Line Manager Discovery Conversation Guide

This guide is a practical resource for L&D and HR professionals who want to understand real workplace performance before deciding whether an intervention is needed. It provides a structured approach to working with line managers, helping you move past assumptions and gather meaningful evidence about what is actually happening in the work.

Using this guide, you can shape stronger discovery conversations, plan focused observations, and form early hypotheses that support an experiment-led and evidence-informed approach.

Inside, you’ll find:
• A clear definition of discovery and why it matters
• A set of principles for collaborating effectively with line managers
• A structured conversation framework to uncover real performance conditions
• Guidance on turning insight into small, testable hypotheses
• Practical steps for planning and conducting workplace observations
• Five golden rules to ensure observations are respectful, reliable, and useful

You can use this guide at the start of any performance-focused project to sharpen your understanding, strengthen relationships with line managers, and avoid creating unnecessary or ineffective solutions. It supports a more intentional, grounded approach to improving performance in the real world.

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