How to Get Your Boss to Pay for Professional Development

HOW TO GET YOUR BOSS TO PAY FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

RECEIVING EMPLOYER SUPPORT FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Your professional development is not just good for you; it’s good for your organization and its bottom line. Although no manager would deny the truth of that statement, it isn’t always easy to convince them to fork over the money needed for you to attend classes, conferences, or other programs. However, with proper communication and reasoning, receiving employer support for professional development is achievable and will produce a return on investment for you and your company. If you have identified a professional development opportunity but don’t know how to approach your boss, use our outline below to nail the ask and get a “yes.”

STEP 1: GATHER DATA Your first course of action is gathering information about the program you want to attend so that your employer understands the investment.

Topic

Event Cost

Location

Dates & Times

Travel Expenses

STEP 2: UNDERSTAND YOUR EMPLOYER’S PAIN POINTS Next, you need to see the professional development opportunity from your manager’s perspective. What concerns will they have? Is it the work that will stack up when you are gone? Is it finding money in the budget to send you? Identify the issues that will be most important to your employer and make a plan to address them. Here are some good places to start:

1. Cost Emphasize the ROI. For example, Lean Six Sigma projects save organizations $100k on average. In other cases, identify skills you will develop in productivity, leadership capabilities, improved quality, and other areas that will positively impact your organization.

2. Time away from the office Make a plan to cover your work. You might also focus on how this class will improve your efficiency and express your confidence that you will come back re-energized and ready to tackle your work. If it’s still a hard sell, sign up for an online class where you don’t have to be unavailable for several days.

3. Training as a reward If your employer reserves training as a reward for high performance, emphasize the contributions you have already made and how the training will improve upon those skills. Have confidence in yourself—you deserve this opportunity!

STEP 3: FOCUS ON THE ORGANIZATION It is important to hone your skills, but your request will hit home when you emphasize benefits for your team. Make it clear how this training relates to one of your organization‘s problems and express your interest in finding a solution. Offer to hold a lunch-and-learn training session with your team to report on your key takeaways and make improvement goals together. Prove to your employer that this isn‘t just an investment in you; it is an investment in their company.

STEP 4: CRAFT YOUR PITCH Now that you have all your information, it’s time to ask. Plug your information into the outline below to get a winning request.

Say to your manager, “I enjoyed working on (xyz project), but I don’t feel comfortable (having feedback conversations with my team members). I’d love to receive some training on (leadership). Do you know of any resources?” Asking them for advice gets them on your side from the beginning. They might offer some great suggestions, but most busy managers will point you to the internet, where blogs and free webinars can only offer so much. A few days later, send an email such as the following:

Dear (supervisor), A few days ago, we discussed the possibility of me receiving additional training in (leadership). This skill is essential to my job, and improvements will provide many organizational benefits, including (more cohesive teams) and (a clearer strategic vision). I appreciate your support of my personal and professional development in this area.

I researched some training options and found a certificate that perfectly fits my needs. It is the (Executive Leadership Certificate) at the University of Utah. This certificate (includes six two-day classes on various leadership, strategy, and communication skills). This certificate promises to be a valuable use of our resources because it is developed by the Executive Education department in the David Eccles School of Business, which uses top MBA faculty. In addition, (while the curriculum is similar to that of schools like Stanford and Northwestern, the price is much more affordable and it won’t require me to travel).

One of Utah‘s Executive Education professors recently published an article that sold me on this program: (Great Leaders are Great Communicators). I believe that this program will help me (more effectively lead my team through our current growth and challenges). I would welcome the opportunity to present my critical takeaways to the team after the training.

I appreciate your consideration of this professional development opportunity and look forward to discussing the benefits this experience could have for our team and organization.

Sincerely, (your name)

STEP 5: FOLLOW UP If you don’t get an immediate “yes,” don’t give up. With a little more information, you can get your manager on your side. Here are some creative ways to do that: • • • • •

Forward a testimonial from one of the program’s past participants Set up a lunch meeting with you, your manager, and a course consultant Invite them to an upcoming information session Ask a program coordinator for other key selling points of the particular program you are interested in Suggest that they register for the program as well. You may qualify for a group discount, and most programs are most effective when multiple members of a team participate

STEP 6: WHAT IF YOU GET A NO? If your organization doesn‘t fund you, you may be able to get a tax deduction when you pay out of pocket. Plus, the added training will help your resume stand out to other potential employers who might offer an educational stipend or be willing to negotiate it into your package.

Looking for professional development opportunities?

Executive Education at the University of Utah provides various classes and certificates that provide solutions to your business problems. Visit our website to learn more.

Learn More

ExecEd@Utah.edu (801) 587-7273 ExecEd.Utah.edu