What are the best ways to negotiate for additional training opportunities?

Before you approach anyone, begin with the end in mind. Step 1: Know where you are headed in terms of your aspirations; what is your future role? Step 2: Learn and understand where your function, your organisation, and the relevant industry are headed. Step 3: Identify both lateral and vertical routes to your next level of growth and aspiration.? Step 4: Speak to your manager, mentor, or guide about identifying your skills gaps. use assessment tools, manager inputs and peer feedback.

Aligning personal, role, and functional / organisational goals in how you present the benefits case is critical. Also talk about how you would then proactively share your subject matter expertise with others, and discuss the benefits and outputs in a way that motivates your manager and HR to approve of the learning event or programme you are proposing.

From my experience in talking with HR directors and owners of businesses, there is always a complain of not seeing the ROI on previous training. Hence, the unwillingness to further spend on training staff. So I strongly suggest in seeking new training opportunities, you identify and outline to management the value and ROI of previous training to the organization. Then the benefits to the organization of the new training programs being considered. One key benefit that must be included is how it ties in to the succession plan of the organization.

Imagine you are a startup or an IP that needs investment to grow. What do investors look at in a startup? They want their investment to grow and give them returns in multiples.? Remember to approach the negotiation with a positive and collaborative attitude, emphasising how the training aligns with the organisation's success. By effectively demonstrating your value and the positive impact of the proposed training, you increase the likelihood of securing additional learning opportunities.

Communicating the training ROI is an essential element in negotiating new training opportunities. The traditional ROI formula for training is the program benefits (net profit) minus the training costs and then divided by the program costs.

Definitely agree that highlighting the Return on Investment approach is always a key factor when negotiating for additional training opportunities.

Whenever we head into a conversation to negotiate terms we are so set on our own desires, we often neglect hearing out the other party’s point of view. Besides setting the terms and conditions, ask questions to find out where they are coming from and where they would like to be. Not only does this show that you are valuing their opinion, it shows that you are open to having a dialogue on the matter at hand. Not only does this make you a good negotiator, you might even develop a lasting relationship. And as a training manager, strong relationships with business partners and learners will help you deliver more impactful programs.

I agree. However, I suggest that having shared the knowledge, team members should be given opportunities to practically apply the shared knowledge to confirm learning has occurred.

Become the aggregator of knowledge. Share your learning and knowledge. Applying new knowledge in your current role benefits your employer by reinforcing learning and enhancing skills. This proactive approach involves initiating projects, sharing success stories, creating training modules, offering mentoring, participating in knowledge-sharing platforms, and staying updated on industry trends. This increases visibility and makes you a potential candidate for future roles.

Reach out and contribute to the initiatives driven by the learning and development team. The capability development teams are forever looking for role models who exemplify the value of learning and skilling. To be a good leader, one must learn to be a good follower. Begin with being the go-to person for the L&D team, and over a period of time, grow your value from being an idea soundboard to a torchbearer of learning and development.