Get your boss to cover Professional Facilitation Development.

If you’re considering asking your boss to cover the cost of Facilitation Certification program at Voltage Control, take a moment to better prepare yourself for the conversation.

If you’re keen on exploring professional growth opportunities and considering asking your boss for professional facilitation development, there are a few steps to consider. Firstly, ensure that you’ve done your research and clearly understand facilitation development and how it can positively impact your work. Schedule a meeting with your boss to discuss your aspirations and express your eagerness to pursue facilitation development. It’s vital to be specific about what you hope to gain and how it can benefit you and the company. Remember, your boss is there to support you, so be open to feedback and suggestions and be flexible about the timing and format of the development. Don’t forget to follow up after the meeting to demonstrate your ongoing interest and commitment to your professional growth.

Research for Professional Facilitation Development

If you’re considering asking your boss to cover the cost of professional facilitation development, and the Facilitation Certification program at Voltage Control seems like a good fit, it’s essential to do your homework beforehand. We have all made the mistake of jumping the gun and asking for financial support before gathering all the relevant details about the program and your company’s policy on employee training expenses. Needless to say, requests without research didn’t go over well.

To avoid making that mistake, take the time to research our Facilitation Certification program and learn how it could benefit your role and the company as a whole. Additionally, make sure you’re familiar with your employer’s policy on training expenses. By doing so, you’ll increase your chances of getting the certification costs covered and demonstrate your commitment to your professional facilitation growth and the company’s success.

Know the Program

Prior to speaking with your boss, it is important to know what our Facilitation Certification is all about! Our certification program is packed full of valuable information, and we’ve done some of the homework on some of the basics for you so you can walk into your conversation with 100% confidence!  

Q: What does it cost?

A: $5000

Q: How long is the program?

A: Three months 

Q: What are the time requirements (daily, weekly, or monthly)? 

A: Live sessions are on Fridays from 9 am-12 pm, and prep work averages 3-5 hours a week.

Q: Can you describe the course? 

A: This is a comprehensive program that guides students through key facilitation foundation skills aligned with the International Association of Facilitators (IAF) competencies and provides you with ample opportunities to practice. There is feedback from a supportive cohort of facilitation colleagues.

Q: What will be the learning outcomes?

A: Students walk away with these skills by the end of the Voltage Control facilitation certification program:

• Identify a spectrum of impactful facilitation methods and approaches
• Select the best facilitation methods for your facilitation context
• Implement the right facilitation methods to meet optimal facilitation outcomes
• Reflect on areas of personal facilitator strength and growth
• Cultivate a valuable professional facilitator identity

Additionally, be prepared to articulate how the certification program will enrich your professional trajectory and benefit your organization in the future. Since your boss may need to justify the return on investment of your ongoing education, it is advisable to have as much data as possible at your fingertips. Knowing the numbers will help justify not only your development but the company’s development as well. It is a fact that organizations tend to waste money on unproductive meeting time. In a report by Otter.ai and Dr. Steven G. Rogelberg, the study found that a company with 5,000 employees spends approximately $320 million yearly on meetings. However, if one-third of the hours spent in these meetings are unproductive, the company is essentially squandering $101 million every year that could be utilized for more fruitful endeavors. Our professional facilitation certification will give you the tools and knowledge to weed out unnecessary meetings and boost productivity in the meetings that your company is holding.

Know the Policies

If you’re looking to grow in your career, it’s important to know if your employer supports your professional development. Have you checked your company’s policy on employee development yet? You can start by checking your employee handbook or company website, but it’s possible the information is hard to find.

In case there isn’t a written policy, don’t worry! You can ask around and chat with your coworkers. Do you know anyone who has taken professional development courses before? If not, maybe someone can share their experience with getting company support for such programs. This way, you can make informed decisions about your career growth opportunities at your workplace.

Know the Answer

Inevitably, your boss will have some questions for you. Be prepared and know the answers ahead of time! Walking into a conversation you initiate totally prepared will not only impress your boss, it will greatly increase your chances of success requesting professional development support. Here is a list of potential questions you may be asked, and we have helped you by preparing answers for you to expand upon!  

How much is the program, and do they offer scholarships or financial aid?

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when applying for a program is not having all the important details and figures. It’s important to know how much the program costs, whether there’s a payment plan available and if financial aid is an option. By doing your research, you’ll show that you’re serious about this opportunity and that you care about the company’s interests.

If your company can’t cover the full cost of the program, don’t worry. Just take some time to think about how much you’re comfortable paying out of your own pocket. This will help guide your conversation and make things easier for everyone involved.

The program costs $5000, and Voltage Control does offer a Diversity Scholarship. A key part of Voltage Controls’ mission is to support diverse facilitators from different methodologies, backgrounds, races, genders, sexual orientations, cultures, and ages. (If you are a part of, or serve, a traditionally underrepresented group and feel that this scholarship would allow you to amplify this mission.)

What will you learn?

It’s totally understandable that answering some questions can be tricky, even if the question is simple. It can be especially daunting when you are put on the spot. To help you get the most out of the facilitation certification, it’s important to pinpoint the top three takeaways or skills you hope to gain. Think about why you’re excited to learn these skills and how they relate to your personal and professional goals. By doing this, you’ll be able to demonstrate that you’ve done your research and carefully considered the value of the program. 

• I will be able to identify a spectrum of impactful facilitation methods and approaches.
• I will be able to select the best facilitation methods for any facilitation context.
• I will be able to implement the right facilitation methods to meet optimal facilitation outcomes.

What is in it for the company?

If your company is willing to invest in your professional facilitation development, it’s a great opportunity to showcase how it can benefit both you and the company. Your manager might ask, “What’s in it for us?” and know the answer may be the difference between being approved or denied.

You can explain how the skills and knowledge you gain from the training can be applied to your job and contribute to achieving specific company goals. Think about the immediate benefits that your company can expect from your training. For instance, by becoming a certified facilitator, you can discuss how it can help you motivate employees, manage performance, optimize resource outsourcing, and more.

Facilitation is rooted in co-creation, and team members are invited to participate in decision-making. In facilitative leadership, leaders act as a guide to help other team members navigate workplace challenges, including stepping into future tech and carrying out a shared vision and purpose. Becoming a certified facilitator will help the entire team reach its full potential by ensuring everyone is heard and, in turn, unleashing everyone on the team. 

How will you maintain your performance at work?

Managers want to make sure you can still be your productive self while you pursue professional facilitation development. It’s totally understandable. To help them feel confident in your ability to balance your workload and your studies, it’s a good idea to give them a clear idea of the time you’ll need to commit to your program and how you plan to manage it. Sharing these details will put their minds at ease and show them that you’ve got this handled!

With a time commitment of 3-5 hours of outside-of-class work, and 3 hours of dedicated class time every Friday, I am confident that my work will not be negatively affected. 

How can we measure the Return on Investment? 

If you’re talking to your manager about investing in your professional facilitation development, it’s important to keep in mind that they’re responsible for the financial success of the company. So, it’s a good idea to do a little research and find out how the facilitation certification program can benefit the company’s bottom line. Look for any data or statistics that show a positive return on investment or even just information about the general topic of the program.

Another way to show that the program is worth the investment is to explain how it can help you and your team be more efficient. For example, will it help you produce higher quality work or complete projects more quickly? Or will it teach you cost-saving strategies that can benefit the whole team? This kind of information can be really helpful in persuading your manager to support your professional development.

Facilitation Certification will help our team by allowing others to contribute to, critique, and improve shared initiatives. By harnessing group energy as an innovative strategy, facilitators work to promote equality and diversity in the workplace, leading to a more positive and innovative future. Learning the art of facilitation gives both leaders and team members the necessary skills to make real change. While leaders are often the go-to change-makers in an organization, all stakeholders should have the knowledge to innovate, problem-solve, and iterate independently. Becoming a certified facilitator will help the entire organization become lean, productive, and innovative.

Is there a group option for this program?

You can definitely share what you’ve learned with your team, and it might be worth suggesting that they also take advantage of this opportunity. If your boss is curious about the program, you could inquire whether it’s feasible for the team to participate together. Many programs offer group enrollment discounts. It could be a great way for everyone to grow and learn together.

Yes! There are group options. With a private Certification Program, Voltage Control starts by working with us to understand your current organizational design and leadership needs. They will help us discover specific target stakeholders, custom learning objectives, and growth opportunities. Using these insights, they design a custom learning program that combines elements of the facilitation certification, master certification, and unique learning modules as needed.

Time to Take Action! 

Great job on doing your research and getting ready for potential questions! Now, it’s time to take the next step and talk with your employer about paying for your professional development. Starting with an email is a fantastic way to begin the discussion. It’s low-pressure and allows you to review and refine your request before sending it. Of course, eventually, you’ll want to chat in person, but let’s take it one step at a time…

Here is an example of what you can say in the initiation email: 

Before hitting “send” on your email, take a moment to ensure you’ve included specific information about how the facilitation certification program can benefit your company. And don’t forget to proofread! Your message should be clear, positive, and gracious. Once you’ve checked those boxes, go ahead and hit that “send” button with confidence. 

Congrats! You’re one step closer to advancing your career through professional development and maximizing your potential. For more information about our facilitation programs here at Voltage Control, please reach out! We would love to help you along your unique journey!