The Value of Pilot Sessions in Mental Health Training for Managers

If you’ve been tasked with organising mental health training for managers within your organisation and you're wondering whether it would be of value to run a pilot session first, then in this blog post I'm going to share with you some of my thoughts about pilot sessions.

Mental Health Training for Managers: To Pilot or Not to Pilot?

When planning mental health training for managers, particularly for a group of up to about 30 managers, my personal view is that you don't need to run a pilot session first. However, what I would absolutely encourage you to do is conduct a training needs analysis.

The Importance of Training Needs Analysis

A training needs analysis can be something as simple as a survey comprising six to ten questions that you can distribute among your managers. This survey will help you uncover their specific training needs about mental health. Key questions to consider include:

• What will make the training a worthwhile investment of their time and energy?
• What specific areas do they struggle with when it comes to proactively managing mental health and well-being within their teams?
• What are their fears and concerns about handling mental health issues?
• What current training have they found beneficial, such as listening skills, building connection and psychological safety, or coaching skills?

Gathering this data will give you a clearer understanding of your managers' needs, enabling you to reach out to training organisations like ours with a well-defined framework for the mental health training required.

When to Consider a Pilot Session

Once you surpass the 30-manager mark, and especially when you get into the hundreds, a pilot session can be a great idea. While you should still conduct a training needs analysis, a pilot session allows you to:

• Deliver the training to a smaller group (typically 10 to 20 managers).
• Gather feedback on how well the training meets your managers' needs.
• Refine the training based on this feedback before rolling it out on a larger scale.

Real-Life Example: Quorum Software

We employed this approach with Quorum Software, a global software organisation. Initially, we provided mental health training to a pilot group of about 20 senior business leaders. These leaders, having experienced the training and applied the skills and tools they learned, became strong advocates for the program. This support was invaluable when we extended the training to around 100-150 of their managers.

Benefits of Pilot Sessions

The managers who participate in the pilot session and see positive results often become enthusiastic champions for the training. Their advocacy can significantly enhance the overall acceptance and effectiveness of the training program across the organisation.

Next Steps

If you have any questions about pilot sessions or how to develop effective mental health training for managers, feel free to download our free ebook on management mental health training. The ebook includes a variety of questions to consider when investing in mental health training for managers. Alternatively, use the link below to book your free initial training consultation.

Download Free Ebook

Conclusion

Investing in mental health training for managers is a crucial step towards fostering a supportive and productive work environment. By conducting a training needs analysis and considering pilot sessions for larger groups, you can ensure that the training is tailored to meet your managers' specific needs, resulting in more effective and lasting outcomes.