Professional development budgets are among the first items to be annihilated when organizations look inward to cut costs. And this is usually a unanimous decision among the organization’s leadership without regard to the consequences of doing so. You’ve likely experienced it this year already. And, you probably predicted it would happen at some point. 

Notwithstanding the fact that budgets will always be smaller than you’d like them to be and that you’ll always have to choose among and prioritize between the initiatives you spend those hard dollars on, I propose that professional development budgets get axed before they see the light of day because of one or more of the following beliefs held by budget decision makers:

1. Educational events like conferences and luncheon meetings are ‘boondoggles’.

2. Professional development initiatives are expensive and “we can’t afford them”.

3. There is no visible or tangible benefit derived from professional development initiatives.

So the next time you request professional development money and you get turned down, probe to understand why. Then make sure you listen for and identify which belief, or combination of beliefs, is present in the response. Then try these three proven strategies to shift these beliefs and save your professional development budget from the chopping block.

Addressing the ‘boondoggle’ belief 

Ok, so it might be difficult to prove that learning actually takes place at a conference held in Hawaii, in dead of winter – but it’s not impossible. Regardless of where the professional development initiative is held, and if it’s a week-long conference or a monthly luncheon series, try approaching the request from the perspective of how it benefits not only the person attending, but the organization as well. Consider the attendee is an ambassador of your organization – representing their own interests, and those of their department, unit etc. Then think of their role in these terms: What they do before, during and after the initiative.

Before the initiative, be clear about what the learning objectives are – both for the attendee and for the organization. Have the attendee circulate the course outline/promotional material about the initiative in advance and solicit feedback from others in the organization about what they would like to better understand about the topics to be discussed (i.e. questions they themselves would ask if they were attending). Have the attendee also gather thoughts and perspectives that represent the organization’s viewpoints related to the topics.  In this way, the attendee can contribute meaningfully during the initiative and will be representing accurately the thoughts of the organization.

During the initiative, the attendee now has an ‘agenda’ for being there. They know they will have to answer to their progress toward the learning objectives set out prior to the event, so they’re more likely to stay focussed and get what they’re after when this structure is in place. 

After the initiative, ensure the attendee facilitates a follow-up meeting with each area of the organization that expressed their own learning objectives and perspectives before the event.

When you approach the initiative from this perspective, you’re not only dispelling the ‘boondoggle’ belief, you’re also helping to shine light on the tangible benefits participation in the event can produce (which addresses the third erroneous belief about professional development initiatives discussed later in this article).

Addressing the cost belief

The bottom line (pun intended), is that training and professional development initiatives can be expensive. But they don’t have to be. Try being creative about the sources your organization considers for professional development initiatives. Here are some suggestions.

• Take advantage of the offerings of professional associations which have low cost and high value:  webinars, newsletters, events, speakers, conferences etc. 
• Take advantage of learning opportunities offered by vendors and suppliers, these are often free of charge. Ask them what they’re willing to do to help you out.
• Consider non-traditional sources for training and professional development activities. For example, a client of mine uses the “book club” concept to support skill development. Here’s how it works: Choose a book (or podcast or webinar) that addresses a topic you’d like to train others on. It serves as the ‘course content’. Then distribute it to your group of learners, request that they review it and be prepared to attend a learning module or team meeting or group discussion at specific intervals along the way (i.e. weekly team meetings that discuss one chapter at a time, or monthly team meetings that review the content and action items from a webinar or podcast).  This doesn’t cost any money (other than purchasing the books), it addresses the ‘boondoggle’ belief discussed above and it helps foster team work at the same time.

Addressing the ‘intangible benefits’ belief

If you’ve successfully implemented the first strategy related to dispelling the belief that attending events is a ‘boondoggle’ then you’re well on your way to demonstrating tangible benefits to your organization for participating. Here’s another way to respond to the belief that you can’t see the benefits of professional development if you’re still getting push-back.

Consider some facts:

• Hiring and retaining professional business management is up there among the most critical issues facing progressive organizations today.
• A major factor affecting success in the retention of business professionals is the lack of direction and support they receive, and the alienation that can come from that.
• If the support structure and programs for learning and professional development do not exist in your firm, your business professionals will quickly move to organizations that recognize the value of such programs.

Some of you are already familiar with this chain of events. So, having access to resources who can provide advice, act as an impartial sounding board or give a second opinion is simply good business – right? If you said ‘yes’, then first have your organization’s budget decision makers consider where this kind of support might come from  internally. Who in your organization is in a position to mentor your participants or support your day-to-day challenges in your professional role? Who is in a position to help you advance your skills and those of your team? You’re not likely to find what you need internally. These are the benefits of belonging to professional associations and attending professional development initiatives because they help address these issues.

It takes a wide range of talents and business acumen to operate a progressive organization at the highest level. Business leaders are inundated with requests and constantly pulled in many directions by the demands of the organization’s  customers, staff and the market conditions within which it operates. Arm yourself with these proven strategies to save your professional development budgets – and please, let me know how they work out for you!

 

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About the Author

Catherine Mitchell is a client development coach and the principal of One Voice Productions Inc. (Professional Services Division).  One Voice Productions Inc., a Toronto-based consultancy, helps brilliant minds articulate and implement their business growth strategies. They offer services in two distinct market segments: Professional Services and the Entrepreneur & Small Business Owner market. Catherine can be reached at 416-562-3711 or catherine@onevoiceproductions.ca