Should You Pilot Mental Health Training for Managers?

Running a pilot for mental health training isn’t always necessary. Learn when it adds value, how to assess manager needs, and why buy-in starts with strategy.

If you’ve been tasked with organising mental health training for managers and you’re wondering whether to run a pilot session first, this blog post is for you.

Mental health in the workplace is a growing priority, but delivering the right training starts with clarity. Let’s explore when a pilot is valuable and why a training needs analysis might be your best first move.

Do You Always Need to Pilot Mental Health Training?

When planning training for a group of up to 30 managers, my personal view is: You don’t need a pilot session.

What you do need?
A well-thought-out training needs analysis.

Why a Training Needs Analysis Matters

You don’t need anything complicated—a short survey of 6 to 10 thoughtful questions is enough to:

• Uncover your managers' current knowledge, gaps, and expectations

• Identify specific areas they struggle with (e.g., burnout, listening, boundaries)

• Explore what would make the training a worthwhile investment of their time

• Understand their fears about “getting it wrong” when addressing mental health

• Discover what other training (e.g., coaching or EQ skills) they’ve found helpful

When you understand your managers’ real-world concerns, you’re far more likely to get the content, delivery, and tone right and gain meaningful engagement from the outset.

When Does It Make Sense to Run a Pilot?

Once you’re planning to train more than 30 managers—especially in the hundreds—a pilot session can be a powerful strategic step.

A Pilot Session Helps You:

• Deliver the training to a small cohort (usually 10–20 managers)

• Gather honest feedback on what landed and what didn’t

• Refine and adapt content based on real user experience

• Build advocates who champion the training across the wider team

Real-Life Example: Quorum Software

When we worked with Quorum Software, a global tech company, we ran a pilot training for 20 senior business leaders. The results?

• They loved the training

• They used the tools immediately

• They became vocal supporters inside the company

This buy-in made it easy to roll out the training to over 100 managers, with momentum already built.

The Benefits of Running a Pilot First

🟢 Buy-in from internal champions
🟢 Refinement before large-scale rollout
🟢 Stronger alignment with real-life team needs
🟢 Faster adoption and deeper cultural change

What’s Next? Take the Pressure Off

If you’re still not sure whether to run a pilot or where to start, we’ve got your back.

👉🏽 Download our free ebook on designing effective mental health training for managers. It’s packed with essential questions to guide your strategy.

Prefer to talk it through?

👉🏽 Book a free training consultation and get expert guidance tailored to your organisation’s size, structure, and culture.

Conclusion: Clarity Leads to Impact

Mental health training for managers is one of the most strategic investments an organisation can make, but only when it’s designed with intention.

Start with a training needs analysis.
Consider a pilot if your manager population is large.
And remember—when managers feel confident, skilled, and supported, they create workplaces where people feel safe, seen, and able to thrive.