ourani consulting PRESENTS...
THE PEOPLE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE 2026
You know how to do the job.
But nobody taught you how to manage the people doing the job.
November 18th – 22nd 2026 | 7pm–9pm WAT | Online
10 expert speakers. 5 days. Real conversations about what it takes to actually manage people well.
Doing the job and managing the people doing the job are two very different things.
Maybe you were good at what you did.
Then you got promoted.
Suddenly, your job wasn’t just to perform anymore.
You had to get results through other people.
People with different personalities.
Different standards.
Different ways of communicating.
Different levels of experience.
Different expectations.
Different motivations.
And nobody really taught you how to manage any of that.
Or maybe you started a business because you were good at something.
You knew the product.
You understood the service.
You knew your customers.
Then you hired people…
…and discovered that knowing how to run the work and knowing how to manage the people doing the work are completely different capabilities.
Maybe you’re not there yet.
You’re building your career and know that management is where you want to go.
Or you’re planning to start or grow a business that will eventually depend on other people.
Why wait until you’re responsible for people to start learning how to manage them?
That’s why we’re having this conversation.
Five Days of Honest Conversations About Managing People
The People Management Conference 2026 brings together 10 experienced leaders, founders, people professionals and subject-matter experts for five days of practical conversations about one of the most complicated parts of working life:
people.
Not management theory for theory’s sake.
Not another collection of motivational speeches about becoming a “great leader.”
We’re talking about the situations managers, founders and teams actually encounter.
Why does someone keep getting something wrong after you’ve explained it?
Why is delegation so difficult?
How do you give feedback without damaging the relationship?
What happens when people don’t work, think or respond the way you do?
Why does someone who seemed brilliant suddenly struggle after becoming a manager?
What do you do when performance drops?
How do you create accountability without managing through fear?
And perhaps most importantly:
How do you know what the actual problem is before deciding what to do about it?
What We'll Explore
DAY 1 — THE JOB CHANGED: NOBODY TOLD YOU
From doing the work to becoming responsible for the people doing it.
Guest Session 1 (speaker to be communicated)
From High Performer to People Manager: Why Being Good at the Work Isn’t Enough
Guest Session 2 (speaker to be communicated)
The Founder Trap: When Being the Person Who Can Do Everything Becomes the Problem
Featured Session — Rani Okhomina
You Know How to Do the Job. But Nobody Taught You How to Manage the People Doing the Job.
If you’ve ever wondered why someone can be exceptional at their profession and still struggle to manage a team, Day 1 is where we start.
DAY 2 — PEOPLE DON’T THINK, WORK OR RESPOND LIKE YOU DO
What changes when you stop assuming other people should operate the way you do?
Guest Session 3 (speaker to be communicated)
Why Self-Awareness Matters More When You Become Responsible for Other People
Guest Session 4 (speaker to be communicated)
Managing People Who Think and Work Differently From You
We’ll explore individual differences, assumptions, self-awareness and what happens when managers unintentionally use themselves as the standard against which everybody else is judged.
DAY 3 — THE CONVERSATIONS MANAGERS GET WRONG
Because saying something doesn’t mean you’ve created understanding.
Guest Session 5 (speaker to be communicated)
“But I Told Them”: Why Communication Breaks Down Between Managers and Employees
Guest Session 6 (speaker to be communicated)
How to Give Difficult Feedback Without Destroying the Relationship
We’ll examine the conversations through which management actually happens — expectations, communication, feedback, listening and the moments managers are often tempted to avoid.
DAY 4 — WHY WON’T MY PEOPLE JUST DO THEIR JOBS?
Before you conclude that people are lazy, incapable or simply don’t care…
Guest Session 7 (speaker to be communicated)
Why Delegation Fails — and Why Managers Keep Taking the Work Back
Guest Session 8 (speaker to be communicated)
Why Employees Don’t Care About Your Business as Much as You Do — and Why That’s the Wrong Question
We’ll explore delegation, autonomy, contribution, control and some of the assumptions managers and founders make when other people don’t behave the way they expected.
DAY 5 — WHEN PERFORMANCE GOES WRONG
The problem you can see isn’t always the problem you need to solve.
Guest Session 9 (speaker to be communicated)
Before You Blame the Employee: What Could Really Be Behind Poor Performance?
Guest Session 10 (speaker to be communicated)
Psychological Safety AND Accountability: Why High-Performing Teams Need Both
Closing Keynote — Rani Okhomina
DON’T GUESS. DIAGNOSE.
A Better Way to Manage People
We’ll bring the five days together by asking a deceptively simple question:
When something isn’t working, how do you know what the problem actually is?
Because poor performance can look like one thing and be caused by something entirely different.
Before managers intervene, they need to learn to separate what they know from what they’re assuming.
This Conference Is For You If...
You manage people now.
You’re a manager, supervisor, team leader or professional responsible for other people’s work — and you’ve discovered that managing people requires a completely different capability from simply being good at your own job.
You run a business and employ people.
You started your business because you knew how to create something, deliver something or solve a problem.
Now part of your success depends on what other people do.
You’re preparing for management.
You may not have direct reports yet, but you know you want to become a team leader or manager.
You don’t have to wait for the title before you start preparing for the responsibility.
You’re building — or planning to build — a business.
Perhaps you’re currently a one-person business.
Perhaps the business is still an ambition.
But if the future you’re building will eventually involve employees, the ability to manage people will eventually become part of your job.
You simply want to work with people better.
Because management doesn’t happen in isolation.
Managers report to other managers. Leaders still follow. Individual contributors influence colleagues. Founders work with employees, clients, partners and suppliers.
Wherever you currently sit, understanding people makes you better prepared for wherever you’re going next.
If You Want to Lead Tomorrow, Start Preparing Today.
Too many people begin learning how to manage only after somebody has put them in charge of people.
By then, the consequences are real.
The employee is real.
The deadline is real.
The conflict is real.
The performance problem is real.
The payroll is real.
And you’re expected to know what to do.
You don’t have to wait until then.
And if you’re already responsible for people?
You don’t have to keep figuring everything out through trial and error.
Join us for five days of conversations designed to help you think differently about what managing people actually requires.
CONFERENFCE DETAILS
November 18th -22nd 2026
7pm WAT each day
Online
2 hours each day
Free to attend (registration required)
MEET YOUR SPEAKERS
Meet Your Host — Rani Okhomina
Organisational Psychologist | Organisational Development Consultant |
Founder, OURANI Consulting
Before I studied organisational psychology, I built and managed my own business.
The business grew. I hired people. I created processes, assigned responsibilities, trained employees and put structures in place.
And I still found myself dealing with the same frustrating question:
Why was managing people so much harder than doing the work myself?
That question eventually became much bigger than my own business.
It took me into organisational psychology, organisational development and research into how people and teams function at work.
I completed an MSc in Organisational Psychology & Business with Distinction from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom, qualified as a BPS Test User in Occupational Ability and Personality and an EFPA European Test User, and went on to work within the NHS, NGO’s, and private sector, and conduct research across organisational development, team effectiveness, trust and organisational culture.
Today, through OURANI Consulting, I translate that science into practical tools people can use to understand people and improve how they work.
Because I eventually learned something I wish I had understood much earlier:
Knowing how to do the work is not the same as knowing how to manage the people doing the work.
You Don't Need a Management Title to Start Developing Management Capability.
If you’re already managing people, come because you want to do it better.
If you’re preparing for management, come because you don’t want your first management role to be the first time you’ve seriously thought about how to manage.
If you’re already employing people, come because the people side of business affects everything else.
And if you’re building towards your first employees, come because preparation is considerably cheaper than learning every lesson after somebody is already on your payroll.
Five days. Ten expert speakers. One important conversation.
The People Management Conference 2026
November 18th – 22nd 2026 | 7pm WAT each day | ONLINE
Attendance is FREE. Registration is required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the conference really free?
Yes. Registration for The People Management Conference 2026 is completely free.
Where will the conference take place?
The conference will take place live online. Registered attendees will receive joining information before the event.
Do I need to be a manager to attend?
No.
The conference is designed for both people who currently manage others and people intentionally preparing for future management or business ownership.
If you’re a manager, supervisor, team leader, founder or business owner, you’ll be able to connect the conversations directly to situations you’re already experiencing.
If you’re preparing for your first management role or building towards employing people in the future, the conference gives you an opportunity to start developing your thinking before that responsibility arrives.
I already have significant management experience. Is this still relevant to me?
Yes. The conference isn’t positioned solely as an introduction to management. The conversations explore assumptions, judgement, communication, delegation, performance, accountability and team dynamics that remain relevant throughout a management career.
I’m an entrepreneur but don’t have employees yet. Can I attend?
Absolutely.
If building a team is part of where your business is heading, this is an opportunity to think about the people-management capability you’ll eventually need before your first or next hire arrives.
How long is each day?
Each conference day will run for approximately two hours, including expert contributions, moderated conversations, synthesis and opportunities for audience participation.
Will sessions be recorded?
Yes, each conference day will be recorded and sent to all registered attendants, so you can catch the replay at anytime. However, it is highly encouraged to attend the conference live, as you will have the opportunity to interact with the speakers, ask questions and have them answered in real time.
How will I receive the conference link?
Your joining information will be sent to the email address you use to register. Please ensure your details are entered correctly and look out for conference communications as the event approaches.
Don't Wait Until Managing People Becomes the Hardest Part of Your Job.
Whether you’re managing people today or preparing for the responsibility tomorrow, there is something worth learning before the next difficult conversation, missed deadline, delegation problem, performance issue or team challenge arrives.
Join us at The People Management Conference 2026.
FREE | 5 DAYS | 10 EXPERT SPEAKERS | ONLINE
November 18th – 22nd 2026
Spaces may be limited. Registration is required to receive conference access information.
Complete the form below to register
(Event details will be sent after registration)
