Performance Management Training for Managers
Build manager confidence to handle underperformance fairly, for neurodivergent and neurotypical employees alike
Brilliant session, Jenefer is really informative and balanced the theory well with putting into practice in breakout groups. It’s great to be reminded of the importance of starting / planning conversations well. Jenefer was brilliant.
Does managing performance in your team feel like an uphill battle? Maybe you have someone who keeps missing deadlines or one person who just isn’t pulling their weight and you are not sure why.
Here is the problem most managers run into. They cannot tell the difference between genuine underperformance and a neurodivergent employee whose needs are not being met. That mistake is expensive. It wastes months on capability procedures that were never going to work. It loses talented people who only needed different support. It also risks costly disability discrimination and even harassment claims.
This performance management training teaches your managers to spot the signs, have the right conversations, make appropriate adjustments and get the best from every team member, whether they are neurotypical or neurodivergent. It is delivered personally by Jenefer Livings, who is Chartered CIPD, holds a PGCert in Neurodiversity and is neurodivergent herself.
The skills that make you better at managing neurodivergent employees make you a better manager full stop.
What makes this course different
Most performance management training ignores neurodiversity completely or bolts a ‘disability’ module onto the end. This course does neither. We build neurodiversity into how you manage performance from start to finish because around 15 to 20% of your team is neurodivergent whether you know it or not.
This is not tick-box awareness training that leaves managers nodding along and changing nothing. It is practical performance management for real teams, built around the conversations, decisions and judgement calls managers actually face.
This is not training that tells managers to walk on eggshells. Reasonable adjustments are about removing barriers so someone can do their best work, not lowering the bar or excusing work that is not good enough. You will leave able to tell the difference and act on it fairly.
You’ll leave confident to:
- Tell the difference between genuine underperformance and an unmet neurodivergent need
- Handle disclosure conversations well when someone tells you they have ADHD, autism or dyslexia
- Balance reasonable adjustments with fair, consistent performance standards
- Document performance concerns in a way that protects the employee and the business
- Recognise when a Workplace Needs Assessment (WNA) is the right next step
What your managers will be able to do
By the end of this performance management training, your managers will be able to:
- Set clear expectations your whole team understands, so performance problems are easier to prevent and easier to tackle
- Spot the difference between genuine underperformance and a neurodivergent employee whose needs are not being met, before you start a capability process that was never going to work
- Have the difficult conversation with confidence, giving honest feedback that lands without wrecking the relationship
- Make fair reasonable adjustments that support neurodivergent colleagues while holding performance standards and know what is or isn’t reasonable
- Motivate and re-engage an underperforming team member instead of writing them off
- Protect your business by handling and documenting performance concerns in a way that stands up to scrutiny
This is not theory. You will leave with practical tools, scripts and a clear approach you can use the moment you are back at your desk.
Course Introduction
In this video Jenefer introduces the course and explains a little bit about how she approaches training delivery. Towards the end of the video we include a number of course reviews from those who have attended training sessions with Jenefer.
Sometimes, what looks like underperformance is actually neurodiversity
The scenario: An employee is missing deadlines, making errors or struggling with organisation. You start performance management and they then disclose ADHD. Now what?
This training teaches you to:
- Recognise when a WNA would be more appropriate than capability procedures
- Recommend assessments early, before performance becomes a formal issue
- Use WNA insights to create sustainable performance improvements
Many of our clients combine this performance management training with Workplace Needs Assessment for individual team members.
Why this course matters for your business
Poor performance does not just affect one person’s output. It drags down the wider team’s morale and productivity and it costs you far more than most managers realise once you add up the wasted management time, the lost work and the risk of getting it wrong.
With the Employment Rights Act 2025 raising the bar on how employers handle performance and absence, fair and consistent process is no longer optional. Managers who handle these situations well protect your people and your business at the same time.
This course gives your managers:
- The confidence to have difficult conversations early, clearly and fairly
- Practical tools to motivate the team and lift performance across the board
- Consistent, defensible processes that reduce the risk of discrimination claims
Whether you are dealing with one underperforming individual or raising the bar for everyone, your managers will leave with something they can use on Monday morning.
Many organisations book this course alongside our Disciplinary and Grievance and Managing Absence training, so their managers handle the whole performance lifecycle, from everyday performance through to formal process, with one consistent approach.
Training dates fill quickly, often months in advance. Every session is delivered personally by Jenefer, on-site at your workplace anywhere in the UK. If you have a date in mind, get in touch early.
On-site Training
£2,250
- One Day - in-house, at your workplace
- Maximum of 14 delegates
- Interactive workshop
- Comprehensive workbook for each participant
- CPD certification for all attendees
- Plenty of opportunity to discuss your real life experiences and cases with our expert trainer
All prices are exclusive of VAT.
Prices are correct for courses delivered on your site in Essex, Kent, London and Suffolk. Courses can be delivered outside these areas, please call 01245 910500 for a quote.
Who is this training for?
This is performance management training built for the people who manage performance day to day:
- Line managers and team leaders who set expectations, give feedback and handle underperformance
- Anyone moving into a people-management role who needs the confidence to handle performance well from the start
It is built for managers, not for HR teams or strategic senior leaders. If you are in HR and want this shaped around your own team or built into a wider programme, we can deliver a bespoke version. Just book a free consultation or send Jenefer an email (jenefer@silkhelix.co.uk) and we will tailor it to you.
All our courses, whether live or recorded, are delivered by Jenefer Livings who has 20 years experience in HR, having designed and delivered training on the whole range of HR topics for organisations across industry sectors. As Jenefer also provides hands-on consultancy work with her clients she maintains an up to date knowledge and experience that shines through with engaging stories in her training.
With our in-person course we'll work through case studies and discuss real life examples to ensure your managers get learning relating to the types of cases they'll be dealing with.
Why Silk Helix?
Every Silk Helix session is delivered by me, Jenefer, in person. Not an associate, not a stand-in, not a recording. I keep on-site training to around 30 days a year so every group gets my full attention and the most current examples from the consultancy work I am doing that same week. Training is the one thing I will never outsource. When you book Silk Helix training, you get me.
My promise to you! There will be no role plays, no embarrassing icebreakers where you have to reveal information about yourself and no one is picked on to speak. In my experience these are the things people dread about training and I see the collective sigh of relief when I start the session with this promise.
I recognise that to get discussion going you need an inviting environment. For in-person training this means a room set up, which includes a supply of fidgets and sweets, usually this in itself creates instant discussion as people enter the room. This sets people at ease and creates an ice breaker of its own.
You get a little hint of my style on our YouTube channel. In-person training is like that just with lots of interaction interspersed.
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Frequently Asked Questions
If anyone attending our training sessions has a specific need we should be accommodating we ask that you tell us in advance so that we can plan the training accordingly. We will do our best to accommodate any need for whatever reason that need exists.
There are also some common ways we develop our training to take into account the wide variety of learning styles and needs. We know learning styles are not limited to visual, auditory, reading and writing, and kinesthetic. Learning is impacted by a whole variety of things, including underlying medical conditions (diagnosed and not), comfort/ safety in your environment and your past experiences of learning. Our training by design takes this into account, including:
- a welcoming environment for learners to enter
- stress balls or other fidget resources
- workbooks with place for personal notes if the learner wishes
- minimal need to read long pieces of text
- noone is called out or picked on (even to go first)
- no icebreakers that require you to reveal personal information (we do use activities but always related to the learning and with a specific goal)
- no role plays (we find for too many people the issues around acting get in the way of learning)
- regular breaks
- no lengthy period of lectures by the trainer - it’s about discussion of your real life cases or activities that make you think or develop skills
- Yes, we’ve worked with many clients where we’ve delivered multiple courses to allow everyone to attend. We don’t recommend more people in the session for many of the reasons listed above, our courses are designed to be interactive and a safe place to discuss real life situations. Once the groups get much bigger than 14 it starts to become difficult for everyone to participate in these discussions.
- Yes, we’re happy to adapt and design sessions to suit your needs. Book a FREE, no obligation, consultation to discuss your needs and get a quote for bespoke training.
Yes, our in-person training is provided at your venue. Some clients use meeting rooms in their buildings, others book venues. There are a couple of things to consider - we need space in the room to move around. We won’t get you running about but being able to move into smaller groups for discussion, sometimes brainstorming around a large piece of paper are examples of the activities that need space.
In addition, our trainer will need parking as training comes with a lot of kit, plus somewhere to plug a laptop in and either a screen or projector. We don’t use loads of slides (Jenefer isn’t a fan or either producing them or remembering to switch slides) but there are a few occasions where a diagramme or video for example help make the point.
- Our full day sessions are 6 hours, including 30 minutes for lunch and 2 coffee breaks. Our half day sessions are 3 hours with a coffee break. Exact times may vary slightly, training courses are interactive with plenty of opportunities for discussion built into the day, this can impact the end timing slightly.
Yes.
We are a registered provider with The CPD Certification Service- Every session is delivered in person by Jenefer Livings, our founder. Chartered CIPD, a Postgraduate Certificate in Neurodiversity, a qualified Workplace Needs Assessor, 20 years in HR and neurodivergent herself. Training is never outsourced to an associate.
- If you’re ready to go ahead then either book a consultation or email training@silkhelix.co.uk with your requirements and we’ll get dates booked in.