Kim Nicol

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Cohort 1

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March 2026

April 2026

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Executives and senior leaders who set strategy, lead teams, and drive organizational outcomes.

Executive communication — presenting to boards, writing memos, running all-hands, and high-stakes messaging.

Day-to-day people management — 1:1s, feedback, performance management, hiring, and team operations.

Develop your strategic thinking and communication skills.

Exec Coach 🌎 The New Manager Podcast

Executive Coach & Host of The New Manager Podcast

Communication Strategies for Managers

Senior Product Designer

Revenue Enablement Manager

Broad professional audience — content relevant across many roles and functions.

Learn how to say "No" without feeling bad, or shutting people down.

Executive Coach 

The Gentle No

Adjunct Professor, Interaction Design 

Principal Planner

Finance

Chief Curator & Director of Collection

Lead Product Designer

University teacher, relational mindfulness facilitator

Office Manager 

The Nature Conservancy

Dentons

Alberta Government

NASA

The Frick Pittsburgh Museums and Gardens

✅ People are human, and humans vary. Different personalities, priorities, and work styles can lead to frustration. Great managers develop communication strategies and skills to work effectively with diverse people.✅ Communication takes strategy and skill. It's not about changing who you are. It's about demystifying how communication works, and becoming equipped to reach your goals.✅ Communication is not one-size-fits all. Cultural norms, power dynamics, and perceived risks inform how you communicate. Discover what works for the real relationships and situations you face every day.____Students who get the most from this course:➡️ Attend live classes and participate in discussion.➡️ Submit written responses to the weekly Reflection Questions.➡️ Value a human-centered approach with guidance for intentional practice.

Communication sets you apart -- or holds you back.

What Makes Communication Effective

Feedback as a Service

Strategic and Adaptive Approach

New managers who want to level up their communication skills and strategies.

Experienced leaders facing new situations that require stronger communication skills and strategy.

Aspiring managers looking for a head start in developing the skills and strategic thinking that will help them advance in their career.

LinkedIn

General Assembly

LexisNexis

Boston Beer

Good relationships -- whether at work, or in your personal life -- require saying No sometimes .In this course you'll learn the Gentle No. It's a powerful way tool for protecting your time and energy, so you can focus on your priorities. You don't need go into battle mode, and you don't need to say "Yes" to every request -- even if you really like being helpful.This is great for people who:<ul><li>Value harmony -- and often feel guilty about saying "No" when it seems easier to just say Yes.</li><li>Tend to put others needs first -- and then struggle to find time for what matters most to you.</li><li>Feel resentful, trapped, or just plain tired -- but the idea of letting someone down feels worse.</li></ul>There are a lot of ways to say "No," depending on the situation and goals. This is one that you want to have in your pocket, to use early and often.

Learn how to say "No" without feeling bad.

Grow your confidence and communication skills.

Break the habit of saying "Yes" by default.

Say "No" without feeling bad.

High-performers who don't want to let anyone down and say "Yes" too often.

Leaders who feel guilty about saying "No", or who have received feedback that they are too harsh.

Collaborative people who want to say "No" without blowing up relationships.

The Biggest Boundary Mistake (and How to Avoid It)

Make Feedback Meaningful: Print & Fold Zine

Ditch the "sandwich" and strengthen your approach to Feedback.

Executive Coach | The New Manager Podcast 

Feedback can help you grow, strengthen relationships at work, and create momentum for positive change.But most people don't get training or guidance in this. Instead, they stumble through difficult conversations, overuse the "sandwich" model, or avoid it completely. In this workshop, you'll learn about feedback as a service. You'll craft a plan that supports you in giving, requesting, and receiving feedback in different situations and with different people. Whether you want to give feedback to your manager, a colleague, or a direct report, you'll be better prepared after this session.

Turn feedback from an afterthought to a strategic tool for growth and change.

How to give feedback to different people.

How to request feedback that helps you succeed.

How to receive feedback without losing power.

Individual Contributors who want to develop their own feedback strategy to support their career goals.

New Managers who want to improve their feedback practice with strategic thinking and sample frameworks.

Experienced Leaders who want to refresh their approach to feedback and enable positive change.

Learn directly from Kim Nicol

Kim Nicol

Courses

Communication Strategies for Managers

The Gentle No

Workshops

Feedback as a Service

Lightning Lessons

The Biggest Boundary Mistake (and How to Avoid It)

Resources

Make Feedback Meaningful: Print & Fold Zine