Imagine a young leader in your organization sends you a persuasively written request for funding and asks for time away from her day-to-day job to attend a professional development event that could improve her job performance and make her a better leader.
How do you handle it? It’s a tough proposition, particularly in our industry at a time when so many companies have seen their sales plummet and now are dealing with budget cuts and even layoffs. Do you tell her, “Sorry, maybe next year”? Or do you find a way to reward her initiative and recognize her desire to see your company through this rough stretch by sending her to the event?
The answer is easy. In tough economic times, businesses can’t afford not to fund employee professional development training, and they can’t afford to wait.
If you’re asking your staff to do more with less, like many of us, it’s imperative they are highly trained and actively engaged. Professional development helps ensure that and transforms your business from one that is trying to survive to one that is looking to thrive.
When allocating your 2009 budget and reviewing requests from your emerging leaders to advance their careers and your business, keep in mind these nine reasons why professional development should be funded to the fullest.
Employees who receive professional development training are more productive and more profitable for the organization. Professional development helps your team stay current on the latest skills and emerging trends. Attending outside events and conferences also allows employees an opportunity to bring new ideas and best practices with them back to your organization. Job satisfaction and success are directly linked to continuously upgrading skills and acquiring new information. When employees feel engaged, they will work harder and want to produce the best work possible for you. Employees who feel intellectually challenged are more likely to take on greater responsibility. Supporting professional development gives your company a recruiting edge. Millennials are expecting, even demanding, opportunities for growth in the workplace and are drawn to companies that offer them. Professional development is a cost-effective retention tool. Internal training is not professional development. While internal training can be effective in teaching certain skills to large groups, it doesn’t adequately address the individual’s varying needs and it doesn’t yield the same level of employee engagement.
Remember, professional development should be an ongoing initiative, not a onetime thing. At the Women’s Foodservice Forum, we help our members assess their strengths and opportunities and then provide them with programming, services and events like our Regional Connects and the Annual Leadership Development Conference that help them address their needs, advance their careers and make a greater impact on their organizations.
Programming at this year’s conference, to be held March 15-18 in Dallas, has been designed to strengthen core leadership competencies that are especially relevant in a tough economy, such as business and financial acumen, visioning and setting direction, driving for results, building high-performance teams, and risk taking.
Now, back to your employee and her request for training. You’re convinced of the benefits of professional development, but you’re still struggling with the logistics.
Ask your employee to work with you to find a way for her to attend the training. I wouldn’t be surprised if she comes up with a way to succeed. Engaged employees have a way of doing that.
