Managing teams in advertising is tougher than ever—from remote work to burnout, mental well-being, and balancing performance with growth. AdSchool’s Manager Fundamentals course tackles these challenges head-on. This isn’t generic leadership training—it’s an eight-week deep dive into the realities of managing in today’s fast-paced industry.

Across eight weeks, you will:

• Master the essentials: Learn the fundamentals of managing people, from delegation and feedback to motivating teams under pressure.

• Navigate modern challenges: Address the realities of hybrid work, burnout, mental well-being, and how to foster a supportive, resilient team culture.

• Inspire and lead creatives: Unlock strategies to lead creatives and strategists to their best work, balancing vision with structure.

• Handle difficult conversations: Develop confidence and tools to address underperformance, conflict, and tricky situations effectively.
  
  
• Build high-performing teams: Learn the art of recognising strengths, empowering individuals, and creating a team that thrives together.

If you’re a new manager looking to sharpen your skills, or an existing manager who wants to refresh your approach and stay relevant in the modern workplace, this course is for you.

You might be:

• A newly promoted creative, strategist, account lead, or production manager
• A mid-level leader looking to get the best out of your team and drive performance
• A senior professional seeking practical techniques to manage teams more effectively

We welcome anyone with a desire to lead better, inspire growth, and create a positive impact in their teams and workplaces.

Amanda Fuller

Managing Partner, DDB Remedy Australia

LinkedIn

Video lecturers (pre-recorded)

Chiquita King

Founder & Managing Director, Cocogun

Linkedin

Jennifer Hegarty

Director of People & Culture, M&C Saatchi Australia

Linkedin

Jessica Farrell

General Manager, People & Culture ANZ and Head of DE&I ANZ, Publicis Groupe

Linkedin

Gavin Bain

Former Chief Consulting Officer, ANZ and Managing Director, Perth, VML

Linkedin

Andy Wright

Co-Chair, Mentally-Healthy

Linkedin

Tanya Vragalis

Former Managing Director, TBWA\Australia

Linkedin

Kara Bombell

Chief Operations Officer, Digitas Australia

Courtney Robertson

Director, the human co

Linkedin

Over eight short weeks, you’ll be delivered bite-sized content designed to fit your schedule—anytime, anywhere. The best part? It takes no more than four hours a week.

Duration
Part-time.

Delivery
Pre-recorded video lectures for flexible learning combined with in-person tutorials to help you apply theory to practice. Weekly tutes for online courses will be delivered virtually.

Assessment
Practical projects, collaborative exercises, and a final capstone presentation to industry peers and mentors.

***

Week 1: Finding your style
Presented by: Tanya Vragalis

We’ll explore different management approaches to help you better understand and develop your own personal style. Key topics:

• Managing versus leadership
• Building confidence
• Emotional intelligence
• Authenticity

Week 2: Motivating teams
Presented by: Chiquita King

We’ll explore some principles and ways to manage people which help empower and enable them to be at their best. Key topics:

• Vision and goal setting
• Empowering your team
• Importance of recognition
• Learning & development

Week 3: Performance management
Presented by: Jennifer Hegarty

We’ll cover how to get the best out of people’s performance at work by regularly keeping track of goals, recognition and feedback. Key topics:

• Goal setting
• Giving feedback /coaching
• Managing under performance
• Remuneration discussions

Week 4: Managing confrontation
Presented by: Gavin Bain

This part of the course will look at different types of potential conflict and how to best handle confrontation at work in a timely manner. We’ll also look at several ways of fostering collaboration. Key topics:

• Difficult conversations/personalities
• Discipline process
• Conflict resolution
• Team collaboration
  

Week 5: An introduction to recruitment and onboarding
Presented by: Courtney Robertson

This part of the course will explore the overall candidate and onboarding experience and why it is the most important part of building a strong team. Key topics:

• Unconscious bias
• Recruitment process
• Interview techniques / evaluating candidates
• Importance of onboarding

Week 6: Wellbeing
Presented by: Andy Wright

We’ll cover the importance of creating workplace wellbeing which promotes both mental and physical health. Key topics:

• Prioritising wellbeing
• Stress management
• Mental health
• Maintaining healthy habits

Week 7: Creating safe spaces
Presented by: Jessica Farrell

An overview of the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion both in your workplace and in our industry. Key topics:

• Inclusivity in virtual/hybrid team
• Equal opportunity and allyship
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Change management

Week 8: Presentation

This industry-certified course includes homework/assessments.

Bonus Content: Managing expectations
Presented by: Kara Bombell