It can be very expensive to attend an event when you add up registration fees, travel and accommodations. These costs can easily add up to $1,000. Why should you invest this kind of money on a junior staffer?
I’ll begin by stating the obvious reasons why such requests are typically not even considered.
1. Have you turned on the news? We’re in a recession. You’re lucky to even have a job.
2. Why would I send a junior level staffer? They’re not a decision-maker. Where is my ROI?
3. It’ll be over their head. Again. Where is my ROI?
Now, I challenge you to consider why you should contemplate such a request.
Yes, we are in a recession, but there are always ways to manipulate budgets if necessary. If your financial situation is so dire that this is not possible, bookmark this post for 2011.
Many junior level staffers are hungry for educational opportunities. Yes, there are also plenty of bad seeds who get by doing the bare minimum to get a satisfactory annual review. I’d imagine it wouldn’t be too difficult for you to spot the hungry ones if you tried, though.
A hungry junior level staffer may not grasp everything that is said at an industry conference, but you better believe they will try. And down the road, they’ll encounter a situation that reminds them of something from the conference and connect the dots. That my friends, is how light bulb moments are born.
Remember back when you were junior level? Before you moved into a corner office, when your days consisted of tasks like taking minutes for a meeting instead of participating, working hard on a report only to have someone above you present it, preparing name badges, travel reimbursement forms, etc.
I’m not complaining. I understand these not-so-glamorous tasks are necessary and someone has to do them. And the reasons why you now sit in a corner office are because you worked hard, proved yourself, and earned it. I get that. I’m just suggesting you invest a little bit to nurture a hungry junior level staffer, much like yourself, X-number of years ago.
After considering the above pro’s and con’s, I came up with an alternative solution that could potentially:
- Reduce or eliminate the risk of poor ROI
- Encourage professional development
- Position you as a mentor
- Improve productivity
- Boost employee moral
Here it is.
If it is plausible to move a relatively small (think big picture) amount of money to a line item for junior staff professional development on your budget, do it. Allocate roughly $1,000 to this item.
Send out an e-mail calling for proposals to attend educational events (on the company’s dime) to staffers of a certain level, or range of levels (for example, coordinators to managers).
If eligible employees have an interest in attending an industry conference, they may submit a proposal to be considered to attend an industry conference – a costly, but valuable, opportunity.
Choose up to five different educational events as options for proposals (for example, IAEE, HCEA, MPI, ASAE or PCMA), but only allow one proposal for one event per applicant. The most deserving applicants will really think about the personal value of each option while taking into consideration the likelihood that you would agree.
Designate a strong deadline and specific requirements for the proposal to be considered.
Specific requirements could include:
- Why is this relevant to your day-to-day responsibilities, the goals of your department, etc.?
- What will you do to prove you are the best recipient of the funding before, during and after the event?
- What specific sessions at the particular conference will be of most value and relevance to you personally and to our department/organization?
Hungry junior staffers + competition + opportunity = survival of the fittest.
Or the most qualified. Or the best return on your investment.
After the deadline, review the applications yourself or with a team of leaders from your organization to determine the best and most deserving recipient.
After deciding, tell the junior staffer who stood out the most the good news and make their month, and a highlight in their career path.
Finally, after the event, call the winner into your office and ask them what they learned. Ask for key takeaways. Ignore any nervous vibes they may put off (again, remember when you were a junior staffer?).
If the junior staffer rattles off several key takeaways off of the top of their head, asks for clarification on something that was discussed, or pulls out their notes – pat yourself on the back. You have chosen wisely.
While the ROI may not be immediately evident in dollars, you now have your hands on a newly-motivated, appreciative, proud and ready-to-tackle-anything go-getter. Who also works for you.
A former boss of mine used to always say:
When you think you’re green, you grow. When you think you’re ripe, you rot.
Years later, I realize just how spot-on she was.
Very well stated Christina. When bosses stunt learning by keeping any staffer from educational opportunites, they ulitimately hurt their own business. Having a corporate culture of learning serves everyone best-the customer, the employee and the company.
Rick Pitino, who now coaches the Louisville Cardinals basketball team, once wrote that he wanted younger people on his staff that had their PhD. That is, poor, hungry, and driven. He said they did the best work because they had to. This post reminds me of that in a good way. Its nice to know that there are still people looking to work their way to the top.
Great article, Christina! I don’t think you can put a value on the rewards that can come from nurturing talent. Providing promising employees with access to quality educational opportunities and experiences within their field can only benefit a business. In the best interest of their company, managers or senior staffers are obliged to seek out talent and enthusiasm and find ways to nurture it. Just my two cents.
Brilliant article Christina!
Your thoughts and insight are right on, and as Jeff said, when an employer denies a staffer education opportunities it hurts their business ultimately and also impedes employee retention.
I think your idea of having submit proposals selling mgmt on the merits of their attending an event not only helps the employer understand the motives of their team, but also is a great way to sorta force a “soul searching” process for the individual submitting it.
Great work, and your blog is certainly coming alive!
@michaelmccurry
You are spot on Christina. I would also like to add a suggestion to those Sr. level people who do let a Jr. staffer go to an industry meeting. Get on the phone and call some of your contacts who might take them under their wing and introduce them around the first night. And even check in on them a few times throughout the conference. The hardest thing for first timers at a conference is breaking in to the “old timers” network.
You raise several valid points and I would love to make some additional comments, but am afraid of offending Ye Olde Benevolent Employer.
Let’s just say that in 10 years, I have been lucky enough to be sent to one conference and that was in 2005.
Many organizations fall into the trap of only sending “sales” staff out to events, if senior staff does’t attend. As an operations guy, I can state that the relationships I have fostered with other providers at these events are just as valuable when it comes to taking care of our mutual clients down the road.
This is one of the best articles I’ve read on getting buy-in from your supervisor for attending an industry conference. As an administrative professional, it can be daunting to go to your manager and ask for financial support to attend a conference, especially in this challenging economic environment. However, persistence, planning and the proper approach will sway a forward-thinking manager.
Thank you.
Just want to say your article is striking. The clarity in your post is simply striking and i can take for granted you are an expert on this subject. Well with your permission allow me to grab your rss feed to keep up to date with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please keep up the ac complished work. Excuse my poor English. English is not my mother tongue.
Christina, great post and awesome comments! I’m all for education, but as a former leader of a large company if you wanted to attend a major industry event, I would also want you to:
1) Participate very actively at the chapter level first. I’d be looking for attendance of at least 1/2 of the local education and networking opportunities and active on a committee before investing the big bucks on you for national attendance.
2) I’d want you to bring back info to share with your co-workers. Perhaps we could schedule a lunch and learn or something where you would present what you learned at a specific session that will help our business.
Bottom line, there are many outlets for education and networking today. Employees that are using these local or online regularly, are the same employees that should earn the right to take their skills and relationships to another level by attending marquee events in person. Someone that puts in personal time to make themselves better, like you, is a no brainer investment.
Have fun at EC10!
Dave Lutz – @velchain
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