Harvard Offers Strategies For Getting Support to Develop New Skills on the Job
Rachel O’Meara, Google Sales Executive, Leadership Coach, and Pause author, recently wrote for Harvard Business School‘s Harvard Business Review, offering six effective strategies to convince your current employer to help you develop new skills on the job.
- Identify how you want to learn and grow. “Spend time honing in on exactly what you need. Write down what you want to learn and how you would grow from the experience you’ve identified. The more you can write down, the more aware and real your ideas become.”
- Own it. “Rather than being embarrassed or nervous about asking for time to build an underdeveloped skill, own it as part of your commitment to becoming a better leader.”
- Create your vision statement. “Visions are a great way to orient and stay on track before, during, and after your development work. In one sentence, answer the question: Who will I become as a result of this investment of my time and resources?”
- Connect your goals or outcomes to what the business needs. “To get buy in to support your development, you have to connect…what specific skills or knowledge you can share from your training or experience. Are there issues at work that you could better resolve as a result of this training? In what ways will your company benefit from your improved performance, skills, or knowledge?”
- Prep and practice. “Make a list of what is negotiable – things like timing, budget, and activity. When preparing for the conversation, think about what each person involved in making the decision has to gain. Do your homework and read up on your HR policies.”
- Make your ask. “When you’re ready to sit down with your manager, don’t catch them off guard. Give them ample notice and consider adding it to the agenda for your next one-on-one meeting.”
O’Meara concludes: “There are three likely outcomes: getting what you’ve asked for, getting some of what you asked for, or getting a flat out “no.” By following these steps, you’ll increase the chances that you get a favorable outcome, but that’s not always the case. Even if you don’t get what you asked for, start thinking about ways you can reshape your request in the future.”
What Do Employers Think Of An Online MBA?
Ten years ago, there was a prevailing premonition when it came to job interviews; traditional degrees ultimately always trumped the newfound online variety. The stigma was real, partially nurtured by the proliferation of less-than-reliable online diploma mills. While that wasn’t terribly long ago, the idea of an employer flat-out disregarding any online degree feels like a distant memory. So, what do employers think of an Online MBA in 2017?
