Financial Support Worksheet

PURSUING FINANCIAL SUPPORT for PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Having a strategy in place before speaking with anyone in your company about full or partial sponsorship will help ensure that you can present a strong case for financial support and garner approval for program participation. START HERE • Find out if there is precedent within the organization for financially supporting professional development. You can ask your manager or a human resources or talent development representative. • Before you speak with your manager, be sure to identify the areas within your current position or within the organization’s current operations that would directly benefit from what you’ll learn in this program. Know what’s in it for the company. • You may be competing with other talent development projects for limited resources. Know the reasons your employer should support you. CRAFT YOUR REQUEST Once you’ve done your research, create a thoughtful letter or email that outlines the organizational benefits, details your personal motivations, and provides key infor- mation on the program you are seeking to complete. Consider the answers to these questions in your email. • What are the qualities that make you a good candidate for this investment? • How have you proven yourself so far? • How will this investment directly improve your ability and/or skillset to perform your job effectively? PREPARE FOR FOLLOW-UP After sending the letter to your company for approval, be prepared to answer possi- ble questions that may result from your request. Some questions to be ready for: • How long will you be away, and what steps will you take to ensure your tasks are taken care of? • What’s in it for the company? How will this investment in training create value for the organization? • What are you willing to do in order to commit to this learning and change your behavior? Training and development opportunities can increase employee engagement, happiness, and productivity so don’t hesitate to ask your organization to support your learning. They have as much to gain as you.

Start with a greeting to your Manager, or the person you are requesting approval from. Follow it up with the clear request for approval and support of the training.

The beginning of your email or letter should include information about the training you’ve selected. Think about including details around the days of the training, cost, duration and curriculum. If there will be travel or lodging needs, it is good to mention that as well.

If you anticipate resistance around program cost, you may want to speak to the value of the training by mentioning: • The program will be taught by UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Faculty who support the learning through lecture, group discussion, case studies, activities and application to your work. • UNC Executive Development is currently ranked by the Financial Times as the #9 Executive Education provider in the world.

Next you may want to highlight how the training will help you build your skills, learn new concepts, and grow the business. Include

details about how this training: • Aligns with development goals.

• Helps you build personal or team effectiveness. • Encourages learning from a group of peers across diverse industries and broadens your professional network. Also consider expressing your commitment to make the learning stick and share what you learned, while working on your development.

To close you may want to mention the option of discounted group rates if there is a broader organizational need for development. Let the recipient know that you are happy to discuss further in person and look forward to a follow-up conversation. Recommend a date for follow-up and close the letter.

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