Most manager development programmes are well-designed. They just weren't built for how humans actually behave. With Farley Thomas

Adam sits down with Farley Thomas, CEO of Manageable, the global manager development platform he co-founded in 2020, to explore why manager development so often falls short and what it takes to build something that sticks.

After a decade in investment banking at HSBC, Farley trained as a coach and spent years advising CEOs before spotting that managers were one of the most underserved populations in any organisation. Manageable was built to fix that.

Farley breaks down eight pieces of the manager development puzzle, from building genuine learning habits to using AI as a safe practice environment for difficult conversations. He also tackles the cohort versus individual learning debate and explains why most organisations are getting both wrong.

If you are designing, running, or rethinking a manager programme, this episode will give you a sharper framework to work from.

What you'll learn:

• The eight pieces of the manager development puzzle and why most programmes only tackle two or three
• Why cutting practice from your programme is the most expensive corner you can cut
• How to make cohort-based learning genuinely valuable rather than logistically painful
• What scaffolding actually means and how it builds lasting learning habits
• Where AI fits into manager development and where it falls short
• Three practical tips for any new or aspiring manager just starting out

🔗 Connect with Farley

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/farleythomas/

📮 The Assembly Debrief

A short, practical email unpacking the best ideas from each episode, designed for modern learning leaders who want insight without the noise.

👋 Come and connect with us

We’re always keen to hear what’s resonating or what you’re seeing in your world.

Adam Lacey - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamlacey/

Richard Ward - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardpward/

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