Feature Keep executives close...
Jay Sriskanthan shows you how to tailor partnerships to secure funding for L&D
T
here is no doubt that Learning and Development is a noble profession, and it has the power to ignite human minds
with the ability to change the world. Yet we often find ourselves – in the corporate world – having to justify its relevance and value. However, this is the nature of business. At the heart of every business is the management of cash. No cash means no business. Senior executives must balance the cash coming in against the cash going out, not to mention the timing of cashflow. Investment decisions about the cash
that is going out is made by executives to grow the business, so they must be able to justify the value of L&D in a measurable format such as business outcome or return on investment. To be an outstanding internal business partner to executives, follow this six-step approach to implementing L&D.
Step 1: Planning A strong foundation to learning planning is imperative. Executives are never too busy to be asked what L&D they might need. The executive may not know, so could make guesses that are not rooted in reality. Therefore, before you approach the
executive, learn everything about them: about the company and the pressures they are under within it, their challenges, opportunities, threats and goals. This is really important, because without knowing these insights you will find it hard to relate to your executives, to
establish a rapport with them and show credibility, and to be in a position to articulate your solutions in a way they will find interesting and engaging. Once you have done the research, look at how your solutions can address their problems and challenges. Articulate how the future will look with your solutions, quantify the value and then create a compelling story that will make executives keen to follow your suggestions. Be sure to check your theories beforehand with people who know the executive well and then amend your ideas accordingly. Now, think about how you are going
to meet your executive – via telephone or by face-to-face meeting? Write your opening script and practise it! You must make it sound natural, so you come across as a confident and knowledgeable
person. Confidence only comes from doing, so the more you practise, the better you will be. Do not skip this step!
Step 2: Stakeholder engagement When you meet with the executives, it is about the art of persuasive conversation. For this, you need to adopt the mindset that you are truly there to help them with their challenges, so make sure you are actively listening by asking searching questions, such as “you said you are trying to grow by 10 per cent, tell me what plans you have to reach that goal”, showing curiosity and being alert to what is being said and how it is being said. Throughout the conversation, you should lead with the insights you have gained from step one. Demonstrate that you have done your research about the company and emphasise how
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