell, I’ve been a been student of great management for most of my career. 

Joel approaches the topic from the perspective of a longtime public- and private-company CEO, while I’ve seen things from the side of project oversight and consulting. That means the core of the MGR360 training has been literally decades in the making.

But we didn’t start MGR360 just because we’re interested. We strongly believe that by training great managers, there’s an opportunity to create lasting positive change in people’s lives

(In fact, we’ve experienced it.)

Three numbers explain why:

90,000 hours

This is the amount of time—on the low end—that most of us spend at work in our lifetimes. We be working from home for the time being, but that’s still an incredible amount of hours to dedicate to your employer.

The quality of each of those 90,000 hours define the quality of a big chunk of our lives. Are they spent supported by a truly great manager? Or are they spent laboring under someone who just doesn’t get it? The difference has a dramatic impact not just on work but on the broader picture of your life.

70%

This number pulls double duty. It’s roughly the portion of the US workforce that is disengaged at any time. It’s also the variance in employee engagement that can be linked to the person’s direct manager.

In other words: most people are disengaged, and managers are the biggest cause. We don’t think it has to be that way, at least not on your team.

12 minutes

This is the amount of time most companies spend on training managers each year. Is it any wonder that so many otherwise intelligent, well-meaning people turn out to be terrible managers of people?

Why Your Team Will Like This Training

One reason companies spend mere minutes on management training each year is the typical quality of such programs. I know better than anyone that the traditional “management training” is usually stuffy, theoretical, and time-consuming.

No one needs that, especially not in the midst of a global crisis. So we’ve designed MGR360 to be different.

When you attend a workshop and get an MGR360 certification:

  • Your time is respected. Our flagship workshop takes only one day of you and/or your team’s time. Still, we know that a day is a lot. That’s why our prime goal is to save you LOTS of time on the backend. We do that by centering training around streamlined processes that create clarity on your team. Clarity saves time. And with more time, you can work on what really matters.

  • It’s about YOU, not us. Our approach to people management is based in a flexible framework that you can customize to your team. This workshop isn’t just us giving you information; it’s us learning your team’s dynamics and specific challenges, then tailoring our proven strategies to the situation.

  • We have your back on follow-through. The curse of traditional management training is “in one ear and out the other.” It’s really important to us that you not just sit through a slideshow and then go back with nothing changed. That’s why in the workshop, we have created hands-on exercises to get you started and then work with you to create a six-week plan. You’ll walk out with a workbook and a plan. Plus, we stay in touch over the following months with reminders and tips for continuing management excellence. And if your organization needs more excellent managers, we can offer vetted, MGR360-certified candidates. 

If you or your team would like to take the next step to mastering people management, we’d love for you to sign up for a workshop. 

We’re offering virtual session starting immediately, and in-person workshops—at our place or yours—will be available once current social distancing guidelines are relaxed.

We also hope you’ll subscribe to our newsletter for updates as we launch, and to get regular insight and research on what makes great managers.

Alicia Thrasher

Alicia Thrasher

Alicia is cofounder and CEO of Manager360. Previously, she brought her leadership, vision, and strategic oversight to many executive positions, including leading programs for eBay/PayPal, Google, and Anheuser-Busch. She is the coauthor, with Joel Trammell, of The Manager's Playbook: Make Exceptional People Management Your Competitive Advantage.

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