STAR® IS THE PROVEN OPERATING SYSTEM THAT ENABLES MANAGERS TO LEAD BETTER, COACH MORE EFFECTIVELY, DRIVE PRODUCTIVITY AND BUILD HIGH-PERFORMING TEAMS
STAR® IS THE PROVEN OPERATING SYSTEM THAT ENABLES MANAGERS TO LEAD BETTER, COACH MORE EFFECTIVELY, DRIVE PRODUCTIVITY AND BUILD HIGH-PERFORMING TEAMS
CERTIFIED STAR® MANAGERS ARE EQUIPPED WITH THE CRITICAL SKILLS FOR THE HUMAN/AGENTIC WORKPLACE
CERTIFIED STAR® MANAGERS ARE EQUIPPED WITH THE CRITICAL SKILLS FOR THE HUMAN/AGENTIC WORKPLACE
Tired of management initiatives that don’t deliver? The STAR® operating system equips your leaders with the critical skills required for today’s human and agentic workplace. By mastering powerful questioning and Operational Coaching® in the flow of work, your managers solve retention issues, drive engagement, increase productivity, confidently lead change and successfully champion AI implementation across their teams. Fundamentally, they become better people leaders.
GUARANTEED ROI |
MULTI-AWARD-WINNING | SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN BY LSE
GUARANTEED ROI | MULTI-AWARD-WINNING | SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN BY LSE
“Coaching our teams is a critical leadership skill”
“Operational Coaching® is now part of the Jewson strategic approach”
“It enhanced the culture of the company and how we work together”
Management development and leadership development that build better people leaders
Develop the people-management skills your line managers need to lead, coach and develop their teams effectively.
STAR® Manager is the proven and certified management development programme for organisations that want to improve the people-management skills, coaching capability and performance of their line managers and leaders.
It enables managers to use Operational Coaching® and powerful questioning in the flow of work, helping them develop their people, improve employee engagement and retention, drive productivity and build higher-performing teams.
→ REQUEST A STAR® MANAGER DEMONSTRATION
Your managers and leaders will be coaching in the flow of work within weeks and measurably increasing the capability and productivity of their teams.
Managers and Leaders from organisations across every sector, in over 40 countries, are utilising the STAR® operating system, including:
STAR® has also won over 15 awards to date, including:
Matthew Syed
#1 Bestselling Author, Journalist & Broadcaster
“Redefines the purpose of management for the 21st century.”
WHAT IS STAR® MANAGER?
STAR® Manager is an operating system and a leadership development and management development programme that develops the people-management and coaching skills of line managers and leaders
The certified programme combines live virtual sessions with online learning, practical workplace application and reflective exercises to help managers and leaders change how they manage and develop their teams in the flow of work, every day.
Managers learn how to use Operational Coaching®, powerful questioning, active listening, appreciative and developmental feedback, handle challenging conversations, and have developmental conversations and effective 1-to-1s as part of their everyday management style.
The result is a more capable and confident management population that can develop people more effectively, improve employee engagement and team performance, increase productivity and contribute to stronger employee retention.
STAR® Manager is suitable for organisations developing managers at any scale, from individuals or small cohorts, to specific teams or divisions, to large-scale populations of line managers and leaders or whole organisation transformations.
→ To learn more about the structure of the programme and how it embeds measurable behavioural change, schedule an informal chat with us.
- Drive measurable management performance and accountability
- Solve retention problems and significantly boost employee engagement
- Master powerful questioning to unlock human potential and AI adoption
- Build high-performing teams for the modern human and agentic workplace
- Support seamless AI and technology implementation within teams
- Scale a consistent, proven management system across the organisation
Whether supporting 10 leaders or 1,000+, STAR® Manager creates consistent leadership behaviours across organisations.
Get instant access to the demo and discover how the STAR® management system increases coaching time by 70%, drives measurable performance, and builds the powerful questioning skills managers need to lead successful AI adoption.
PROVEN ORGANISATIONAL IMPACT
STAR® Manager has been independently evaluated in a major government-backed study by the London School of Economics (LSE) involving 62 organisations across 14 sectors.
The research found that organisations implementing the STAR® programme experienced measurable improvements in management capability, coaching activity, employee retention, engagement, productivity and organisational benefits.
Evidence from the independent evaluation
- 70% increase in the time managers spent coaching their teams in the flow of work
- 9 out of 9 management competencies measured showed improvement
- 6x improvement in staff retention was reported in the study
- £19 million of organisational benefits were recorded
- Improvements in employee engagement and productivity were recorded across the organisations studied
Increase in time spent coaching
9 out of 9 competencies measured, showed increases in management capability
Average learner return on investment
Organisations with STAR® managers saw a 6x increase in staff retention
Of all successes captured were improvements in engagement & productivity
Of organisational benefits recorded
Increase in time spent coaching
9 out of 9 competencies measured, showed increases in management capability
Average learner return on investment
Organisations with STAR® managers saw a 6x increase in staff retention
Of all successes captured were improvements in engagement & productivity
Of organisational benefits recorded
“
As I progressed into the modules it became clear I was doing/managing my team rather than coaching and developing them. The whole set-up of the modules, missions, on-line course material is of an exceptional quality, it is truly engaging and very thought provoking throughout… this will be hugely beneficial across our manufacturing hubs.
Michelle Birchall, Continuous Improvement Manager, AB World Foods Ltd
”
QUICKLY AND EASILY Transform your managers without taking them away from their day job
Tired of low engagement, retention problems, and struggling to get ROI from traditional management training? Here is why C-suite leaders rely on the STAR® management system instead of conventional development programmes
Opportunities to practice and apply new skills with workplace ‘Missions’ after every module
Flexible, self-directed learning to suit needs of each learner themselves
Short bursts of learning, typically 20-40 minutes
No days lost in classrooms or travelling
Comprehensive ongoing support from the Mission Control Team to help maintain progress
Action learning opportunities with colleagues with expert feedback provided on an individual basis
Scalable for cohort sizes from 1-1000’s
Not based on time specific events – e.g. webinars
HOW STAR® WORKS
- Enroll Your Leaders and Managers: Quick and easy online setup with live launches every week
- Fully Supported Learning: Managers progress through the modules weekly, with 1-to-1 support from our Mission Control team
- Real-World Missions: Managers practice and apply their new skills in their daily work, with their team and those around them
- Track Progress & ROI: See the impact on your organisation with weekly and monthly reporting, and full back office support
“
STAR® is a programme that everyone should consider using. However well you think you know yourself and however good your management style is this programme helps you to find areas for improvement. It will help not just you but the people around you to become better empowered.
Helen Freeman, University of Exeter
”
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT STAR® MANAGER
ABOUT STAR® MANAGER
What is STAR® Manager?
STAR® Manager is a certified management development programme that develops the people-management, coaching and leadership skills of line managers.
The programme combines the STAR® operating system with live virtual sessions, online learning, practical workplace application and reflective exercises. Managers learn to use Operational Coaching®, powerful questioning, active listening, appreciative and developmental feedback, challenging conversations and effective 1-to-1s in the flow of everyday work.
The aim is to help organisations develop more capable and confident people managers who can develop their teams, improve engagement, performance and productivity, and contribute to stronger employee retention.
STAR® Manager is designed specifically for line managers. STAR® Coach and STAR® Leader are the other programmes within the STAR® operating system.
Who is STAR® Manager for?
STAR® Manager is for organisations that want to improve the people-management capability of their line managers and leaders. It’s been academically proven to work for all levels of leadership, from aspiring managers, first-line managers, supervisors and team leaders, to mid-level managers, high-potential leads, senior executives, through to C-Suite strategic leaders.
It is particularly relevant to HR, People, Learning & Development and senior leadership teams looking for a scalable management development programme that can improve managers’ coaching, communication, feedback, performance-management and people-development skills.
The programme can support managers at different stages, including newly promoted and first-line managers, experienced managers, high-potential employees moving into management, senior leaders and organisations developing management capability at scale.
Managers and leaders from across all industry sectors have enjoyed and benefited from the programmes, including: hospitality, retail, manufacturing, professional services, technical, digital and software, Finance and Banking, Aerospace and Defence, Construction, NHS and care sectors to name a few.
STAR® Manager is also relevant to organisations looking to improve employee engagement, retention, management capability, coaching capability, leadership, culture and performance, or to develop high-potential employees and subject-matter experts who have moved into management roles.
Click this link to explore more about who STAR® Manager is for.
What's the difference between the STAR® Coach, STAR® Manager and STAR® Leader programmes?
The main difference is the audience and depth of management capability developed by each programme.
The STAR® Coach programme is for any leader and manager, from Supervisor to C-Suite, and embeds an Operational Coaching® style into their leadership or management, so that they have coaching conversations every day in the flow of work. They become confident asking powerful questions, actively listening and giving appreciative feedback, driving better communication, engagement, collaboration, productivity and higher team performance.
The STAR® Manager programme is for line managers who want to develop the full range of people-management skills – it covers all of the core skills and tools covered in STAR® Coach and then goes further into the critical skills line managers need, such as giving developmental feedback, understanding different values and beliefs, taking the challenge out of challenging conversations, performance management and one-to-ones and how to intentionally enable your direct reports so that you have a high-performing team.
The STAR® Leader programme is for senior leaders, senior teams or high-potentials who want to apply the STAR® approach at a more strategic level, with additional executive coaching, team coaching or bespoke development where appropriate. It can be aligned with specific organisational, departmental or personal objectives. Like the other STAR® programmes, it can be accessed by individuals, teams or cohorts.
All three programmes incorporate the STAR® operating system, but STAR® Manager is the programme specifically designed around the broader people-management responsibilities of line managers.
What is the STAR® Model
The STAR® Model is a four-step behavioural change and coaching model designed for managers and leaders to use in the flow of everyday work.
Unlike other coaching models (including GROW) that favour a traditional coaching setting and focus on the coachee alone, the STAR® model is a simple 4-step model that helps managers and leaders change how they respond in everyday operational conversations, enabling them to use a coaching mindset more of the time. It is a behavioural change model.
The STAR® Model consists of four steps:
- S = STOP – Step back and change state
- T = THINK – Is this a coachable moment?
- A = ASK – Powerful questions and actively listen
- R = RESULT – Agree on next steps and an outcome from the conversation
By applying this model, managers learn to adopt an Operational Coaching® style of management that they use in the moment, enabling them to support, challenge, and grow the capabilities of their team members in ways that measurably benefit both the individual and the organisation.
Click here to read our blog to understand the difference between STAR® and GROW coaching models
MANAGEMENT CAPABILITY AND COACHING
How can HR develop better people managers?
HR and People teams can develop better people managers by combining practical management skills development with workplace application and ongoing reinforcement.
STAR® Manager gives line managers a structured approach to developing coaching, communication, feedback, people-development and performance-management skills.
The programme can be deployed across cohorts of managers and scaled across larger organisations, while providing individual learner support and opportunities to apply new skills in the flow of work.
How does STAR® Manager improve management capability?
STAR® Manager improves management capability by developing practical people-management and coaching skills and then helping managers apply those skills in their everyday work.
Managers develop skills including coaching in the flow of work, powerful questioning, active listening, feedback, developmental conversations, challenging conversations and effective 1-to-1s.
Each module combines bite-sized learning with practical workplace missions, giving managers opportunities to practise new skills with their teams. Reflection exercises, live tutor support and Mission Control support help reinforce and embed the new behaviours.
This approach is designed to turn management learning into measurable changes in everyday management behaviour and capability.
How can organisations improve line-manager capability?
Organisations can improve line-manager capability by developing practical people-management skills and giving managers opportunities to apply those skills in their everyday work.
STAR® Manager provides structured development in coaching, powerful questioning, active listening, feedback, challenging conversations, performance management, developmental conversations and effective 1-to-1s.
Managers apply what they learn through workplace missions and reflection, helping new behaviours become part of their everyday management style.
This makes STAR® Manager suitable for organisations looking to develop consistent line-manager capability across teams, functions or larger management populations.
Can STAR® Manager help organisations embed coaching in the flow of work?
Yes. STAR® Manager is specifically designed to help organisations embed coaching in the flow of work.
Managers learn how to use Operational Coaching®, powerful questioning, active listening and other coaching-related behaviours in everyday conversations, 1-to-1s, meetings and management situations rather than relying solely on formal coaching sessions.
The STAR® approach helps managers recognise coaching opportunities, ask better questions and enable their people to generate their own insights and solutions.
The independent evaluation of the STAR® programme also found a 70% increase in the time managers spent coaching their teams in the flow of work.
How can organisations embed coaching into everyday management?
Organisations can embed coaching into everyday management by giving line managers practical coaching skills they can use during normal work conversations, rather than treating coaching as a separate activity.
STAR® Manager teaches managers to recognise coaching opportunities, use powerful questions, listen actively and help their people generate their own insights and solutions.
The approach is designed to make coaching-related behaviours part of everyday management, including 1-to-1s, meetings, performance conversations and problem-solving discussions.
What is Operational Coaching®?
Operational Coaching® is an enquiry-led approach to management that helps managers use coaching behaviours in everyday work, rather than only in formal coaching sessions.
It enables managers and leaders to ask better questions, listen actively and help people think through challenges, take ownership and develop their own solutions.
Operational Coaching® is integrated into the STAR® operating system and is a core part of the STAR® Coach, STAR® Manager and STAR® Leader programmes.
Click here for more information about Operational Coaching®
BUSINESS OUTCOMES
Can STAR® Manager improve employee engagement?
Yes. STAR® Manager is designed to help managers improve employee engagement by changing how they communicate with, develop and involve their people.
Managers use an enquiry-led approach that encourages greater ownership, accountability and participation rather than relying solely on telling, directing and fixing.
The independent evaluation of the STAR® programme reported improvements in employee engagement and productivity. Learners have also reported improved engagement within their teams. Many examples of these can be seen on this page: STAR® Manager Success Stories
Can STAR® Manager improve employee retention?
Yes. STAR® Manager develops management behaviours that can contribute to stronger employee engagement, development and retention.
Managers learn how to have better conversations, develop their people, give effective feedback and create greater ownership and accountability within their teams.
Employee retention was also one of the outcomes examined in the independent evaluation of the STAR® programme. The study reported a significant improvement in staff retention among organisations implementing the programme.
Click here for information on the LSE academic study into management behaviour.
Can management development improve employee engagement and retention?
Effective management development can support employee engagement and retention by helping managers communicate better, develop their people, give effective feedback and create greater ownership and accountability.
STAR® Manager focuses on the management behaviours that influence everyday employee experience, including coaching, active listening, feedback, developmental conversations and effective 1-to-1s.
The independent evaluation of the STAR® programme reported improvements in employee engagement, productivity and staff retention.
Can STAR® Manager deliver a measurable return on investment (RoI)?
Yes. STAR® Manager is designed to measure the return generated by applying the programme’s skills in the workplace.
The STAR® programme includes a success tracker that captures examples of business and personal impact as learners apply their new management and coaching skills.
The independent evaluation of the STAR® programme reported significant organisational benefits and captured an average learner ROI figure of 74x. Click the link for more information on the academic study about STAR® Manager.
On this STAR® Manager case studies page, there are ROI examples from organisations including the University of Warwick, Jewsons and Virgin Atlantic, who each have recorded over £10m of captured RoI.
All organisations on the programme receive their own RoI data as part of programme management and reporting.
PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
How long does STAR® Manager take?
STAR® Manager typically takes around six months to complete, with an average time commitment of approximately one hour per week.
The programme combines live virtual sessions, online learning, workplace missions and reflective exercises.
STAR® Coach and STAR® Leader have different completion times.
- STAR® Coach takes one hour a week for around 10 to 12 weeks
- STAR® Leader takes one hour a week for 3 to 6 months, pending the exact programme design
Acknowledging how time-starved leaders and managers are within their day jobs, learners have additional time available within their licence period, so the programme can accommodate busy periods, holidays and other work commitments. The standard STAR® Manager licence provides 12 months of access.
Workshop-based versions of the programme can follow a different schedule.
Is STAR® Manager suitable for large organisations?
Yes. STAR® Manager is designed to scale across organisations, from small cohorts to large populations of hundreds or thousands of leaders and managers. The programme is designed so that an individual can join the programme at any time on our global programmes, for example, as they get promoted to a line manager role, or a large organisation can launch 50 to 10,000 managers at a specific time to suit them – or anything in between. The programme can be deployed across large populations of managers and leaders, with bespoke implementation options available for larger organisations.
Elements of the programme can also be bespoke to align with specific organisational initiatives.
Is STAR® Manager accredited?
Yes. STAR® Manager is certified by APMG International, and learners who successfully complete the programme receive an internationally recognised management certification.
The certification is built into the programme rather than requiring a separate traditional end-of-course examination.
All learners are fully supported to achieve their certification. Click here to learn more about the STAR® certifications and qualifications.
“
People who do this programme will see a significant improvement in their team performance and problem-solving abilities. It gives you the tools with which to tap into your teams latent talents and empowers them to bring their ideas and problem-solving skills to fruition, thus freeing up time for you to do other tasks.
Martin Thompson, Project Manager, AmcoGiffen
”