Is this Training Budget a Joke?

This is one step up from a knock-knock joke, I know, but it highlights a real issue: When is a budget line not a budget line? When your team thinks it’s just for show.

Real Money, Real Confusion

A colleague in human resources told me team members often view a company’s professional development budget line as internal marketing, not real dollars available for professional growth.

This seemed hard to believe. Then I recalled an experience.

I designed—and used for the better part of a decade—an annual performance evaluation that asked each team member to choose a professional development goal for the coming year. With these agreed-to goals in place, I created the professional development budget. It was there to support what people aimed to accomplish. The entire team saw this budget every two months throughout the year.

Still, I encountered an odd pattern.

When we revisited that goal during the next round of evals, individuals had rarely taken initiative to make progress. One person’s response, “Oh, I didn’t know the professional development budget money was actually available.”

It’s possible this was a disingenuous excuse. It’s also possible the piecemeal approach we were taking unintentionally gave the impression that skills development was an around-the-edges thing, not a serious company effort or clear expectation.

The team had a hard time seeing the catalytic opportunity a goal and a budget line item can be.

What’s the “P.S.” to Your Budget's Story?

You’ve probably heard that a budget tells a story. It appears sometimes the “P.S.” is the most important part!

What’s the “P.S.” you should be highlighting with your team when you share the coming year’s budget?  What resources, opportunity, or expectation seems clear to you in the numbers, but may be sailing over your leaders' heads?

Truly Transformative Training

Shifting from individual initiative to a shared team approach to professional development has impact. It grows, aligns, and supports your team while improving ROI across budget categories. There’s less static, drama, and unproductive “freelancing” when everyone is using the same system and processes.

Here’s the journey when you decide to prioritize leadership development by training your leaders in the shared Core4 management approach:

1.     DISCOVERY – Two-way learning: about your company’s unique strengths and needs, and Core4 content and proven results. We confirm we’re a match. Want to start the conversation? Email jean[at]core4[dot]com.

2.     & 3. Take these in either order: COMPANY ASSESSMENT and TRAINING PROPOSAL. If you’re ready to proceed with a proposal, the assessment opens the engagement. But if you prefer a stand-alone assessment first, assessment fees offset against full engagement cost when you move ahead with Core4 training.

4.     TRAINING SESSIONS are in-person at your site and involve a 2-hour Intro, followed by four 3-hour trainings spaced about 6 weeks apart. Your team trains together and practices new skills between sessions.

5.     COACHING – Integrative coaching for each leader helps customize the system to your needs.

6.     CERTIFICATION available. To become a certified Core4 Leader, a team member takes the training, participates in coaching, and passes a test. A digital badge shows you're certified! Ongoing education required annually to keep cert active.

Timeframe: Custom to you, typically a 4-month minimum from assessment to fully trained.

Results: Core4 clients tend to be passionate about their results! From nationally known brands like Auntie Anne’s, to LeadingAge / Ziegler 200 senior services communities, to smaller companies navigating complex team dynamics, I’d love to put you in touch with a happy client, the only kind Core4 has!