It’s a new year, and you want to make the most of 2023 by improving your skills or learning new ones.

If you're reading this, it’s likely that data and analytics skills are near the top of your list.

You want to go for it, and you’ve found a cost effective training option like Maven Analytics. But before you go ahead and pay for a subscription out of your own pocket, we have some tips on getting your boss to pay for Maven.

Why should your boss pay for your Maven training?

Yes, up-skilling helps YOU. But keep in mind that the company you work for also sees a lot of the benefit.

You are going to get better at what you do and your company will reap that reward every day. With your Maven training you will be faster, more efficient, and able to accomplish things that you weren’t able to before.

That type of benefit is truly a win-win for both you and your boss, so here are some tips on making it happen.

How to make it happen:

Outlining some basic information will help make a compelling case and hopefully get your boss to pay for your Maven training.

Some easy preparation and organization goes a long way in helping you make this a reality. It’s really as simple as delivering your boss a clear case that includes the following information:

1. What you are going to learn

2. How this benefits the company

3. The cost to the company

4. Your commitment to complete the training to the best of your ability

This might seem like a lot to pull together but getting started is really simple. To begin preparing your case, use this simple tool to organize your key points by jotting down your answers to this short list of questions:

1. What skill areas are you going to train on?

   • Include the skills will you aim to learn

   • Include the tools will you train on

2. What are the benefits the company will receive from your training with Maven?

   • Include how you will be more effective in your job with these new skills

   • Include what you will be able to do or be able to do better

   • Include how this benefits the company

3. What specifically are you asking for?

   • Describe the training platform and access you are requesting

   • If possible, describe what courses or path of courses you plan to take

   • Say how much will it cost the company

   • Include an estimate of how many weeks or months you plan to dedicate to training

4. What is your guarantee back to your boss/company?

   • Let them know you are serious and that this is important to you. Make a statement or a promise that you are comfortable committing to.

   • This could be as simple as saying you’ll do your best or you can be specific with exact completion dates, courses completed, or even specific improvements in your performance, or a new project you’ll be able to own or complete.

Here’s the best part...we're here to help!

If you don’t know the answers to any of these questions and want some more guidance on getting your case together, the Maven team is here for you. Visit this link to chat with someone on the Maven team. You'll have a real person on the Maven team answering your questions and offering our expert guidance to get you ready to tackle your learning goals.

Once you have your answers to the questions above you can communicate your case to your boss. Since all bosses and companies are unique, you will have to decide what is the best time and the best way to deliver your request to your boss.

Some common and effective ways to do this are:

• Have a conversation: It could be as simple as requesting some time to meet and then talking your boss through the 4 points in the case you prepared using the tool above.

• Write a written proposal: If you feel like you want something more formal, it’s not hard to write out the 4 points from the tool above into a brief document or email and deliver it to your boss with the offer to meet and discuss your ideas and perspective.

• Leverage your review cycle: You may have a regular review cycle with your boss that includes some focus on your professional development, this can be a great time for you to state your case.

Will this really work?

I’ve been fortunate enough to manage many people during my career, and managing and mentoring people is one of the items that I enjoy the most about being in a leadership role.

Take it from me, in all my years as a boss and mentor I love it when a person shows initiative and is proactive about requesting training or professional development, especially when they have outlined a clear goal, proposed a solution and thought through the way the company will benefit.

In my experience as a boss, I see a relevant and well thought out request as an indication that this person wants to be a better contributor in their job and to the company. Over the years, the people that I’ve seen make these types of requests have proven to be my most valuable and long-term employees.

All situations, companies and bosses are unique, but the logic supports that if you raise your hand saying you will put in the time and effort to grow your skills, many companies will want to help make that happen when the cost to them is small and the benefit can be significant.

There's no risk, because you and your boss can try Maven for FREE

We've recently updated our service to allow users to sign up for a 100% free account, without requiring a credit card. This means you and your boss can test drive the platform, get to know our instructors, and sample our courses and paths before committing to a paid membership. Why not give it a try?

Still not sure?

Here is some perspective from a boss who invested in Maven for his team members and is glad he did.

Jason Parry is the Corporate Director of Outreach, Admission and Career Transition for Job Corps, and leads a team of about 50 people across 13 states.

He was getting requests from members of his team to provide training that improved their ability to effectively work with data. Jason decided to get his team access to Maven Analytics, and this is what he had to say about offering Maven to his team:

“The value that Maven was able to offer far exceeded my expectations.” (Jason Parry)

It’s great to see that Jason is pleased with the outcome of paying for the Maven training platform for his team. But as a great manager and boss, he went on to let us know that his employees were thrilled as well. We spoke to some of them, and here is a quote from one of his team members:

“Receiving access to additional training made me think that my company thinks about my professional growth and really stands with me that I’m appreciated as an employee.”

This is a perfect example of the WIN-WIN I mentioned earlier.

Team members feel accomplished and appreciated, the boss is proud of his team and happy with the return on investment, and ultimately the team has become stronger and more productive.

Go for it, and share your story with us!

This post is all you need to make a result like this happen for you. Make your case, speak with your boss, and make sure to share your success story!