Your best managers were promoted for solving problems.
Now they're the bottleneck.
Be a GR8 Coach® is a 5-month manager development programme that turns managers from firefighters into coaches. Built for technical and analytical teams. No fluff. Just practical coaching skills that stick.
Delivered by Alex Patient, PatientMind · In partnership with GA | Ultra Leadership
The problem
Sound familiar?
Your engagement survey keeps flagging the same things: quality of management, lack of development, people feeling under-supported.
"They're brilliant at delivery — but struggle to lead people."
The problem isn't the people. It's that nobody ever taught them how to coach.
Your best managers are firefighting. They fix, rescue and solve — because that's what got them promoted. But it doesn't scale, it burns them out, and it holds their teams back.
- Training has happened before. Two-day workshops, e-learning modules. Behaviour didn't really change.
- The same issues keep escalating. To HR. To you. To the same three managers who everyone relies on.
- Attrition in key technical roles. Hard to replace. Often tied back to line management quality.
- And the technical managers you need to fix this? They're the most sceptical people in the room.
The solution
Introducing Be a GR8 Coach®
A hands-on, 5-month programme that helps your managers make the shift from problem-solver to people-developer. They learn a simple coaching framework and actually practise it — in real 1:1s, with real teams, over real time.
Ask better questions
Not just give better answers
Coach rather than correct
Shift ownership back to the team
Run 1:1s that build ownership
Instead of creating dependency
Reduce escalations
Without slowing delivery
Lead intentionally
Even if they're not natural "people people"
What L&D leaders see
After the programme
Real organisational outcomes — not just positive feedback forms.
Managers stop being the bottleneck
They shift problem-solving back to their teams. Decisions happen at the right level. HR sees fewer manager-owned issues within 3 to 6 months.
Reduced attrition risk in hard-to-replace roles
Coached teams feel more developed, more heard, and more autonomous. That directly addresses why technical talent leaves.
Survey scores move on the questions that matter
Better 1:1s, clearer feedback, more development conversations. The items your survey keeps flagging start to shift.
A credible story you can take to senior leaders
HR-friendly reporting built in. Escalations, engagement, development activity — metrics you already track, language Finance understands.
Programme design
How the 20 weeks work
Designed so that coaching becomes a habit — not a one-off behaviour change.
Live Virtual Workshops
Engaging, practical sessions built around skills managers can use the same week. Not theory. Not slides and chat. Real practice — managers coach and get coached in every session.
Small Group Connect Sessions
A consistent peer group. Managers share what's working, what isn't, and coach each other. The relationships built here tend to outlast the programme.
Real-World Fieldwork
Managers practise in their actual 1:1s and team conversations. Learning is applied immediately — not stored for later and never used.
Online Toolkit & Cohort Community
Practical tools, conversation templates, and a shared space that keeps the cohort connected between sessions. Includes a learning platform with coach feedback on written reflections.
Three 1:1 Coaching Sessions with Alex
Personal coaching to work through blockers and accelerate the shift. Available as an add-on for individuals who want that extra depth.
Maximum 10 participants per cohort. Every manager gets proper attention — not a seat in a lecture.
What participants say
In their own words
This programme opened my eyes to what it really means to coach someone — as opposed to just giving Q&A style support and guidance. My 1:1s are completely different now.
I was facing a difficult change and instead of pushing it through, I used what I'd learned. I built trust with my team first. It worked in a way the old approach never would have.
I used to correct. Now I ask. That shift — from giving feedback to coaching for insight — has turned what used to be defensive conversations into ones where people actually want to move forward.
Your coach
Alex Patient
Hi, I'm Alex. I spent 20+ years in corporate life — including leading teams through the 2008 financial crisis and Covid at NatWest. I know what it's like to manage under pressure, to be the person everyone escalates to, and to figure out the hard way that being the best problem-solver in the room isn't the same as being a good leader.
These days I work with managers who are exactly where I was: capable, stretched, and quietly wondering if there's a better way to lead.
Be a GR8 Coach is the programme I wish I'd had. It's practical, it respects how analytical minds work, and it focuses on habits — not theory. I've seen it change how people lead, how their teams feel, and how much energy everyone gets back when managers stop fixing and start developing.
I'm also a dad to two energetic girls, a not-so-competitive tennis player, and a firm believer in pub chats and proper balance.
Which describes your situation?
Two routes into the programme — choose the one that fits.
You want to develop a group of managers
You're responsible for manager development across your organisation. You need something that fits into the working week, creates measurable change, and won't get eye-rolls from your technical teams. Cohort pricing is available — for a full cohort, let's talk.
Book 15 Minutes with Alex →You want to become a better leader
More coach, less firefighter. You can join an open cohort alongside managers from other organisations — same programme, same quality, same outcomes. Individual places are available now.
View Pricing & Enrol →Pricing
Ready to enrol?
Individual places are available now. Choose the option that fits.
- 6 live virtual workshops (90 mins each)
- 5 small group connect sessions (60 mins each)
- Real-world fieldwork between sessions
- Online toolkit and conversation templates
- Cohort community access
- 33 CPD learning hours
- Be a GR8 Coach® accreditation
- Everything in Core, plus:
- 3 personal 1:1 coaching sessions with Alex
- Sessions scheduled after the Kickoff Workshop
- Focused on your specific leadership blockers
- Deeper, faster habit change
Developing multiple managers? Volume pricing is available for organisations booking a cohort.
Get in touch at alex@patientmind.mwdigitalyorkshire.co.uk to discuss.
Frequently asked questions
We already run management training. Why is this different?
Most management training gives people content. This gives them habits. Five months of spaced practice, real fieldwork in actual 1:1s, and peer accountability. Ask yourself honestly: did the last programme change how your managers actually lead day to day?
How much time does it take?
One to three hours a week, built around existing rhythms — 1:1s, stand-ups, team conversations. Managers don't attend extra meetings. They practise in the ones they're already having.
How do we prove ROI?
The programme links behaviour change to metrics HR already tracks: engagement sub-scores, escalation frequency, development activity, and retention risk. Reporting is designed to give you a credible story for senior leaders — not just happy-sheet feedback.
Our technical managers tend to resist this kind of thing.
I know. I was one of them. The programme is built for analytically-minded managers who were promoted for solving problems. The structure is clear, the examples are real, and the tools are practical enough to use the same week. Buy-in tends to come quickly once they're in the room.
What if a manager misses a session?
To earn Be a GR8 Coach accreditation, participants need to attend at least 4 of the 6 workshops, 4 of the 5 connect sessions, and 4 of the 5 fieldworks. Workshops are recorded for content catch-up — though the live practice and breakouts can't be replicated.
Is this just another programme where people take quizzes?
No. Every session involves practising real coaching conversations — as coach, as coachee, and as observer. There are no click-through modules and no passive attendance. If you're not in the room, you're missing the point of it.
Try it first
Not sure yet? Come to the masterclass first.
The best way to know if this is right — for you or your managers — is to experience it. The free 60-minute masterclass gives you a genuine taste of coaching in action.
You'll pick up a skill you can use the same day. You'll see exactly how the programme works. And you'll be able to make a proper informed decision — without any pressure.
No hard sell. No slides and chat. Just an hour of proper coaching practice.
Save your place
No spam. Just a confirmation and joining details.