You’ve come up with a brilliant idea that will transform your leadership development program.  Or maybe there is new artificial intelligence (AI_ software that you want to use to speed up processes on your team. Or perhaps there’s a learning management system (LMS) that will make your eLearning more accessible for all your employees, but you’ll need to hire someone for the implementation. All of these sound like great initiatives, but how will you get buy-in from your stakeholders — especially in these uncertain financial times?

In this article, we’ll explore opportunities to help you get the green light on your training projects, by asking some simple questions and preparing for your business case.

The first question you’ll need to ask yourself is the most important, and may require you to do some research ahead of time: Is your proposal strategically aligned with your company? You want your learning and development (L&D) department to be in step with the rest of your organization. There’s no sense trying to push for an expensive new tool or increase in staffing if your company is downsizing or focusing on cost savings. In this case, it might be better to go instead with showing what savings you’ll realize from the new initiative; or be ready to cut another program to help fund it.

If your company is focusing their strategy on being more prepared for advancements in technology, then make sure you’re proposing programs that align with this direction. Perhaps your company is planning to make some big changes — think about how best you can prepare leaders and employees with change management training. Remember: It’s much easier to ask for resources if your company sees you as a partner who will help drive their strategy.

Once you’ve thought about how to help propel your company with a strategically aligned training plan, ask yourself: How can I show a return on investment (ROI) linked to the new initiatives. If you’re planning on upgrading or introducing something new, think about what ROI or other outcomes will happen because of your idea? Benjamin Franklin is quoted as saying “An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.” However, this quote may not always satisfy a stakeholder who is looking closely at the bottom line.

Some L&D programs are difficult to tie directly to ROI, but here are some examples of measurable metrics to consider for different types of training programs:

• Onboarding: better retention at the 30-, 60- or 90-day mark; quicker time to proficiency.
• Sales training: improved revenue; increased customer satisfaction; reduction in returns; closing rates.
• Professional development: employee engagement; improved retention.
• Safety training: reduction in safety incidents.
• Leadership training: Employee engagement scores; improved retention.
• Team building: increased productivity; less conflict; improved retention.

In short, know how your training can impact the business. Your business stakeholders want to know they are investing in something that will be worthwhile.

If you’re confident that your initiatives are aligned and have good ROI, you might want to consider proposing a few options. This will do a few things:

1. It will let your stakeholders know you’ve done your research.
2. It will give you a back-up plan in case your initiative doesn’t get the support you need.
3. Options help stakeholders feel like they are in control of the decision.

Show the pros and cons of each option so that your stakeholders can make an informed decision. If you’re a team that creates most of the content in house, then show an option of how much this would cost to outsource. If you already outsource your training, show proposals from several of your vendors. You may also want to lay out what might happen if you don’t go ahead with the initiative. Do you predict customer satisfaction dropping, sales declining or employee engagement decreasing? Knowing which options you’ve considered and why will help put stakeholders at ease, knowing you’ve done your diligence when selecting the options for them to see.

Finally, before you present your initiatives, test it out on a few people who will give you honest feedback. Ideally, you’d be best to test this out with one of the stakeholders you’ll be presenting your ideas to. This will accomplish two things:

1. You’ll know what’s resonating well with them, and therefore the other stakeholders.
2. By presenting it early, you’ll have a built-in champion who’s already invested in your ideas.

If finding a stakeholder to preview your proposal isn’t possible, then find another trusted colleague (preferable in a different role or department) who can give you some perspective and advice. Sometimes our initiatives make sense to us but may not be presented in the best way to persuade your stakeholders.

Getting stakeholder support isn’t always easy. By staying strategically aligned, know how your training programs will improve the business, presenting options and partnering with your colleagues, you’ll have a much better chance of your initiative being considered and getting the buy-in and sign-off you need.