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Public Service Commission

Learning and development opportunities for people managers

These learning and development opportunities have been developed for anyone who manages people in NSW Government. Whether you’ve managed people for years or are new to being a manager, investing in your capability uplift will help to ensure you’re driving positive outcomes for your team.

By engaging with these learning opportunities, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge, skills and tools to be an effective people manager. 

Masterclasses

The people manager masterclasses upskill and equip managers by addressing key issues relating to inspiring direction and purpose, managing and developing people, leading through change and planning and organising resources.

The sessions are an opportunity to explore evidence-based models and practical ideas to apply to your work as a people manager.

Anyone who manages people in NSW Government can access these online masterclasses.

2023 masterclasses

Masterclass 1 – Inspiring outstanding performance

Driving accountability and managing performance requires leaders provide clarity, context and alignment when setting expectations. This masterclass offers a framework to help team members maximise their efforts.

Learning objectives:

  • develop the art of setting clear, purposeful expectations, that inspire incremental effort
  • adopt a framework that helps you analyse and communicate current performance, and plan future performance.

Contact the PSC Capability Design team to access the recording.

Masterclass 2 – The power of coaching for people managers

People managers today need to be mentors and coaches, supporting their team members to do their best work. This practical and experiential masterclass will focus on helping participants hone and extend their coaching skills to achieve this objective. We’ll explore your current coaching style via an audit.

Learning objectives:

  • get clarity on behaviours that support and hinder you in empowering your team and audit your current coaching behaviours
  • enhance coaching skills and question technique to foster higher levels of initiative, accountability and ownership among your team
  • explore a coaching planning tool that helps people leaders enact break-through conversations with their team members.

Contact the PSC Capability Design team to access the recording.

Masterclass 3 – Prioritising for team focus and success

People managers today are increasingly asking their team to do more with less resources. To avoid burnout and ensure optimal outcomes, establishing team and individual priorities is critical. In this masterclass, you’ll explore a matrix which helps you decide on what to prioritise based on what’s most important and urgent, and how to manage ever-increasing demands.

Learning objectives:

  • Understand where your team’s energy is going and how to prioritise and focus the efforts of team members
  • Learn how to clearly define roles and responsibilities and allocate resources for maximum impact
  • Learn the art of saying “no” (without saying no).

Contact the PSC Capability Design team to access the recording.

Masterclass 4 – The crucial role of people managers in leading successful change

Change is unavoidable. As a people manager, how do you support your team in adapting to successfully to change? This masterclass explores the emotions people go through during change, and a people manager’s role in bringing people on the journey.

Learning objectives:

  • understand the different stages of change and how to manage the emotions of team members during change
  • review tactics available to people managers to build buy-in to change projects which are initially unpopular
  • learn the role of storytelling in leading change.

Contact the PSC Capability Design team to access the recording.

2022 masterclasses

Masterclasses delivered in 2022 were on the following topics. Contact the PSC Capability Design team to access the recordings.

Masterclass 1 – Making hybrid work, work

In this session, we explore: 

  • why it’s important to get hybrid right
  • common concerns of managing a hybrid team
  • the elements of a successful hybrid approach.
Masterclass 2 – Prioritising de-escalation

In this session, we explore:

  • what is de-escalation and why does it matter now?
  • the science of de-escalation
  • the habits of de-escalation.
Masterclass 3 – Respecting cognitive capacity when managing change

In this session, we explore:

  • how change is processed in the brain
  • how to respect cognitive capacity
  • how to plan, communicate and implement a change initiative as a people manager.
Masterclass 4 – Quality development conversations

In this session, we explore: 

  • elements of quality conversations
  • a science-based approach to performance conversations
  • ideas to create the right environment for more challenging conversations.

Group mentoring program

The 2023 People Manager Group Mentoring Program is part of the PSC’s people manager capability uplift program and is open to all NSW Government people managers. The 12-month program focuses on uplifting people manager capability in the four domains of the People Manager Frame: establish purpose and direction, plan and organise resources, manage and develop people and lead through change.

The program provides participants with a supportive framework to enable:

  • targeted people manager capability development
  • group-based learning opportunities
  • 1:1 catch ups within mentoring group to deepen connections 
  • mentor collaboration and training
  • cross-sector networking opportunities.

Please note, applications for this program have now closed. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application from 24 April 2023.

Download the information pack to find out more about the program and commitment and eligibility.

Contact us

If you’re interested in finding out more about the program, please contact the NSW Public Service Commission’s Capability Design team.
 

Online training program

People Manager Fundamentals is an online training program designed to build foundational people manager capabilities for those new to people management or wanting a refresher.

The program covers the role and responsibilities of people managers and key attributes of effective managers as outlined in the People Manager Frame. There are 4 modules which each take 2-3 hours to complete in a self-paced format. Find out more by downloading the People Manager Fundamentals learning guide

The learning modules were developed with extensive input from people managers and agencies across the NSW public sector to deliver an engaging and high-quality experience.

To access the eLearning through your agency’s platform, speak to your HR or learning and development team or contact the PSC Capability Design team