Kexxel Group

Date

29-30 June 2026

City

Brunei

Venue

TBA

68 days left

Overview

The First-Time Manager is a 2-day programme designed for professionals stepping into management for the first time. It covers the fundamentals of management, how to lead high-performing teams, and modern leadership practices, while helping participants develop their own Personal Leadership Action Plan for their company.

What You Will Learn

Step confidently into your role as a manager and leader.
Build stronger, more motivated and productive teams.
Handle difficult conversations and performance issues with confidence.
Improve team performance through effective delegation and feedback.
Make smarter hiring decisions and avoid costly management mistakes.
Increase your influence and credibility with your team and stakeholders.
Boost productivity by managing priorities and time more effectively.
Grow your leadership confidence through greater selfawareness.

Who Should Attend

Team leaders & supervisors who have recently moved into a management role
Experienced managers who would like to improve their management skills.
Individuals who want to make themselves more attractive as management candidates.

Rave Reviews

“Jim brings about a down-to-earth approach on how to be an effective manager. The main strength of this event would be the
content itself. Kudos to Kexxel for bringing over such a good speaker.”
– Damaris Kiat, Public Affairs & Policy Manager, Pfizer (Malaysia)

“Jim has tremendously changed my perception on being a manager and a leader. Thanks to Kexxel Group for providing a wonderful
and insightful training on Leadership.”
– Muhammad Al-Amin Bunyamin, Manager, Telekom Malaysia Berhad

“Jim’s presentation was clear and very objective. Effective role play session was the main strength of this event. Kexxel Group was
very good and professional in coordinating this event. I like that he helped us to work on whatever we’re facing back at work, so the
exercises were really good.”
– Rue-Hann Lim, People & Organisation Learning Specialist, Maxis Broadband

“Jim was awesome. Kexxel Group, please keep up the good work!”
– Sri Shanker, Services Leader, Trane Qatar UC

“Jim McCormick set the stage for all of us to become stronger individuals in every aspect of our careers. By applying the principles
Jim put forward we will experience tremendous success in our professional lives and as an organization.”
– Al Bolles, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Pepsico Beverages and Food

“Sometimes our talented technologists are not naturally suited to manage well. Jim artfully presented them with the insights and
information they need to become effective managers. Some of our team members who were thinking about giving up their
management responsibilities are now excited about applying what they learned.”
– Lee Hayward, Chief Learning Officer, Flextronics International

“The most important thing is the one-on-one, face to face method which I will implement in my work. I know that I can create 100%
team chemistry within my team. You must participate and bring all the modules back to the office to be implemented. Jim is a very
good speaker, very honest, straightforward and very calm. Well executed event by the well-known Kexxel Group.”
– Mohd Zayeed Bin Bahari, Manager Area 1, Telekom Malaysia Berhad

COURSE FACILITATOR

Jim McCormick

The First-Time Manager Author

Achievements

Author & Co-Author of:

The First-Time Manager, HarperCollins. (7th ed.)
Business Lessons from the Edge: Learn How Extreme Athletes Use Intelligent Risk Taking to Succeed in Business, McGraw Hill. (2009)
The Power of Risk: How Intelligent Choices Will Make You More Successful, Armin Lear Press s (2nd ed.)
Body Language Sales Secrets: How to Read Prospects and Decode Subconscious Signals to Get Results and Close the Deal (2017)

Jim is a noted author, Founder and President of the Research Institute for Risk Intelligence, and a World Record skydiver. He has been a full-time advisor to organizations and an executive coach since 1996. His clients include Accenture, Bank of America, FedEx, Hewlett-Packard, PepsiCo, and Verizon.

Jim’s practice focuses on helping organizations become more competitive and innovative one effective employee at a time. The result is organizations that are responsive to opportunities, market changes, competitive moves and emerging technologies. He is a thought-leader in the field of organizational excellence.

He has held various executive level positions in the real estate, construction, and architecture industries, is a former corporate COO in the nation’s fifth-largest architectural firm, and served in Washington, D.C. in a Presidential administration.

As an active skydiver, he has jumped from 31,000 feet, has over 5,600 skydives and has earned 18 skydiving World Records.

He also earned a degree in engineering from the University of Southern California and an MBA from the University of California,
Irvine.

Has Worked With

Book(s) Published

Agenda

The First-Time Manager

This interactive workshop uses role plays, simulations, and real workplace scenarios to build practical management skills. Participants are encouraged to bring their own challenges, ensuring immediate relevance and application.

DAY 1

MANAGEMENT ESSENTIALS

The first day equips you with the essential foundations to transition confidently into a management role. You will learn how to structure your team, build credibility, and manage people effectively to drive high performance.

Session 1: Overview of Management

The shift in mindset: do’er → leader
The 8 core responsibilities of a manager
Common pitfalls for first-time managers
The 4 types of decision making
Management vs leadership
The 5 types of Employees
Why traditional management no longer works

Activity: ROLE PLAY– Leadership vs Management

Session 2: Structuring Your Team for Success

Determining your team’s core mission
Structuring your organization
The ideal span of control
Your primary management tool
Avoiding the most common management mistake
Clarifying roles & expectations

Activity: ROLE PLAY– Delegating Responsibility Without Authority

Session 3: Hiring and Building A High - Performance Team

Writing effective job descriptions
Interviewing for attitude and capability
The two most important traits in employees
Hiring mistakes managers make

Activity: SIMULATION exercise – Interview Scenario

Session 4: Managing Former Peers & Building Credibility

The basics of effective management
Creating a High-Performance Team
Establishing authority without damaging relationships
Building trust with your team
Leading without micromanaging
Setting performance expectations early

Review of day 1

“As a manager you need to play many roles - coach, standard setter, performance appraiser, teacher, motivator, visionary, and so forth. ”

DAY 2

LEADING FOR IMPACT & INFLUENCE

The second day focuses on strengthening your leadership effectiveness through practical skills in motivating teams, handling difficult conversations, and improving performance. You will also develop greater influence, productivity, and self-awareness to lead with confidence.