Training Club – HR Team VS Managers

HR VS Managers …

If you work in employee training, you know very well that it’s not just a job. It’s a mission. And if there’s an enemy more dangerous than the classic “I don’t have time,” it’s the manager who doesn’t want their people to “waste time” on training. Welcome, then, to the “Training Club”.

The First Rule of Training Club

Managers always say “we don’t have time.”

The Second Rule of Training Club

You never give up!

Stage 1 Recognizing the Enemy

We’re not talking about bad people. Most managers truly want their team to perform at their best. They simply have a wrong assumption: that if their team members are busy learning, they’re not being productive. Wrong!

A well-trained team is like a turbo car: it can go faster and more steadily.

The problem? Managers fear that if they offer training, their people will either leave or have less time for “real work.” (Spoiler alert: lack of training is exactly what makes employees leave!).

Stage 2 Start with the “Why” (and make it hurt a little)

When you hear the classic “We don’t have time for training,” try this:

1. “I understand. So if someone on your team keeps making the same mistake over and over, what’s the solution? Keep correcting them forever, or give them the tools to get it right the first time?”

You can also hit them where it hurts most: their KPIs.

1. “A trained team reduces errors, improves customer service, and increases productivity. Maybe training is exactly what you need to meet your targets?”

Stage 3 Make Training “Invisible”

Managers often imagine training = employees stuck in a room, endless PowerPoint slides, and wasted hours. But you can become a training ninja:

1. Microlearning: 5–10 minute sessions throughout the day, like quick power-ups.
2. On-the-job learning: Applying new skills directly on the job.
3. Peer learning: Employees learn from one another (aka “training without realizing it”).

Stage 4 Make the Manager the Hero (Not the Villain)

Instead of seeing training as an “obligation,” help them understand it’s an opportunity to become a better leader.

1. “The best managers invest in the development of their people. You want your team to remember you as the one who helped them grow, right?”

Stage 5 The Final Plot Twist

If nothing works, drop the “resignation bomb”:

1. “Research shows that people who don’t see growth opportunities look elsewhere. If we don’t give them what they need, are we actually investing in the future employees of our competitors?”

Boom. And now, you probably have their attention.

The Epilogue of the “Training Club”

It’s never easy to change the mindset of a manager who sees training as an obstacle. But if you approach the situation with strategy, humor, and a bit of “learning psychology,” you can turn them from “enemies” into allies. And then, training won’t be a lost battle anymore—it will be your greatest victory!