# Career Conversations Training for Managers > Career conversations training helps managers hold regular growth talks, map internal moves and keep ambitious people. Customised by Bodhih. Talk to us. - Source: https://bodhih.com/career-conversations-training/ - Publisher: Bodhih Training (Bengaluru, India; since 2008) - Last updated: 2026-10-06 - Contact: solutions@bodhih.com · +91 99000 11601 --- Promotions are fewer and flatter structures are here, yet people still want to grow. Career conversations training gives managers a simple, repeatable way to talk about growth, map lateral and internal moves, and keep ambitious people building their careers inside your organisation. ## At a glance - **Duration:** Recommended: 1 day in person, or 3 × 2.5-hour live virtual sessions, plus a 60-day practice window - **Who it’s for:** People managers at every level, and HR business partners who coach them - **Level:** Intermediate - **Format:** In person · Live virtual · Blended - **Track record:** Since 2008 · 2,000+ companies Career conversations training teaches managers to hold regular, structured growth discussions with each team member, separate from the performance appraisal. It covers exploring aspirations, mapping skills, identifying internal moves and stretch work, and agreeing small next steps. Bodhih customises the program to each organisation's career framework and internal mobility policies. - Recommended: 1 day in person, or 3 × 2.5-hour live virtual sessions, plus a 60-day practice window - Level: Intermediate · In person · Live virtual · Blended - Designed with the ADDIE model and customised to your context - Offered by Bodhih since 2008 to 2,000+ organisations across 7 regions **Also known as:** career development conversations for managers, career coaching for managers, growth conversations training, internal mobility training for managers **Where and how:** career conversations training as an in-person workshop in [Bengaluru](https://bodhih.com/corporate-training-in-bangalore/), [Mumbai](https://bodhih.com/corporate-training-in-mumbai/), [Delhi NCR](https://bodhih.com/corporate-training-in-new-delhi/), [Gurugram](https://bodhih.com/corporate-training-in-gurugram/), [Hyderabad](https://bodhih.com/corporate-training-in-hyderabad/), [Chennai](https://bodhih.com/corporate-training-in-chennai/), [Pune](https://bodhih.com/corporate-training-in-pune/), [Kolkata](https://bodhih.com/corporate-training-in-kolkata/), [Ahmedabad](https://bodhih.com/corporate-training-in-ahmedabad/) and [Jaipur](https://bodhih.com/corporate-training-in-jaipur/); as a live online course; or delivered overseas in [Dubai](https://bodhih.com/corporate-training-in-dubai/), [Singapore](https://bodhih.com/corporate-training-in-singapore/) and across the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Last reviewed 06 Oct 2026 · Bodhih Training, Bengaluru ## Why growth talk has moved from HR to the manager's desk Young professionals rank growth and learning among the top reasons they join and stay. With fewer layers to climb, the old promise of promotion every two years no longer holds, so managers need a better answer to 'what's next for me?' Most managers only discuss careers once a year, squeezed into the appraisal and tied to ratings. Career conversations training separates growth from grading, so people speak honestly about ambitions, and managers can steer talent to internal moves before a recruiter does. > LinkedIn's 2025 Workplace Learning Report found 55% of career development champions prioritise internal mobility, yet only 24% of organisations run structured programs. Source: [LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report 2025 (via Thirst)](https://thirst.io/blog/workplace-learning-report-2025/) > Deloitte's 2025 survey found about half of Gen Zs want managers to teach and mentor them, but only 36% say it happens. Source: [Deloitte Global 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/deloitte-globals-2025-gen-z-and-millennial-survey-finds-these-generations-focused-on-growth-as-they-seek-money-meaning-and-well-being-302452096.html) ## What participants will be able to do ### Separate growth from grading Run career conversations on their own calendar, so people discuss ambitions without worrying about ratings. ### Draw out real aspirations Use open questions that uncover what energises each person, including goals they had not voiced before. ### Map more than the ladder Show team members lateral moves, project rotations, deep-specialist paths and stretch roles, not only promotion. ### Agree small, real next steps Turn every conversation into one or two 90-day actions, such as a shadowing stint or a new responsibility. ### Be honest about limits Talk openly when a desired role is not available soon, and keep trust by offering credible alternatives. ### Support internal moves Back a strong performer's move to another team, and brief the receiving manager so talent stays inside the organisation. ## Who should attend - Team leads and managers who are asked 'what's next for me?' and want a better answer - Managers of Gen Z and early-career teams with high growth expectations - Leaders in delayered organisations where promotion cycles have slowed - GCC and IT services managers competing with the market for skilled engineers - HR business partners who coach managers on talent and mobility - Senior managers building a bench for succession ## Program outline Recommended design, customised to your context after a short needs analysis. ### **Why careers now look like a climbing wall**Module 1 · 60 min - From ladders to lattices: lateral, project and specialist paths - What your organisation already offers: job postings, rotations, gigs - The manager's role versus the employee's ownership - Myths that stop managers from talking about careers ### **A career conversation framework**Module 2 · 90 min - Four stages: reflect, explore, map, act - Setting up the conversation so it is not mistaken for an appraisal - Separating aspiration from readiness - Demonstration and debrief ### **Questions that open people up**Module 3 · 90 min - Questions on energy, strengths and values - Uncovering the ambition behind 'I want to be a manager' - Listening for hidden signals of flight risk - Pair practice with observer feedback ### **Mapping options and skills gaps**Module 4 · 90 min - Simple skills map against a target role - Stretch assignments, shadowing and mentors as development moves - Using internal job boards and skills data where they exist - Drafting a 90-day growth plan together ### **Difficult career conversations**Module 5 · 90 min - When someone is not ready for the role they want - When there is no vacancy on the horizon - When the right move is out of your team - Role-play with a facilitator playing a frustrated high performer ### **Building the habit**Module 6 · 45 min - Quarterly rhythm alongside weekly one-on-ones - Keeping a light record without bureaucracy - Briefing your own manager and HR - Personal plan for conversations with each team member ## Sample training plan: 1-day hands-on design This one-day design gives managers a better answer to 'what's next for me?' Each manager prepares real career conversations for two of their own team members. They bust the myths that stop managers talking about careers, watch a demonstration of a four-stage conversation, practise questions that open people up in triads, map lateral, project and specialist moves against a skills gap, and face a frustrated high performer who wants a role that does not exist. They leave with both conversations planned and booked within two weeks. 76% hands-on practice · 6.8 contact hours · Cohort: 12–24 participants · In person · Live virtual ### Day 1: Growth talk that people trust Participants can run a four-stage career conversation, map options beyond promotion, handle hard career conversations and have two real conversations ready. 1. 09:30–10:00 · My own climbing wall (Energiser) 2. 10:00–10:45 · Myth busters (Debate) 3. 11:00–11:45 · Four stages in action (Demo & practice) 4. 11:45–13:00 · Questions that open people up (Skill drill) 5. 13:45–14:30 · Options map (Hands-on lab) 6. 14:30–15:15 · The frustrated high performer (Simulation) 7. 15:30–16:15 · Letting good people move (Role-play) 8. 16:15–17:30 · Two conversations, booked (Action planning) Recommended: 1 day in person (09:30–17:30), or 3 × 2.5-hour live virtual sessions, plus a 60-day practice window and a virtual clinic. A sample design: every Bodhih program is customised after a short needs analysis. ### How long is career conversations training? The recommended design is one day in person, from 09:30 to 17:30, or three live virtual sessions of two and a half hours. Managers then hold two real career conversations within two weeks, and a virtual clinic at 60 days reviews what worked. ### What activities are included in career conversations training? Managers draw their own career path, debate common career myths, watch a four-stage career conversation demonstration, practise opening questions in triads, build a skills and options map for two real team members and face a frustrated high performer in a pause-and-rewind simulation. ## How we deliver it ### Real people, real plans Managers prepare a career conversation for two actual team members during the program and hold them within two weeks. ### Practice in triads Every framework is rehearsed in triads, with a manager, an employee and an observer rotating roles. ### Anchored in your policies We build your job architecture, internal posting rules and learning resources into the cases, so advice is accurate. ### Spaced follow-up A short virtual clinic after 60 days lets managers share what worked and fix what did not. ## Tailored versions ### For GCC and tech teams Covers dual career paths for engineers, moves between product and platform teams, and skills-based mobility. ### For frontline and sales managers A shorter version for branch, store and field managers, focused on moves into supervisory, training or specialist roles. ### HRBP and manager pairing HR business partners attend alongside managers so the internal mobility process and the conversation skills are learnt together. ## How we measure impact We use the Evaluate phase of ADDIE throughout. Managers complete a pre and post self-assessment and a coaching-skills assessment on AssessAll. Team members answer a short pulse on whether they have had a meaningful career discussion. At 30, 60 and 90 days we track conversations held and 90-day growth plans started, and, with HR, review indicators such as internal move rates and regretted attrition over the following quarters. AA Pair this program with [AssessAll](https://assessall.com), Bodhih’s AI assessment platform, for pre- and post-program skill measurement. ## Frequently asked questions ### How do you have a career conversation with an employee? Set it up as a separate meeting, not part of an appraisal. Start by asking what the person enjoys and wants more of, then explore where they see themselves in two to three years. Map skills and options together, including lateral moves, and agree one or two concrete steps. Close by agreeing when you will check progress. ### How often should managers have career conversations? A focused career conversation once a quarter works well for most teams, with lighter follow-ups in weekly or fortnightly one-on-ones. Early-career and Gen Z employees often value more frequent touchpoints. The key is regularity: an annual discussion is too far apart to steer real development or catch someone thinking about leaving. ### What questions should a manager ask in a career conversation? Useful questions include: What work gives you the most energy? What would you like to be known for in two years? Which skills do you want to build next? What would make you consider leaving? What support would help? Good questions are open and curious, and managers should listen more than they speak. ### How do I talk about career growth when there are no promotions available? Be honest that a promotion is not available soon, then widen the conversation. Growth can come from bigger scope, a project rotation, a specialist track, mentoring others or learning a new capability. Agree a visible stretch goal and revisit it. People accept limits far better than silence or vague promises. ### What is the difference between a career conversation and an appraisal? An appraisal looks back at performance against goals and often links to ratings and pay. A career conversation looks forward at aspirations, strengths and possible paths. Mixing the two makes people guarded. Our career conversations training teaches managers to keep them separate while linking insights from both. ### Does this training cover internal mobility policies? Yes, when you share them. We customise cases around your internal job posting rules, rotation schemes and learning resources, so managers can give accurate advice. If your organisation is still building an internal mobility process, we highlight the gaps managers notice and share them with HR after the program. ### Can managers without HR expertise do career coaching? Yes. Managers do not need to be career counsellors. They need curiosity, good questions, knowledge of available options and the willingness to follow up. The program gives them a framework, question bank and practice, so they can hold confident conversations and know when to involve HR or a mentor. ### How long is the program and can it be virtual? Our recommended design is one day in person or three [live virtual](https://bodhih.com/live-virtual-classes/) sessions of about two and a half hours, followed by a 60-day practice window and a follow-up clinic. Bodhih delivers in person across India and the Middle East, with facilitators travelling from Bengaluru, or live virtually anywhere.