Will you accept this... 🌹

No matter where you land on V-day — love, like, or “absolutely not" — there's one thing we can all agree on: low effort isn’t cute. And at work, it’s costly.

In this issue, we’re breaking down what healthy workplace “love” looks like — from a Trainual-fueled meet-cute (yes, really 💁), to Reddit’s take on bad training, and the systems modern teams use to protect clarity and accountability.

Let’s get into it.

MOVE OVER TAYLOR, THIS IS THE REAL LOVE STORY

Can trusting the process lead to the love of your life?

We didn’t have becoming a dating app on our 2026 Bingo card, and honestly, this love story has no business being real. But alas, Trainual got to play matchmaker, and we just have to tell you about it.

It started with Trust the Process t-shirt. Then came pickleball, Trainual's very own Shawn Jensen, and... Clayton Echard? (Yes, that Clayton from The Bachelor). And yes, a final rose makes its way into the mix.

🌹 Can we steal you for a second? Read Annie and Caden’s love story.

P.S. Trainual merch is waiting to be your wingman. Go ahead — you never know what might happen. 😉

LOW EFFORT ISN'T CUTE

Love is something you have to work for

At work, we don't show that we care by giving our co-workers chocolates and flowers. (Well, maybe on Employee Appreciation Day.)

It's in the day-to-day: clarity, follow-through, and little acts of thoughtfulness along the way. That’s what we’re spotlighting this month.

Trainual's "how to show love at work" toolkit:

• How to get your team to fall in love with processes. A practical breakdown of why people resist systems, and how to win buy-in with the L.O.V.E. framework.
• Nurture your top performers. Lead better conversations that build trust, surface real feedback, and keep your best people engaged.
• Show your team you appreciate them. A behind-the-scenes look at how the Trainual Cheer-io squad makes appreciation part of the workday — thoughtful, human, and budget-friendly.

🚩 IS THIS A RED FLAG?

Time to break up with bad training

Sometimes jobs are like the soon-to-be-ex in a Hallmark rom-com. They look good on paper… but there are no expectations, no support, and somehow everything is still your fault.

We’ve been living for real Reddit work scenarios — breaking down what’s a red flag, what’s fixable, and when to know an employee will start updating their résumé.

💬 Have a hot take? We're listening. Hit us up at themanual@gmail.com

LOVE TAP

The new love language? Holding each other to it.

As a people manager — whether you lead a department, a location, or a cross-functional group — you’ve seen it: You assign training. Everyone has the best intentions to knock it out early. And the week takes over.

No one’s slacking. They’re just busy.

But when required training quietly drifts, so does momentum. Deadlines get fuzzy. Follow-through feels optional. And that culture of accountability you’ve worked hard to build? It needs a little love.

But here’s the reality: Staying on track isn't often a happy accident. It's reinforced by:

• ⏰ Catching deadlines before they slip. Because the best time to follow up is — believe it or not — before it becomes a scramble.
• ⏳ Following up when something’s due soon. Whoops. It happens. What matters is closing the loop quickly.
• 👻 Re-engaging people who’ve ghosted their training. Because at work, we don’t leave things on read.
  

The move? Identify who's falling behind and check in. A quick, encouraging message does the trick.

🔥 Tip: Trainual builds those check-ins into your workflow — proactively surfacing who needs a nudge and teeing up a personalized "You've got this!" follow-up in seconds.

👉 See how modern teams are keeping training on track.

👉 Want to see Trianual in action? Get a demo.