In today’s fast-moving work environment, training is a key ingredient in project success. Whether it’s employees upgrading technical skills or helping customers get the most out of your company’s software, training plays a crucial role in ensuring projects run smoothly. Yet, despite its importance, training is often an afterthought — something added later if time allows.

For those who understand the value of training, making sure it’s included from the start is essential. But how do you secure a “seat at the table” in project planning? Here’s the approach.

Why Training Matters for Project Success

Before you can advocate for training, you need to be clear on why it matters. Training isn’t just about helping employees do their jobs better or showing customers how to use your products — it’s about giving them the skills and knowledge needed to achieve project goals efficiently. According to Training Industry, successful companies provide training for three key reasons:

1. Increased Revenue: Some training programs directly bring in revenue by selling courses to customers. Others improve workforce performance, leading to higher earnings from existing business activities.
2. Reduced Costs: Training helps minimize costly mistakes, customer complaints, and inefficiencies. It also boosts employee productivity, morale, and retention—cutting down on hiring and retraining expenses.
3. Minimized Risks: Compliance, safety, and diversity training can help prevent lawsuits, fines, and other costly issues.

When training is built into project planning, it enhances success rates. For example, customers who receive effective training are more likely to continue using a company’s products. That’s why advocating for its role early on is so important.

Building Business Alignment Through Stakeholder Engagement

No matter what kind of training your organization provides — whether it’s selling product courses, improving employee skills or reducing business risks — building strong relationships with key internal partners is essential. Think of these stakeholders as your training function’s clients.

If your training team serves the entire company, your clients are business unit leaders and partners (e.g., HR, product development, sales, IT, finance). If your training team supports just one department, your client is that unit’s leader and partner.

Getting a seat at the table isn’t just about making a strong case for training — it’s about developing relationships with decision-makers, such as HR leaders (CHRO, HR director), product development leaders (CPO, product manager), sales and service leaders (CSO, sales director), IT Leaders (CIO, IT manager), and finance leaders (CFO, finance director). These leaders are essential in aligning training initiatives with their departments’ goals. These stakeholders shape department priorities and can help integrate training into project planning.

8 Strategies to Strengthen Training Business Alignment

1. Understand the Organization: Learn company goals, structure and department challenges. Align training solutions with real business needs.
2. Initiate Conversations: Meet with leaders to understand their struggles and explore how training can help.
3. Offer Tailored Solutions: Propose scalable and flexible training options that directly addresses departmental goals and measurable outcomes.
4. Demonstrate Quick Wins: Start with pilot programs or past successes that showcase training’s immediate impact, making it easier to gain long-term support.
5. Be Proactive: Attend cross-department meetings to stay informed on challenges and opportunities.
6. Build Trust: Follow through on commitments, deliver results and seek feedback to improve.
7. Act as a Business Consultant: Go beyond simply delivering training — help close skills gaps and align learning initiatives with business priorities.
8. Communicate Regularly: Keep stakeholders informed about training programs and their impact.

Training organizations that are business partners providing strong guidance or perspective to the business will be perceived as go-to resources for problem-solving. Such training organizations will be invited to the table during business strategy discussions. By demonstrating value and offering customized solutions, you’ll position yourself as an essential partner in project success.

Identify Projects That Need Training Support

Not every project needs training, and not every training request means training is the right solution. The key is knowing when learning will make the biggest impact. Signs that a project could benefit from training include:

• Lack of Skills or Expertise: If the project involves new tools, processes, or technology, training is critical.
• New or Updated Product Features: When a product is updated or new features are introduced, training is crucial to help customers fully understand and utilize these changes effectively, ensuring they can maximize the product’s value.
• Frequent Mistakes or Delays: If errors or missed deadlines are common, training can help teams work more efficiently.
• High Turnover or Burnout: When employees feel unprepared or unsupported, they’re more likely to leave. Training can improve job satisfaction and retention.
• Communication Breakdowns: Poor collaboration can derail projects. Training in teamwork, leadership or conflict resolution can help.

Once you identify a project that would benefit from training, the next step is making a strong case for it.

Build Your Case for Training

To get a seat at the table, you need to present a compelling case for training’s impact. Decision-makers focus on return on investment (ROI), so your argument should highlight how training supports business goals. Emphasize that upfront training investment prevents bigger problems down the road. Show how training will contribute to project objectives, such as increasing efficiency with new software or increased sales or reducing costly errors.

Companies that invest in training see measurable improvements in productivity, quality, and employee retention, so providing real-world examples and success stories from similar projects to demonstrate training’s impact can strengthen your case.

Make Your Case: How to Get a Seat at the Table

Once you’ve built your case, it’s time to present it to decision-makers. Tailor your message based on what matters most to each stakeholder — executives care about ROI and risk reduction, while managers focus on team performance and efficiency. Provide a clear action plan that outlines the training’s duration, content and delivery method, showing how it fits into the project timeline. A well-structured approach will help secure buy-in and ensure training becomes an integral part of project success.

Follow Through: Ensure Effective Implementation

After securing support for training, your work isn’t done. Track its effectiveness by gathering feedback from participants and managers to ensure it aligns with project goals. Measure outcomes like improved performance and reduced errors to demonstrate the value of the investment and use this data to support future training requests.

Make Training an Essential Part of Strategy

Earning a seat at the table for projects that could benefit from training requires a proactive approach. By understanding training’s value, building relationships, identifying the right opportunities and presenting a strong case, you can ensure training is seen as an essential part of project success. The next time a project arises, don’t hesitate to speak up — training could be the key to making it a success!