You coach newly promoted managers through their first months of leading former peers, working on real situations in video sessions and short check-ins by message between them.
Growing companies often promote their best performers into management and hope the skills follow. A West Monroe Partners study reported by HR Dive found that 43% of managers in their first year had no training at all. Gallup estimates that managers account for at least 70% of the variance in employee engagement across business units.
Leading the people you used to sit beside is hard, because old friendships and rivalries shift overnight. HR sees the strain but has no budget for a full leadership program for 1 or 2 new managers. A senior executive coach feels like too big a step for a first management role.
You meet the HR leader and the new manager’s boss to agree on 2 or 3 goals, such as running 1:1s or giving hard feedback to a former peer.
You run 3 paid video sessions on real situations from the manager’s week, with short check-ins by message in between.
You share progress against the agreed goals with HR, keep session details private, and offer a fixed package for the next group of new managers.
They chose to promote from within, and they see the turnover and lost output when a new manager struggles with the team.
Coaching for new managers fits the training or leadership budget, and a short pilot at a fixed fee is easier to approve.
What buyers pay: $244 per session on average, $272 in North America, with business coaches tending to charge more
These companies add teams quickly and promote high performers into their first management jobs as they grow.
There are 4 places to start, in the order most people find their first buyers.
Tell HR and L&D leaders you have worked with that you now coach first-time managers, and ask which new managers are finding the move hard.
Fractional HR leaders and HR consultants serve several growing companies and can refer you when a client promotes from within.
Speak at local SHRM or ATD chapter meetings about the first months of managing former peers.
Post short, practical notes on situations new managers face, such as giving feedback to a friend on the team.
Every idea has weak spots. These are the ones to test before you spend money.
Utah’s Office of Professional Licensure Review found that no state requires a license for life coaches, and it lists unlicensed mental health therapy among the harms it found. Agree a referral path to licensed therapists before you start.
Agree in writing at the start what you will report to HR and what stays between you and the manager.
Set 2 or 3 goals with the manager’s boss at the intake and check them again at the last session.
Check your current contract for non-compete and non-solicit terms before you approach your employer’s managers or clients.
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