The Magic Behind Management Development: Why Real Change Takes More Than Just a Workshop

When does the magic happen in management development workshops? When do the models, concepts, and tools actually click for managers and turn into real-world benefits—for them and the people they lead?

After years of delivering leadership and management workshops, that question still lingers. There’s no single moment. No magic formula. Because real development isn’t about a single workshop or lightbulb moment—it’s about meeting managers where they are and guiding them from there.

Let’s rewind to a moment that shaped how we now approach management development at Lookback Training.

One Workshop. Seven Managers. Seven Journeys.

A couple of years ago, I was running a series of management workshops for a group of seven managers. If I’d lined them up on a running track, I could’ve predicted early on who would sprint ahead, who’d jog cautiously, and who would flat-out resist.

That’s not a criticism. These managers had all survived—and in some cases thrived—in their roles using the approaches they’d learned through experience. They weren’t bad managers. They were just at different stages in their personal development journeys.

The biggest insight? Management development is entirely relative. It depends on the individual’s readiness, their mindset at that snapshot in time, and their openness to change.

The Engineering Manager: Resistance, Reflection, and Redemption

One manager stands out in my memory—an Engineering Manager. From the outset, the resistance was written all over their face: smirks, eye-rolls, arms crossed. They challenged every concept, resisted every model.

In workshop three—focused on Diversity and Inclusion—they checked out entirely. That was their tipping point. The discomfort became too much, and they slipped away, back to what they knew.

Fast forward 18 months. I returned to the same organisation to deliver a new set of workshops—and there he was. Same name, same face, same role… but something had changed.

He pulled me aside. “You know what?” he said. “I wasn’t ready for the training back then. Nobody ever talked to me about my impact—they just told me I had to change. And when people tell you to change, without explaining why, it’s easy to resist.”

And that’s when my penny dropped.

Why Traditional Training Often Falls Short

There’s a recurring issue in the world of management development: workshops are often treated like quick fixes. Show up, tick the box, get back to work. Meanwhile, some external providers overpromise results in the sales pitch, deliver the same vanilla slide deck, and move on to the next client.

It’s no wonder people question whether management development really works.

Here’s the truth: real development is a shared responsibility.

• Organisations need to set the stage, prepare the soil.

• Training providers need to customise, connect, and challenge.

• Managers need to be ready—not just present.

Pre-Programme Investment: The Game-Changer

Since that experience, we’ve shifted our approach. At Core Training UK, we now invest heavily before managers step into the training room. We use visual evaluation tools, not basic tick-box templates. We involve line managers in identifying key development areas. We help people understand why they’re there—so they don’t just “show up,” but actually engage.

The Engineering Manager? This time, he was a different person. He was ready. More importantly, he pointed across the room and said, “See those two over there? They were me two years ago. But now, we’ve all had meaningful conversations with our managers. We get what this is about. And we’re actually excited for the workshops.”

That’s the difference context, structure, and timing can make.

So… Who’s Really Responsible When Development Fails?

The answer? It’s 50/50.

• Organisations can’t expect real change from a single 8-hour workshop, especially if their managers have been using the same behaviours for years.

• Providers can’t show up with a one-size-fits-all solution, deliver the slides, and bounce.

Management development is an investment—of time, energy, and money. And if you want a return on that investment, you have to put in the work across the whole system: before, during, and after.

The Ingredients of Real Management Growth

What works?

• Pre-programme preparation: Managers know why they’re there and what they want to get out of it.

• Customised content: Aligned with the organisation’s culture, not off-the-shelf theory.

• Line manager involvement: They coach, mentor, and keep the momentum going.

• Rhythmic development: Not one-and-done. Regular check-ins, follow-ups, and reinforcement.

• Facilitators who care: Experienced, passionate, and not afraid to challenge the room.

A Happy Ending (and a New Beginning)

That Engineering Manager? He’s now putting his own team through the programme.

That’s what real development looks like: when someone moves from resistance to role model. From sceptic to sponsor.

Management development isn’t about doctrine or standardisation. It’s about helping people be better managers, lead more effectively, and enjoy their work more. And that, ultimately, benefits everyone.

Thinking about launching a management development programme?

Let’s have a conversation about creating something that works—for your managers, your culture, and your future. Because when you get it right, the results are nothing short of magic.