All right, so you’ve been watching our videos on LinkedIn, reading up on our Career and Power Skills, and you’ve decided you want to go to LEADERs. So how do you convince your boss to pay for you to go?
As an enthusiast for all things personal and professional development, I’ve been in your position a few times. Here are my tips for convincing your boss to pay your way through our LEADERs program!
Know your company’s policy on professional development
Many companies set aside dollars for their employee’s professional development. Start by checking your employee handbook or the company intranet for information on this.
Ask your colleagues if they know of any such policy or if professional development opportunities have ever been funded before.
Understand how LEADERs will help you… and your company!
Put together some information in an email or proposal format that will show your boss how LEADERs can be valuable for the company. Try to think of it from their perspective: how could the skills you’ll learn impact their bottom line? Think of ways to measure the ROI and estimate the benefit for the company.
Read through our Career and Power Skills list and make a note of some of the skills you think will be particularly impactful for your job. Highlight them.
Here are some other points that might resonate with your boss:
- Instead of flying off to some other city for a big 3-day conference, you can learn valuable skills and network with other people right here in Kansas City!
- We offer an entire year of in-depth skills training. This gives you a chance to apply what you’ve learned and then come back to the group for accountability.
- LEADERs is a research-backed leadership program with a history of proven results.
Present your idea
You’ll have to decide how your boss receives information best. It might be a well-written email, or a typed and printed proposal. Remember that your boss will likely have to pass it on to someone else to get financial approval.
Include in your proposal how you’ll apply and share your knowledge in the office. Will you make a presentation at the end of the year, showing your colleagues some of your main takeaways? Brief your boss after each session about which points you found the most actionable? Get creative! When your boss knows you’ve thought it through, they’ll be more likely to give you the thumbs up!
Emma Blankenship is the Chief Strategy Officer at Catalyst Development and a certified career and life coach. As a writer, she has several published academic articles and awards. She is also an accomplished songwriter and recording artist.