FT Lbanner New
Open Manager Cohorts
Stretch your skills among supportive peers

The modern managerial mode

Our long-standing Open Manager Cohorts provide a practical and experimental space in which to rapidly build your confidence and capability to manage others. Led by a You Can Now facilitator, you'll learn among a cohort of supportive peers; drawn from diverse and innovative organisations, and all facing similar challenges.

Together you'll work through our Core Four manager modules, proven to purposefully and positively supersize your people-management skills.

Really immersive, virtual learning
Really immersive, virtual learning

From tactile physical elements direct to your doormat, to collaborative and interactive workshop environments — we've designed a hands-on, lean in learning experience that participants love, and that arms everyone with timely tools to experiment with in their own teams right away.

The Core Four

The modules you'll collaboratively explore

Talky Managers
1. Strengths , Styles and Situations

Self-awareness must come before relational-awareness, and upping understanding of our strengths and leadership style tendencies is an excellent starting point on the journey towards authentic and situational management. Drawing on Daniel Goleman's definitive work on emotionally intelligent leadership, this module arms us with enlightening insights about ourselves, so we're primed to unlock them in others.

YCN Trends Photography 0019
2. The Coach Approach

For modern managers, a coaching mindset is a must have. When we practice a coaching approach (among a toolkit of complementary leadership styles), we're able to purposefully bring performance enhancing support in all kinds of relational directions. In this module we practically build our skills in listening and questioning well, and master coaching frameworks like GROW, to keep conversations positively oriented to action.

Sarah
3. Owning Feedback

The modern manager is continually able to provide clear and actionable feedback, both on what's working well, and where there are growth opportunities — while also pulling in the feedback they need for their own development. In fast moving teams, there's lots that gets in the way of this happening; and within this module we arm ourselves with proven models and approaches to the feedback fundamentals, loved by those that learn them.

Talky Managers2
4. Connected Conversations

The 1-1 offers the perfect context for applying all of the key skills demanded of modern managers. In this module we collaboratively define the right cadence for different performance conversations; from coaching check-ins and monthly 1-1s, to career oriented quarterly, bi-annual or annual conversations. We show the levers for removing interference, activating motivation; and practice making conversations intentionally connective — purposefully linking into values, goals and more.

The Programme on a page

Eight transformative weeks

Screenshot 2022 07 11 at 21 14 53

The programme journey

OM Cblow

Illustration by Yann Le Bec

Open Cohort Programme principles


Peer-led learning

Participants work and learn among supportive cohorts of peers; contracting around social learning principles, working together in the service of each others' development — and with group accountability baked in.


The action's in-between

Buddies, mini-missions, reflection prompts, transfer tasks and other social touches ensure that everything covered is put into glorious practice, with each new session beginning with a check in on what's changed since last time.


Nudge, nudge. Think, think

Tailored bursts of micro-learning support the live group experiences; served up in brain friendly, bite-size doses between them. The invitation is to continually try and apply new tactics, mindsets and experiments within real team and relational contexts.


Community based, lifelong learning

Participants join our super-active alumni community of practice — continually invited to benefit from a thriving ongoing calendar of coaching circles, live events and digital learning opportunities.

“Unlike any development programme I’ve taken part in before. This felt more like a series of powerful conversations that fundamentally changed how I think about my work and my style as a manager.“

Daniel, StudioXAG

Coming cohorts

Build your skills among supportive peers

Carol Thumb
January '23 Cohort workshop dates

All 11am—1pm, UK time: 24th January, 7th February, 21st February, 7th March

FTL friday 0003
February '23 Cohort workshop dates

All 3.30pm—5.30pm, UK time: 23rd February, 9th March, 23rd March, 6th April

Cardsmanchester2
March '23 Cohort workshop dates

All 11am—1pm, UK time: 28th March, 11th April, 25th April, 9th May

22
🇺🇸 March '23 Cohort workshop dates (US friendly timings)

All 2.30—4.30pm Eastern Time: 29th March, 12th April, 26th April, 10th May

YCN Can Cards Mock Stage3 03 1
April '23 Cohort workshop dates

All 9.30am—11.30am UK time: 27th April, 11th May, 25th May, 8th June

Costs and learning more
Costs and learning more

Cohort Places cost from £1800 + VAT; with concessions for existing partners, charities and where multiple places are booked. We've enabled thousands of managers at hundreds of partner organisations including: Ted Baker, GiffGaff, The Modern House, Universal Records, Koto, Frieze, Cubitts, Shelter, The V&A Museum, Farfetch, Action for Children, Scope, Pip & Nut, The Trainline, Getty Images and many, many more. If you've any questions about the programme, email hello@ycn.org or call + 44 (0)20 7033 2140.