the problem
Your managers are smart and capable. They execute well. But they're missing something fundamental.
They don't understand:
- What you and the exec team are actually worried about
- How decisions really get made (and why some things take forever)
- How to read and understand the metrics and spot trouble early
- What 'be more strategic' actually means in practice
- Why some requests get approved instantly and others die quietly
So they operate in a vacuum. They escalate things they should handle. They miss the political reality. They make decisions without understanding the broader context.
And you're frustrated because what's obvious to you... isn't obvious to them.
This costs you:
- Poor decisions that ripple through the business
- Constant firefighting and unnecessary escalations
- Talented people who plateau because they can't 'read the game'
- £30K-£50K if you need to replace one of them (before their salary)
What Your Managers Will Learn
DAY 1: UNDERSTANDING THE MACHINE
how YOUR business actually works
- your business model: how you make money (and where the risks are)
- what leadership is worried about right now (the real priorities, not the official ones)
- how decisions get made in your company (the written rules and the unwritten ones)
- reporting, KPIs and board meetings: understanding the numbers and prepping for board meetings
- what 'be more strategic' actually means (with examples from your business)
how the functions connect
- marketing, sales, finance, product, HR, operations, customer support: how work flows between teams (and where it gets stuck)
- who your customers actually are and what they need
- where your managers fit in the bigger picture
DAY 2: READING THE GAME
how to spot trouble before leadership announces it
- financial warning signs - in language that makes sense
- behavioral signals from leadership and peers
- when 'business as usual' isn't usual anymore
how to navigate the reality of corporate life:
- how restructures actually get decided - and what middle managers need to know
- what happens during M&A
- the unwritten rules of a company
scenarios from YOUR business:
- we'll look at what's actually happening in 3-5 current situations
- I'll teach them to see what you see
templates and frameworks they can use
- Business Literacy Toolkit - Reading Financial Statements
- CEO/Executive Pressure Points Decoder
- Political Landscape Map
- Managing Up Communication Framework
- Decision-Making Power Map
- Executive Meeting Decoder
- Strategic Relationship Map
- Escalation Decision Tree
these may change depending on the needs of your business.
what happens when you get this right
"Working with Ciara on international business transformation at a multi-million turnover consultancy - she spelt it out. Set it straight. Some of us walked, seeing the facts and trusting what was presented. Some of us stayed, managed it better and made clear choices.
We knew where it was going. Our part in it. We could actually deliver as was needed - we knew with 100% clarity what was wanted through this work with her.
SHE SPOKE OUR LANGUAGE. MADE IT CRYSTAL CLEAR and shifted our productivity in exactly the right direction.
This trust and truth is unusual - and hard to deliver and receive successfully."
— Executive Director, International Education Consulting & Coaching organisation
this isn't powerpoint training
Most corporate training is people in a room, watching slides and checking their phones.
This is different:
- Maximum 12 participants - small enough to be genuinely interactive
- Real scenarios from your business - not generic case studies
- I ask hard questions - questions they can't answer yet, questions that show them what they're missing
- They leave understanding YOUR company - not 'business in general'
I've taught managers for 15 years. I know what clicks and what doesn't. This workshop is designed around how people actually learn.
Who This Workshop Is For
this workshop works best for
- Managers who've been promoted from technical/specialist roles and need commercial context
- New managers who don't understand how business decisions get made
- Experienced managers who've hit a ceiling because they can't "read the game"
- High-potential managers being groomed for senior roles
- Teams that operate in silos and don't understand the bigger picture
this is NOT for
- Senior executives (they already know this)
- Individual contributors who aren't managing people or budgets
- Managers who just need technical skills training
what happens when you get this right
"When I first met Ciara, I was managing multiple projects with conflicting deadlines, hitting financial targets, managing a team, and bringing in new opportunities. I didn't have a commercial background and was overwhelmed.
Ciara explained how the business actually worked in a way that just clicked. She broke down what mattered, what didn't, and how to prioritise so I could meet my targets.
Everything became clearer. I knew what I was doing and why.
I couldn't recommend her enough."
— Assistant Director, International Education Consultancy
Investment: £7,500 + expenses
In exchange for this introductory rate, I ask for a testimonial and permission to use your company name/logo on my website (subject to your approval).
After that: Standard rate of £12,500 applies.
I'm Ciara.
I spent 30 years in commercial roles - marketing, sales, commercial, leadership.
I've been the middle manager who didn't understand the game. I've been the exec frustrated that talented managers couldn't see what was obvious to me.
Here's what I learned: It wasn't their fault. Nobody had taught them.
For 15 years as a leader, I was the person who pulled new managers aside and explained what was actually happening:
- how to understand the numbers
- what the exec team was really worried about
- how to read the quarterly rhythm
- what the unwritten rules were
I had the same conversation dozens of times: 'Here's how this company actually works. Here's what nobody's telling you'.
This workshop is that conversation - the one I wish someone had given me 20 years ago.
It's what I spent 15 years teaching informally. Now it's structured, comprehensive, and customised for your company.