Promoting a strong engineer into management is one of the riskiest bets an engineering organisation makes. The skills that earned the role are not the skills the role demands, and the first months set the pattern for the team. I coach new managers through that transition, so the investment you have made in them pays off for their team and for you.
What you may be seeing
- One-to-ones that feel awkward, or have quietly stopped happening.
- Delegation that swings between doing everything themselves and losing sight of the work.
- A team whose delivery has slowed since the promotion.
- You being pulled into conversations the new manager should be able to handle.
What I do
I work individually with the new manager on the situations they are actually facing: finding their footing with the team, delegating with clarity, giving feedback, having the difficult conversations, and making the calls they are unsure of. Where the team's conditions are part of the problem, such as unclear roles or process that has outgrown the team, I look at those as well, with your involvement.
I come back to one-to-ones often because they are where management becomes personal. They are the best place to see how someone leads, but they are one part of the job, not the whole of it.
What you can expect as the sponsor
What this involves depends on the level of coaching agreed.
- If appropriate, a short three-way conversation at the start, so the three of us agree what good looks like.
- Depending on the format agreed, a mid-point check-in and a closing review, with the manager choosing what to share and framing progress against the goals you agreed.
- The aim is a manager who is more confident, more consistent and easier to support.
Sponsor agreements are available as standard.
Confidentiality, and what you will and will not see
What the manager and I discuss stays between us. You will hear about themes and progress, and only what the manager decides to share. I do not report on individuals, and I do not pass judgement to you. That protection is what makes the coaching honest, and honest coaching is what produces the change you are paying for.
The cost of leaving it to chance
A new manager left to work it out alone does not fail loudly. The symptoms above settle in quietly. None of it appears on a budget line, but all of it has a cost: your time, the team’s trust, and habits that are much harder to unlearn once they set.
What good looks like instead
- A manager who is visibly more confident, delegates with clear outcomes, and gives feedback people can use.
- Decisions made with more confidence, because there is a confidential sounding board for the difficult ones.
- Fewer problems escalating to you that the manager could and should handle themselves.
- A team that notices the difference: clearer expectations, steadier feedback, and a manager who has grown into the role rather than just occupying it.
If you need to make this case to someone else, download a one-page summary (PDF) you can forward on: the problem, what coaching changes, and what it costs.
Ways to work together
Prices below are indicative only, and can be discussed during our introductory conversations.
| Format | Length | Best when | Investment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ad-hoc advisory session | One session, plus follow-ups as needed | You want a brainstorm or a second opinion to attack a specific issue, such as a hiring decision, a stuck team problem or a process that is not working | £275 per session |
| Focused coaching sprint | 4 to 6 weeks | A new manager needs a strong start, or there is one urgent leadership gap | £250 per session |
| Embedded advisory rhythm | 3 to 6 months | Sustained change, or several managers to support | £225 per session |
| Team-system review | Workshop plus follow-up | A team is busy but blocked and you need to see why. We’ll conduct workshops, interview stakeholders and help get to the root-cause of any issues, then get back to you with a report and recommendations to discuss. | ±£1,200* |
*Varies depending on team size and complexity. Includes a comprehensive report and follow-up discussion.
I invoice monthly, and payment is due on presentation of the invoice. I operate below the VAT threshold, so no VAT is charged. Purchase orders are accepted, although I do not require them. I mostly coach remotely, by video call, within reasonable UK working hours, and I take clients worldwide.
Making the decision
How you will know it is working
At the start we agree two or three things you would notice if the coaching were working. They are usually things you can see rather than scores: one-to-ones that happen and are useful, work delegated with clear outcomes, fewer issues coming to you that the manager could handle, and a manager who says they feel more confident. We look at them again at the end, and the manager chooses what to share with you.
Why not a course, or your internal programme?
Courses teach the concepts, and they are useful. Coaching works on the situations your manager is actually facing this month, when they are facing them. It can sit alongside an internal programme, supplementing it, and it is usually what turns the ideas into habits.
What I will ask of you
A short conversation at the start so we agree what good looks like. Honest context about the team and what you have noticed. Protected time for the manager's sessions, which usually last 45 minutes. And your acceptance of the confidentiality described above, since that is what makes the coaching honest.
Start small if you would like to
You do not have to commit to a programme. The free call is a chance to check whether I am the right fit, with no obligation. A single ad-hoc session is a low-commitment way to test the approach on one real issue before agreeing anything longer.
Why me
I have led engineering teams for more than 35 years, and coached & mentored leaders (and aspiring leaders). I coach from lived experience, with a people-first, servant leadership approach, and I focus on habits that stick rather than theory. I have worked with people in waste management technology, medical information systems, finance, and commercial and industrial settings.
Start with a conversation
Bring the situation; there is no need to name anyone. On Google Meet, at no charge, I can help you work out whether coaching is the right move and which format would suit.