When you ask your manager if you can go on a management training course, consider that he or she will be thinking “What's in it for me?”
You need to spell out exactly what you are going to learn, and do differently at work, and why this is going to be good for you, your team and your manager.
If you can show that you will be better at your job, or more able to solve problems, and deliver better results, your are much more likely to have your request for training approved.
Before you ask for the time and budget to attend a management training course you need to make a good business case.
Define the problems and opportunities
You do lots of important things at work. Some of them are going to be more interesting to your boss and your organisation than others.
The parts of your job that have the potential to earn or save money, add value for customers or make other people more productive are likely to be of most interest to your boss.
In addition, if your organisation is undergoing change, or investing in a new strategy, skills that will help you play a full part in advancing these new priorities will be valued.
When you are making your case for training focus on these activities and make it clear how a change in your behaviour resulting from new skills will enhance your ability to deliver on these most important aspects of your role.
Focus on the outcomes and results
Training needn't be about fixing your weaknesses. It's equally (or possibly more) important to develop your strengths. If you're already the top salesperson, it would be really valuable for your company if you were even better at closing and negotiating. If you're already an outstanding manager you'd be even more valuable if you had coaching skills so you could help other colleagues develop and perform better.
When you make your case for training, it's important to think realistically about how the organisation will benefit from your new skills.
Quantify the benefits and compare this to the cost of your training
Have a go at estimating the benefit of applying your new skills in terms of:
- Money earned for the company
- Time saved (that will be used for some other purpose the company cares about)
- Quality improvements
- Cost savings
- Contributing to one or more of your organisation's strategic aims
| Job Function | Skill Required | What is your performance like now? | Post-training performance goal | Value to business | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Example | Sell social media services to medium sized companies | Negotiation Skills |
Have had to discount on 15% of sales in past six months Discounts cost £10000.00 |
Discount half as much as currently | If post-training goals is met discounts will be reduced by £5000 – this training will save business £5000 |
| Management Example | Improve productivity of direct reports | Ability to motivate people | Have 8 direct reports good overall performance | Improve the performance of all team members by 10% | If post-training goal is met, my team will complete 32 more calls each week |
Now it's time to find the right Management or Leadership training course for you.