How Surrey County Council Equipped 1,700 Managers to Lead High-Performing, Thriving Teams
When Surrey County Council embarked on a period of structural transformation, it knew that achieving its ambitions for “The Surrey Way” a culture centred on people, performance, and behaviours would depend on its leaders.
With 1,700 managers navigating a hybrid work environment, new performance management frameworks, and the challenge of maintaining wellbeing while driving results, the Council recognised that leadership development wasn’t just a priority, it was essential.
That’s where Real World Group came in.
Working in close collaboration with Surrey’s Learning & Development team, we co-designed and delivered the Leading & Managing High-Performing Teams Programme — a practical, deeply tailored experience for managers at every level. The programme focused on building confidence and skills to:
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Drive high team performance and accountability
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Embed a strong performance culture through “The Surrey Way”
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Hold meaningful, developmental conversations
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Foster psychological safety and wellbeing in hybrid teams
The results? Transformational.
“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 feedback has been outstanding, and managers have expressed genuine behavioural shifts as a result of the programme.”
– Emma Slade, Learning & Development Manager, Surrey County Council
Real Impact: Shifts in Leadership and Culture
Across all three modules, feedback was exceptional, with average scores above 9/10 for relevance, satisfaction, and facilitator expertise.
More importantly, managers reported real behavioural change, including:
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Greater confidence in giving feedback and holding performance conversations
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More consistent use of coaching techniques to build psychological safety
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Clearer objective-setting and performance alignment
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A stronger connection between their leadership behaviours and “The Surrey Way”
This wasn’t just another training course — it was a catalyst for building a culture where managers can thrive, teams can flourish, and the organisation can deliver on its bold goals.
Want to See the Full Story?
The full case study dives deeper into the programme design, the three core modules, and how Surrey County Council is embedding this learning to drive sustainable cultural change.
Read the full Surrey County Council case study here.
Or, if you’re curious about how we can help your organisation create high-performing, change-ready teams, get in touch with us at hello@realworld-group.com.
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