Become the manager people genuinely want to work for. A simple, repeatable method for getting the best from your team. Without years of trial and error to get there. 

Nicky

I'm Nicky. I wrote The Coaching Loop, a post about how great managers actually develop their people. It struck a nerve, because most managers know they should be better at one-to-ones and coaching, but nobody ever taught them how.

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Before I learned how to coach, I always assumed the managers who were naturally great with people were just... naturally great with people. Some kind of innate talent for reading a room, saying the right thing, making everyone feel heard and motivated without apparently trying.

But it turns out that's not how it works at all.

The managers who seem effortlessly good have learned a method.

A specific, teachable set of moves they make in conversations, and once you see it, you can't unsee it. More importantly, you can learn it yourself.

ManagerHow is everything I couldn't fit into that post, turned into a deeply interactive, AI-powered course and coaching tool that gives you a simple, repeatable system for becoming the kind of manager your team genuinely wants to work for.

You'll learn:

  • Why asking questions outperforms giving advice, and how to make the switch
  • The four-phase structure for one-to-ones that build trust and drive accountability
  • How to coach the individuals on your team, not just manage the work
  • What to do when people are stuck, resistant, or not growing
  • How to prepare for any conversation in five minutes using the AI 1-2-1 builder

By the end, you'll have everything you need to walk into any one-to-one with confidence, and start being the kind of manager people look back on and credit for their growth.

Neil McKie

“Most management advice stays abstract.
ManagerHow engages deeply with your reality: your people, your dynamics, your situations.
That's why it works.”

Neil McKieFounder & Managing Director, New Terrain

Here's how it actually works.

  1. 01 | Learn

    Get game-changing frameworks in simple, beautiful lessons.

    Each lesson breaks down one principle; the rescue cycle, the trust stack, the coaching mindset, what makes questions powerful. Drawing from the best management research, made beautifully clear. You build understanding first, then apply it to your team.

    Lesson screenshot showing The Manager's Dilemma
  2. 02 | Understand

    Discover how these patterns show up in your management.

    You'll recognise who you rescue most, what makes trust hard with certain people, where you default to advice-giving. The frameworks stop being abstract and suddenly it clicks; you see them in your actual one-to-ones, your real challenges, your specific team dynamics.

    AI coaching conversation screenshot
  3. 03 | Grow

    Show up with a new level of confidence and a new found purpose.

    You walk into one-to-ones prepared. Give feedback with confidence, not anxiety. Coach instead of rescue. Navigate conflict without avoiding it. The principles you learned and made personal? They're now how you manage. You're not figuring it out anymore. You know what to do.

    Two people having a one-to-one meeting

Stop winging it with your team

Most managers spend years learning through painful trial and error. Skip that and get access to the frameworks, the coaching, and the confidence to lead well today.

$197

One-time payment. Yours for life.

What you get

  • The full coaching programme (8 modules of visual lessons and guided practice)
  • AI coaching that knows your team and adapts to your real situations
  • Lifetime access to revisit and deepen your practice as your team grows
Get started today

30-day guarantee. Go through the programme. If it doesn't change how you show up for your team, you get every penny back. No questions.

Try it for 30 days, risk-free

Go through the programme. Apply the frameworks with your team. Have better one-to-ones, give feedback that actually lands, coach instead of rescue.

If it doesn't genuinely change how you lead, email us and we'll refund every penny. No hoops, no questions, no hard feelings.

We can offer this because the people who use it don't want to give it back.

FAQ

Who is this for?

Managers who want to be genuinely good at the people side of leadership. Not fake it, not perform management theatre, but actually develop the capability.

You might be:

  • A new manager trying to figure out what this job actually is
  • An experienced manager realising what got you here won't get you where you want to go
  • Technical (engineer, analyst, designer) wondering how to develop the “soft skills” that aren't soft
  • Naturally good with people but lacking structure to make it systematic
  • Burned out from rescuing your team and want to build a team that doesn't need rescuing

If you manage people and want to stop dreading it (or start loving it), this is for you.

What if I'm in a non-traditional management role?

The principles work regardless of your context.

The course teaches:

  • How to coach and develop people (works for any team)
  • How to build trust and psychological safety (universal)
  • How to have productive one-to-ones (not industry-specific)
  • How to give feedback and navigate conflict (human skills, not role-specific)

Whether you manage engineers, retail workers, sales teams, creatives, or remote contractors: if you're developing people, this applies.

The AI coach adapts to your context. You tell it about your team (size, industry, challenges) and it helps you apply the frameworks to your specific situations.

How is ManagerHow different from books, courses, or traditional management training?

Books: Give you knowledge but not application. You read about feedback, but when it's time to talk to Sarah on your team, you're still guessing.

Courses: Teach frameworks but not your context. Generic advice for generic managers.

Traditional training: One-size-fits-all workshops that assume all managers face the same challenges.

ManagerHow:

  • Teaches proven frameworks (the knowledge)
  • Then helps you apply them to your actual team through AI coaching
  • Adapts to your specific situations: “You mentioned Sarah shuts down in feedback conversations. Walk me through what usually happens.”
  • Available 24/7, not once a quarter for 2 hours
  • Costs less than one hour with an executive coach

You're not collecting management knowledge. You're building actual capability through repeated practice with your real team.

I'm skeptical about management training. Is this going to feel fluffy or awkward?

No corporate speak. No trust falls. No “let's go around the room and share.”

This is:

  • Direct: “You're stuck in the rescue cycle. Here's why. Here's how to stop.”
  • Research-backed: Gallup, Google Project Oxygen, Amy Edmondson, Carol Dweck. Not feel-good platitudes
  • Practical: Frameworks you can use tomorrow, not abstract principles
  • Psychological: I teach the psychology of why people do what they do, not just “have better one-to-ones”

If you're allergic to corporate training fluff, you'll appreciate this. It's more like learning a craft than attending a workshop.

What makes this different from using ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is general-purpose. ManagerHow is purpose-built for developing management capability.

ChatGPT:

  • Starts from scratch every time
  • Doesn't remember your context or progress
  • Not structured around progressive skill development
  • Gives you answers, but doesn't ensure you've internalised the principles

ManagerHow:

  • Structured learning path (foundations → core skills → mastery)
  • Remembers your team context, challenges, and progress
  • Coaches you through applying concepts to your specific situations
  • Ensures you've understood principles before moving on
  • Curated content from the best management research and literature

ChatGPT is like asking a knowledgeable friend. ManagerHow is like having a coach with a deliberate development plan.

Is the coaching human or AI? How does it actually work?

It's AI coaching, but not in a “chatbot” way.

Here's how it works:

Step 1: Learn the framework
Visual lesson (5-10 min) teaches the concept: trust-building, coaching mindset, feedback, etc.

Step 2: Apply to your context
AI coach helps you apply what you learned to your actual team through conversation:

  • “Think about your team. Who do you rescue most often?”
  • “Walk me through your last one-to-one with them.”
  • “What triggers your rescue impulse in that situation?”

Step 3: Practice and iterate
Use the frameworks in your real work, then return to reflect on what happened.

The AI doesn't replace human coaching. It makes the principles of good coaching accessible 24/7 at a fraction of the cost.

Can I trust AI advice when it comes to managing people?

The AI isn't inventing advice. It's helping you apply established principles.

What the AI does:

  • Teaches frameworks from proven sources (Gallup, Google, Harvard research)
  • Helps you see patterns in your own behaviour
  • Asks questions that develop your thinking
  • Adapts general principles to your specific context

What the AI doesn't do:

  • Make decisions for you
  • Replace your judgment
  • Claim to know your team better than you do
  • Provide therapy or professional HR advice

Think of it as having a really knowledgeable colleague who's read all the best management books, helps you think through your challenges, and is available whenever you need them.

Important: You're still responsible for your decisions. The AI is a learning tool, not a substitute for your judgment or professional advisors.

How much time does this take?

Learning: 45-90 minutes per module (8 modules total)

Practice: Apply what you learn in your actual work (one-to-ones, feedback conversations, etc.)

Most managers:

  • Complete 1-2 modules per week (2-3 hours)
  • Finish the core programme in 6-8 weeks
  • Continue using the principles and tools ongoing

The real time investment is in changing how you manage, not sitting through content. You're not adding work, you're doing your existing work (one-to-ones, feedback, development) differently.

How quickly will I see results?

Week 1-2: Relief
Understanding why you're stuck and having frameworks that actually work reduces anxiety immediately. You'll walk into your next one-to-one with a plan instead of dread.

Month 1-2: Competence
You'll notice yourself handling situations differently. Asking questions instead of jumping to solutions. Your team starting to respond differently.

Month 3-6: Transformation
Your one-to-ones are actually productive. Difficult conversations don't drain you. You're building a team that solves problems without you.

Month 6+: Mastery
Management becomes energising instead of exhausting. You see people grow because of you. This becomes craft you're proud of.

The timeline varies, but most managers notice a shift in how they approach management within the first month.

What's available right now?

Programme 1: “Become the Coach Your Team Needs”

8 modules covering:

  • Why coaching is your highest-leverage work
  • What kills most one-to-ones (and what to do instead)
  • Building trust and psychological safety
  • The coaching mindset (questions not answers)
  • Powerful questions
  • The framework for developmental conversations
  • Handling resistance and difficulty
  • Coaching for development

Coming soon:

  • Master Difficult Conversations
  • Make Decisions That Stick
  • Delegate Like a Leader
  • Build Team Culture Intentionally
  • And more

I'm launching with the foundation (coaching-style leadership) because it's the capability everything else builds on.

What about data privacy?

Your conversations are private:

  • Encrypted at rest in our database
  • Not used to train AI models (per Anthropic and OpenAI policies)
  • Not analysed for product improvement
  • Yours to delete anytime

You control your data:

  • Toggle chat history on/off in settings
  • Delete conversations anytime
  • Delete your entire account anytime
  • Request data export at support@manager.how

GDPR compliant for EU/UK users.

Full details in our Privacy Policy.

Is there a team or company option?

Coming soon.

I'm currently focused on individual managers, but exploring company pilots for teams of 10-20 managers.

If you're interested in bringing ManagerHow to your company, email me at support@manager.how with:

  • Company name and size
  • Number of managers you'd want to include
  • What challenges you're trying to solve

I'll keep you updated as I develop the team offering.

Still have questions? Email me at support@manager.how