How to ask for Professional Development Support in a Downturn
Professional development, that supports your growth as a leader, should not be a side gig paid out of pocket. Not even now during a downturn.
Professional development, that supports your growth as a leader, should not be a side gig paid out of pocket. Not even now during a downturn.
Strong leadership is needed now more than ever. Uncertain environments demand strong leaders who can unite teams, hold vision for the future and communicate authentically and powerfully in the moment. The survival of business depends on it, the resiliency of teams relies on it, and your own sense of trust will be born from these leadership characteristics.
Leadership qualities are not always innate; thankfully they can be developed and expressed over time with intentional mentorship, training and coaching. While this may seem obvious, many current and emerging leaders hesitate to ask for the support they need to grow their abilities.
Depending on the culture of your organization, asking for support professionally can be uncomfortable and challenging. It is often easier to avoid asking than facing the possibility of being turned down or risk the perception of being seen as incapable or lacking skill. It is natural to avoid situations where we could be misunderstood or disappointed.
How is this avoidance really serving you or the people you lead?
Therein lies the shift we need to take when it comes to asking for help in our professional lives.
Great leaders recognize what is needed to serve the people around them, and seek out opportunities to grow their abilities in these areas.
Great leaders lean into the areas of discomfort (asking for help, receiving feedback, seeking mentorship and coaching) and use this information to become better.
What we know for sure is accepting the status quo and avoiding uncomfortable situations is not leadership behaviour. In fact, the only place it leads to is mediocrity.
Mediocrity is not an option in a downturn.
Reaching out to those around you, your HR department, or your department lead and asking for help is necessary in leadership, especially when we are in unprecedented times.
If you want the best from your team, and for your team, recognize where your skills and expertise need to grow. Recognize where you may benefit from the objective and supportive presence of a coach or mentor. Be the example of authentic leadership for your team.
Whether you are connecting to HR, your Department Lead or directly with the Executive Team, often what we need is the language to bring to ask for an investment into our development.
Here’s how to ask for leadership development support:
1st: DO YOUR HOMEWORK
Before you set up the meeting, do your research and be prepared. Estimate the costs of the programming and the timeline involved.
2nd: IDENTIFY THE GAPS AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR PART
What skill gap are you trying to close (or what skill do you want to build)?
Sounds like:
a) I am noticing the need to be better at XYZ. The team/organization is needing this from me right now and I want to be able to provide this to them.
b) The team is overwhelmed right now. In order to support them fully, I know I need support on my side as well.
Key Points
Be to the point about the problem you notice and the solution you see for it
Don’t ramble on.
Take responsibility for your part in the solution
You don’t need to explain it or justify it, just state the facts.
3rd: COMMUNICATE THE VALUE
The most important part of your plan is to demonstrate the business benefits to your team, department and organization. Speak to the greater good for the department/team/company. Remember, your leadership development supports everyone.
Sounds like:
“I really feel like an outside perspective and some one-on-one leadership development would be useful right now to:
Gain clarity
Communicate more effectively
Connect more authentically
Increase my productivity
Show up with a better attitude
Make decisions with more confidence
4th: MAKE THE ASK!
Sounds like:
I’ve researched a few resources/ programs that I believe will be a good fit, and have a strong reputation of building leadership skills. I am happy to provide these to you.
What additional information will you need from me to move this forward?
5th: REINFORCE THE BENEFIT
Restate the desired skill, behaviour, outlook you are seeking.
Sounds like:
I’m confident this programming will increase by ability to XYZ.
6th: CONFIRM NEXT STEPS
Agree on a time and date to follow up. Everyone needs to be held accountable (including you, to move this request forward). Timelines and clear agreements are critical. Give them time to consider and/or get back to them with additional information they may request at this stage.
REMEMBER
You are opening a dialogue. If you do not receive a clear yes in the first conversation, this does not mean it’s a No. Stay committed to your development - your team, and organization will respect you for this.
The first time you ask for support is the hardest. This process becomes easier as you recognize the benefit of having someone in your corner as you grow into the leader you were meant to be.
This article has been featured on The LeaderSharp Collective website .
The LeaderSharp Collective is a full spectrum leadership development group of coaches, business consultants and advisors. To learn more about the services we offer and how we can support your Leadership needs, call us at 1.403.719.0800.
Change is the only Constant
Change requires an immense amount of trust. It requires that we trust in ourselves, those around us and something greater.
Change requires an immense amount of trust. It requires that we trust in ourselves, those around us and something greater.
While change can be disorienting and confusing, change also serves a purpose- it keeps us, our workplace and our cultures vital and dynamic.
Change is only negative if you believe it is.
Change does not have to be chaotic, it’s when we resist change that it becomes stressful and disorienting. If our tendency is to avoid the discomfort of the unknown, cling to what we know (to create certainty) and push against progression, we prolong the destabilizing effects of change. During times of change, you may feel like you have no control. You may fear that everything will be taken from you. The truth is,
The only thing you can control is how you react.
You may be feeling overwhelmed right now, uncertain about the future. It’s this uncertainty that leads to stress.
Ever heard of VUCA? This acronym is widely used in change management processes and coaching through change. It stands for:
Volatility
Uncertainty
Complexity
Ambiguity
The presence of any one of these in a system (family, organization, community) can have a negative influence on those within it.
I believe that uncertainty has the biggest impact on stress- put a person or a team in a volatile (unpredictable) situation and tell them it’s going to last for 2 hours, they will handle it. Put them in an equally volatile situation and not tell them the timeline...people will break.
Much of our resiliency and ability to navigate a challenging situation comes from knowing that it is going to end. Throw uncertainty in the mix, we respond very differently.
What I tell clients and organizations experiencing change is this- in the short term, the biggest impact you can make in mitigating the stress for people in the system is this:
Give them certainty.
Certainty can be as simple as telling your team (or family):
“ I will be giving you an update at 1pm tomorrow”
“Our team will meet every Tuesday at 10 virtually for the next 3 weeks and then we will re-evaluate”
“Our family will have dinner together every night for the remainder of the week”
How will you create certainty for yourself and the people around you during times of change?
Remember, change is inevitable. You get to choose whether you embrace it or resist it. Learning what you have control over, and what you do not will lessen the pain.
PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE
I encourage you to take time this week to reflect on and answer the following:
Practice #1: Connect to memories of positive change
Where has change been a positive force in your life?
What perspective did you have at the time that allowed you to embrace change/trust in the change that was happening?
Practice #2 : Reduce uncertainty and know where you have control
What can you control in your life right now?
Where can you create certainty?
Practice # 3: Keep it simple and don’t overload
We all have what is called “change capacity”, the ability to manage a certain number of changes at once. Know your limits and don’t take on more than is necessary. Remember, small steps will lead to big changes.
What can you reduce in your life right now to simplify.
What will you say yes?
What will you say no?
** Remember, these don’t have to be no/yes forever. Just for now. Put a timeline on these if you need to.
Practice #4: Build Hope
Refer to Hope in Uncertain Times and create a vision for what you want to be a reality.
Most of all, remember to be kind to yourself and to others during times of change and adversity.
We are all in this together.
Hope in uncertain times
Many of you are experiencing unease, anxiety and overwhelm during these times of change, uncertainty and challenging events.
Many of you are experiencing unease, anxiety and overwhelm during these times of change, uncertainty and challenging events.
Life is inherently uncertain and it’s when we attach our security and our happiness to our ability to control life, that we suffer.
As we have heard many times before,
“The only constant in life is change”.
As a coach, I work with clients to decide how to navigate this truth each day.
We have one of two options
Try to control every detail of our lives to create security
See change and uncertainty for its potential to create something new.
It is in the second option, that Hope lives.
It is those who have a strong sense of self, a belief in their ability to adapt to change and those who choose to “invite hope to stay” that navigate change and uncertainty with grace and strength.
You can move from feeling overwhelmed to standing in your strength and trusting in the strength of others by embracing hope. Hope is your source of power and strength. When paired with action, hope has the power to transform you and those around you. It will give you control over how each day unfolds.
As great Maya Angelou once said,
“Hope and Fear Cannot occupy the same space. Invite one to stay”
I encourage you to ask yourself,
“What challenging and uncertain events have I navigated before?”
Find proof that you have the ability to navigate this too. Remember who you were in those difficult times and the strength you found to carry you through.
“What was I hopeful for in those moments?”
Vision is a powerful tool. Focusing on what you want to create and surrounding yourself with people who also have an optimistic mindset will strengthen your sense of hope.
Lastly, reflect on,
“What do I know for sure in THIS moment?”
Bring yourself back to the now. This is the moment you have control over.
My family loves me
My home is safe
I have enough to eat
My children are safe and well
Good people working hard to make a difference
I encourage you to take 10 minutes today and each day to reflect on these questions. Feel your overwhelm dissipate as your feel your hope grow.
Remember to be kind to yourself and others - we are all in this together.
