Course Overview
Most technical leaders know how to hire, but keeping every individual engaged—and helping underperformers thrive—requires a tailored approach. In this workshop-style course, you’ll learn to differentiate what your team does, how they do it, and what they deliver by tapping into each engineer’s readiness, interests, and experiences. Through role-play, group discussions, and hands-on exercises, you’ll leave ready to foster high-performing, psychologically safe teams that consistently meet—and exceed—your organization’s goals.
Who Should Attend
- Engineering managers and directors looking to elevate team performance
- Technical leads responsible for mentorship and skill development
- People-ops partners partnering with R&D teams
- Scrum masters or project managers focused on team dynamics
What You’ll Learn
- Diagnosing Individual Needs
- Assessing each member’s skill readiness and growth zone
- Identifying motivators and learning preferences
- Tailoring Content, Process & Products
- Adapting task complexity and learning materials
- Designing stretch opportunities that build confidence
- Interactive Skill Practice
- Role-plays for giving differentiated feedback
- Group exercises to co-create customized workflows
- Building Psychological Safety
- Techniques to encourage risk-taking and honest dialogue
- Facilitating peer coaching and shared problem solving
- Embedding Differentiation in Your Org
- Scaling strategies across multiple teams
- Integrating differentiated practices into sprint planning and retrospectives
Course Modules
| Module | Topics Covered | Deliverables |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Foundations of Differentiation | • Why one-size-fits-all fails in engineering teams• Core research from education & psychology | Team-readiness assessment template |
| 2. Content & Process Design | • Mapping tasks to skill levels• Customizing learning paths | Differentiated task matrix |
| 3. Hands-On Role-Play | • Feedback and coaching scenarios• Peer-to-peer practice | Role-play debrief guide |
| 4. Product & Outcome Adaptation | • Varying deliverable expectations• Aligning outputs to business KPIs | Customized deliverable rubric |
| 5. Facilitating Safe Collaboration | • Building norms for open dialogue• Techniques for inclusive brainstorming | Psychological safety checklist |
| 6. Scaling & Sustaining | • Integrating into Agile cadences• Creating a culture of continuous differentiation | Roadmap for organizational rollout |
Key Benefits
- Inclusive Engagement: Leverage each person’s unique strengths and interests.
- Elevated Performance: Enable every team member to operate at their peak.
- Reduced Turnover: Foster a sense of ownership and belonging.
- Sustainable Practices: Build repeatable processes that scale across projects.
Delivery Options
- Live Interactive Workshop (Half-day or Full-day)
- Virtual Cohort Sessions (3×2-hour modules)
- Self-Paced Online Course with video lessons and downloadable materials
Ready to see differentiated management in action?
Contact me to book your workshop or gain instant access to the self-study materials.
Developed from both academic research in education & psychology and real-world application within quality and engineering teams.