Elevating Middle Management at William Smith

Introduction

With a clear ambition to embed a stronger learning culture and elevate its middle management capability, William Smith partnered with Perform to support its managers in becoming more confident, proactive leaders.

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While the business had strong people with deep operational knowledge, there was an opportunity to support managers in stepping into a more strategic leadership role, particularly around communication, decision-making, and people development.

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Insight

Perform was introduced as a way to provide real-world learning, behavioural insight, and personalised coaching, all designed to fit around the demands of busy operational roles.

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The impact was immediate. Managers who had previously been hesitant to engage with traditional training began to participate actively, drawn in by the practical tools, bite-sized content, and in-the-moment support. They started applying what they learned in real time: initiating more confident and open conversations, asking more strategic questions, and reaching out to Perform coaches for support on live issues as they arose.

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Outcome

The shift has been clear. Managers are leading with greater self-awareness and confidence, not just managing day-to-day, but starting to think and act more strategically. They're taking ownership of their development, using Perform’s tools and coaching to navigate live challenges, and modelling the learning culture the business is working to build.

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By meeting managers where they are and supporting them with insight, structure, and timely coaching. Perform has helped William Smith lay the foundation for a more capable, confident and future-ready leadership layer.

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