One quiet reason training fails is this:
The line manager doesn’t see what’s in it for them.
We often design learning around what the trainee will gain. New skills. New knowledge. Better performance.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth. If the manager doesn’t learn anything from being involved, they’re unlikely to support it.
So ask a different design question.
What will the line manager learn?
Teaching is one of the fastest ways to learn properly. When a manager has to explain how work really gets done, coach someone through a task, or give feedback on real performance, their own understanding deepens. That’s not a bonus. That’s the point.
Now flip the lens again.
How could the trainee actively support their manager?
Could they document a better way of working? Trial a new approach and feed back results? Reduce friction or errors in the team? Make the manager’s job easier in a visible way?
When learning helps managers succeed, support stops being optional.
Call to action:
Look at one programme you’re running right now and answer two questions.
1. What will the manager learn?
2. How will the trainee make the manager’s life easier?
If you can’t answer both, expect indifference.
Now talk to the managers and let them know what’s in it for them.
