The five things great managers actually know.
A performance management framework grounded in positive psychology — giving managers and organisations a shared language, a set of tools, and the evidence to back them up.
Five domains. One shared language.
The 5 Knowings brings together three decades of research in positive psychology, organisational science and leadership effectiveness — translated into a practical framework that managers can use from their first day.
Know Yourself
"Who am I and how do I manage at my best?"
Self-awareness is the foundation of effective management. Know Yourself develops the strengths awareness, values clarity and emotional intelligence that enable managers to lead authentically and sustainably.
Know Your Team
"How do I create conditions where my team thrives?"
Individual performance has a ceiling set by the team environment. Know Your Team develops the skills to build psychological safety, trust and recognition practices that enable collective excellence.
Know Your Business
"How does my team's work connect to the bigger picture?"
Purpose is one of the strongest predictors of engagement. Know Your Business develops strategic literacy, customer empathy and the line of sight between daily work and organisational outcomes.
Know The Rules
"How do I operate with confidence, consistency and fairness?"
The managers teams trust most apply standards consistently and are not afraid to make difficult decisions. Know The Rules builds the policy fluency and ethical judgment that underpin fair management.
Know The Score
"How do I use feedback and data to help my team grow?"
Performance management works when it is continuous, honest and forward-looking. Know The Score replaces annual verdicts with a growth culture built on regular check-ins and genuinely owned goals.
Built on decades of evidence.
Every element of The 5 Knowings is grounded in peer-reviewed research from the world's leading organisational psychologists and management scientists.
Gallup — State of the Global Workplace
Only 23% of employees globally are engaged at work. The quality of the manager-employee relationship is the single strongest predictor of engagement and retention.
Amy Edmondson — Harvard Business School
Psychological safety — the belief you will not be punished for speaking up — is the single strongest predictor of team effectiveness, validated in Google's Project Aristotle.
Carol Dweck — Stanford University
People with a growth mindset outperform fixed-mindset peers, persist longer under difficulty and respond more constructively to feedback and setbacks.
Daniel Goleman — Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence accounts for 67% of the abilities that differentiate outstanding from average leaders — twice the weight of IQ and technical skill combined.
McKinsey — Purpose-Driven Performance
Purpose-oriented employees are three times more likely to stay, 1.4 times more engaged, and demonstrate 17% higher performance scores than their counterparts.
LRN — Ethical Culture Research
Ethical cultures outperform less ethical counterparts by up to 40% on employee engagement, customer satisfaction and long-term financial performance.
Tools & Resources
Eleven practical tools built on the 5 Knowings framework — diagnostics, workshops, online modules and commercial resources.
Individual Diagnostic
30-item self-assessment generating a personalised Knowing Profile — radar chart, scores across all Five Knowings and priority development areas.
360 Diagnostic
Full 360 feedback with self-assessment plus up to 8 raters via a shared session code. Gap analysis reveals blind spots and hidden strengths.
Full-Day Workshop Presenter
33-slide interactive presenter for the full-day 5 Knowings workshop — activity timers, contents drawer and present mode built in.
People Management Workshop
31-slide half-day presenter: Irish employment law and the 5 Knowings for managers new to people management.
Pitch Presentation
23-slide interactive pitch deck — the problem, the framework, the suite, HR and L&D tracks, commercial model and buying journey.
Irish Employment Law Module
60-minute gated module across 8 topics: contracts, pay, working time, leave, discipline, equality, dignity and health and safety.
The 5 Knowings Learning Module
60-minute module covering all Five Knowings in depth — research grounding, real-world scenarios, reflections and a completion record.
Manager's Handbook
Practical reference guide covering all Five Knowings — frameworks, checklists, conversation guides and quick-reference cards.
Manager's Guide to the 5 Knowings Framework
A comprehensive guide to the 5 Knowings framework — all five domains, 30 sub-competencies, research foundations and practical application for managers.
Performance Review Process Guide
Complete structured process guide — goal setting, monthly 1:1s, mid-year and year-end reviews, self-rating tool, development planning and underperformance guidance.
Performance Management Forms
Five printable forms for the full performance cycle — goal setting, mid-year review, year-end review, development plan and performance improvement plan.
Access & Licensing
Choose the licence that fits your context — individual practitioner, team, or enterprise-wide deployment.
Practitioner
For individual coaches, consultants and HR practitioners.
- Individual Diagnostic
- 360 Diagnostic
- 5 Knowings Learning Module
- Manager's Handbook
- Email support
Ideal for sole traders and independent consultants.
Team
For teams and internal L&D leads deploying the framework.
- Everything in Practitioner
- Workshop Presenters (Full-Day & Half-Day)
- Irish Employment Law Module
- Pitch Presentation
- Up to 10 users
- Priority support
Covers up to 10 named users within one organisation.
Enterprise
For organisations deploying the framework at scale.
- Everything in Team
- Unlimited users
- Custom onboarding
- Dedicated account manager
Pricing based on headcount and deployment scope.
Intellectual Property: All tools, frameworks, content and materials are the intellectual property of GT Coaching and Consulting. The 5 Knowings™ is a registered trademark. Licences are non-transferable and may not be sublicensed or shared outside the named organisation.
Performance management that actually works.
GT Coaching and Consulting is an Irish HR consultancy specialising in performance management, leadership development and employment law compliance. We work with organisations — from growing SMEs to established teams — who want to invest in their people in a way that shows up in results, not just in documents.
The 5 Knowings was built because the best managers we have worked with all share something in common: five areas of knowledge and practice that they return to again and again. The framework names those areas, gives them language, and makes them teachable.
“We built the 5 Knowings because great management is learnable — it just needed a map.”
GT Coaching and Consulting, Ireland
Core domains of management excellence
Academic citations underpinning the framework
Behavioural descriptors across three levels
Law and employment context throughout
Ready to give your managers a shared language?
Explore the framework, view the product suite, or get in touch to discuss the right licence for your organisation.