Context
Surrey County Council recognised the need to strengthen leadership and team performance in line with “The Surrey Way,” particularly its focus on People, Culture and Behaviours. With a workforce managing a hybrid environment and undergoing structural transformation, and the launch and implementation of a new performance management framework there was a clear need to equip managers with the tools to:
- Drive high team performance
- Embed a strong performance culture
- Enable meaningful developmental conversations
- Support wellbeing and psychological safety
To address this, the Council partnered with Real World Group to design and deliver a bespoke Leading & Managing High Performing Teams Programme. The programme was tailored specifically for 1700 managers at all levels within the council and aligned closely with organisational goals and values.
Testimonial: Surrey County Council
“Working with Real World Group was a truly collaborative and enjoyable experience. The bespoke content and expert facilitation not only met our organisational needs but deeply aligned with our culture and values through ‘The Surrey Way’. The team demonstrated exceptional insight in designing modules that addressed the challenges our managers face today from hybrid working to performance conversations. The feedback has been outstanding, and managers have expressed genuine behavioural shifts as a result of the programme. We would absolutely recommend Real World Group to other councils or organisations seeking deep, sustainable impact through leadership development.”
Emma Slade, Learning & Development Manager, Surrey County Council
Impact
The feedback was overwhelmingly positive across all modules. Managers reported clear improvements in confidence, leadership effectiveness, and understanding of the Surrey Way.
Behavioural Shifts Reported
Managers reported several immediate and ongoing changes in practice:
- Greater focus on setting clear objectives
- Improved confidence in giving feedback and holding developmental conversations
- Applying coaching techniques in 1:1s to enhance psychological safety
- Proactive use of the Performance Rating approach to drive individual and team success
- Increased alignment to “The Surrey Way” in daily leadership behaviours
Programme Overview
The programme consisted of three core modules, each delivered in-person and supported by curated online materials hosted on Surrey’s Learning & Development Hub.
Module 1: Leading & Managing High Performance
Focused on embedding “The Surrey Way”, particularly leadership accountabilities and the Performance Rating system.
Key outcomes:
Clear understanding of how managers and teams contribute to the Council’s vision
Awareness of the Surrey People & Culture strategy
Practical knowledge of performance rating and application
Module 2: Enabling Teams to Thrive
Built confidence in creating high-performing, change-ready teams, especially within hybrid working environments.
Key outcomes:
Identifying characteristics of high performance
Fostering psychological safety and wellbeing
Enabling self-leading teams
Module 3: Supporting Individual Flourishing
Equipped managers to confidently hold both supportive and challenging conversations to maintain and elevate performance.
Key outcomes:
Deep understanding of the SCC performance process
Skill in addressing underperformance with clarity and compassion
Techniques for developmental coaching
Feedback summary (selected averages):
Question Average Score (out of 10)
Satisfaction with the session 9.0
Benefit to leadership role 9.3
Informativeness of the content 9.3
Facilitator subject knowledge “Very good”
Facilitator engagement and interaction “Very good”
Facilitator pace of delivery “Very good”
Internal Feedback Highlights
“This has helped me focus on setting objectives and structure my team conversations more clearly.”
“I’ve been able to apply the learnings from the course to how I build relationships with my direct reports, especially around psychological safety.”
“Great balance of listening, doing, and coaching practice.”
“I have been able to support other workers and teams by feeding this learning into our ongoing training.”
Would Surrey County Council Recommend Real World Group?
Yes – without hesitation.
Reasons why:
- Deep understanding of public sector leadership challenges
- Truly tailored and relevant course design
- Skilled facilitation with outstanding participant engagement
- Immediate behavioural change and high ROI
- Alignment with internal values and strategic goals
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