5-6 May 2026
Kuala Lumpur
TBA
Overview
Join The First-Time Manager Masterclass with internationally renowned author, executive coach, and leadership expert, Jim McCormick. This highly practical 2-day programme is designed to equip new and aspiring managers with the essential skills, mindset, and confidence needed to successfully transition into leadership roles and manage teams effectively.
Why Attend?
Stepping into management for the first time can be challenging, especially when managing former peers, motivating teams, and making critical decisions that impact performance. This masterclass provides clear, practical guidance to help you avoid common management pitfalls, develop leadership capability, and build high-performing teams. You will gain immediately usable tools and proven techniques to become a more effective manager, leader, and decision-maker within your organisation.
Who Should Attend?
This masterclass is designed for professionals who have recently been promoted into management roles, managers looking to strengthen their leadership and people management skills, individual contributors preparing to transition into leadership positions, and supervisors or team leaders responsible for managing people and performance.
Benefits for Participants – What Will You Learn by the End of This Course?
- Transition successfully from an individual contributor to an effective manager
- Understand core management and leadership responsibilities
- Structure your team and apply the ideal span of control
- Motivate employees and build high-performance teams
- Apply effective decision-making in leadership situations
- Delegate tasks effectively and avoid common management mistakes
- Conduct performance appraisals to improve team performance
- Communicate effectively and manage difficult conversations
- Hire, manage, and retain the right talent Improve time management and productivity
- Manage former peers and establish leadership authority
- Strengthen your leadership presence and advance your career
COURSE FACILITATOR
Jim
McCormac
Achievements
Jim McCormick is a globally recognized management expert, executive coach, and best-selling author with decades of experience developing leaders and improving organizational performance. He is the Founder and President of the Research Institute for Risk Intelligence and has been advising organizations since 1996 on leadership effectiveness and competitiveness.
He has held senior executive roles, including serving as a corporate Chief Operating Officer and working within a U.S. Presidential administration, giving him strong real-world insight into leadership challenges. Jim has worked with leading organizations such as PepsiCo, Wells Fargo, Allianz, Accenture, AT&T, Hewlett-Packard, and Verizon across multiple industries.
He is also the co-author of the international best-seller The First-Time Manager. His programs focus on equipping managers with practical tools to lead effectively, build high-performance teams, and accelerate their leadership growth.
Has Worked With
Book(s) Published
Agenda
The First-Time Manager
During the masterclass, participants will work through practical management scenarios and real-world leadership challenges faced by first-time managers. Delegates are encouraged to reflect on their own team situations, leadership experiences, and workplace challenges, which may be discussed and analysed during the session. This ensures that key concepts such as leadership, motivation, performance management, and team development are clearly understood and can be applied effectively in their own managerial roles.
1. An Overview of Management
- Management vs Leadership
- A manager’s primary responsibilities
- Pitfalls to avoid as a manager
- Why traditional management no longer works
- The transition from Key Contributor to Manager
2. Setting Yourself Up for Success
- Structuring your organization
- The ideal span of control
- Your primary management tool
- How to avoid the most common management mistake
3. Getting into the Management Role
- The basics of effective management
- Creating a high performance team
- Motivating the team and creating a high performance environment
- The four types of decision-making for any situation
- Managing your former peers
4. Managing Your Team Members
- Writing job descriptions
- Interviewing and hiring
- The two most important traits in any job candidate
- Proactive talent management
- Conducting performance appraisals
- Firing – when it just isn’t working
Day 2 Modules
5. Performance Appraisals
- Performance improvement as a management tool
- Building confidence in your employees
- Effectively disciplining employees
- Encouraging initiative and innovation
6. Making Yourself More Effective
- Delegating effectively
- Avoiding the perfectionism trap
- Managing your time effectively
- Overcoming productivity challenges
7. Maturing as a Manager
- Understanding the five types of employees
- Your most important responsibility as a manager
- Communicating effectively with your team
- Overcoming resistance
- Managing your boss
8. Advancing as a Manager
- The secret to continuing to advance
- Distinguishing yourself as a leader
- Promoting your brand professionally
- Individual key insights and action planning
