I’ve been hearing the same story from middle managers across Australia, and it’s getting louder. You’re being told to “integrate AI into your team’s workflows” and “drive digital transformation” while your L&D budget gets cut and your training requests sit in someone’s inbox gathering dust.

It’s not fair, and it’s not sustainable.

The executive suite sees AI as a cost-saving opportunity. They read about productivity gains in the McKinsey reports, hear about it at conferences, and decide it’s time to act. But here’s what often happens next: the mandate flows down to middle management with no roadmap, no training, and certainly no additional resources.

You’re expected to figure it out. And your team? They’re looking to you for guidance you haven’t been equipped to provide.

The Reality Check

Let’s be honest about what’s happening here. According to recent workforce data, Australian organisations are investing heavily in AI technology but not proportionally in the human capability to use it. We’re buying the tools but skipping the instruction manual.

Middle managers are caught in an impossible position. You’re accountable for outcomes but lack the authority to secure proper training. You’re supposed to coach your teams through this transition while learning it yourself in real-time. And when things don’t move fast enough? Guess whose performance review suffers.

This isn’t a technology problem. It’s a people problem disguised as a technology initiative.

What You Can Actually Do

I’m not going to pretend there’s a magic solution here, but there are practical steps you can take right now, even without executive buy-in or budget approval.

Start with the free stuff. Yes, really. Microsoft, Google, and most major AI platforms offer free training courses. They’re self-paced, often quite good, and require nothing but your time. Block out an hour a week on your calendar and protect it like you would any other meeting. Your learning time is legitimate work time.

Create a peer learning group. Find three or four other middle managers in your organisation who are facing the same challenges. Meet fortnightly, even if it’s just over lunch. Share what’s working, what isn’t, and what you’re learning. This costs nothing and builds the support network you’re not getting from above.

Experiment small and document everything. Pick one low-risk process in your team and trial an AI solution. Document the time invested, the results achieved, and the lessons learned. When you eventually get in front of decision-makers about budget, you’ll have data, not just requests. Numbers speak louder than “we really need this.”

Be transparent with your team. Tell them you’re learning too. The old model of leadership required you to have all the answers before you spoke. That model is dead. Your team knows you don’t have AI expertise yet—pretending otherwise just erodes trust. Say “I don’t know, but let’s figure it out together.” You’d be surprised how much goodwill that creates.

Reframe the conversation upward. When you’re in meetings with senior leaders, stop asking for training budget and start talking about risk. “Without proper training, we’re increasing the risk of errors, data breaches, and compliance issues.” Risk gets attention in ways that professional development requests don’t. It shouldn’t be that way, but it is.

The Bigger Picture

Here’s what keeps me up at night: we’re repeating the same mistakes we made with every previous technology wave. We assume competent professionals will just “pick it up” because they’re smart and capable. They will, eventually. But at what cost?

The human cost of this approach is real. It’s stress, burnout, and the slow erosion of confidence among some of your best people. The organisational cost is slower adoption, increased resistance, and a culture where people learn to wait out new initiatives rather than engage with them.

Research from the Australian HR Institute consistently shows that successful technology adoption is directly linked to investment in capability building. Not just technical training, but change management, leadership development, and ongoing support.

We know this. We’ve always known this. But we keep acting surprised when it turns out to be true.

You’re Not Alone in This

If you’re a middle manager feeling overwhelmed by AI expectations, you’re not imagining it. The squeeze is real. The resources aren’t matching the requirements. And no, it’s not your fault that you haven’t magically become an AI expert while managing your actual job.

But you’re also not powerless. Start small, build your network, document your learning, and keep pushing the conversation upward. Will it solve the systemic problem? No. But it might make your day-to-day more manageable.

And in the meantime, I’ll keep pushing the message to executives and L&D leaders: if you want AI adoption, fund the human part of the equation. Your middle managers are the linchpin of this entire transformation. Stop treating them like they’re optional.