GLD 5: Budgets and Workforces
One of the biggest challenges to any training program is budget. In today’s environment, training budgets have been slashed and it may be difficult to obtain further funding. And in those budget cuts, sometimes only the most essential of training programs can continue to be offered. So the challenge for a global leadership program may be obtaining a budget, much less obtaining more money to complete the program. One of the first considerations in the area of budget is simply whether or not the budget can support a global scale leadership development program. If the answer is questionable, you may have to work hard to obtain buy in, which we will discuss in the future.
To begin looking at your budget possibilities, you probably will want to determine how you will create your leadership bench, as well as how you will train and coach those individuals. If you have made this determination, consider creating a matrix of training and coaching methods, as well as network and group meeting costs. Tailor your matrix to your optimal situation and then work your way down the list, eliminating the areas that prove to be too costly. When you take the time to complete this exercise, you’ll know exactly what to ask for-and how to explain the costs of the program. (more…)
Fixed Training Costs versus Variable Training Costs
The current economic client makes it difficult for training departments to obtain any extra funds, much less normal operating funds. Many times departments must “make do” with the budget they’ve been handed. But once you have a budget, no matter how large or how small, you should have an idea of what costs are fixed and what costs are variable.
Fixed training costs are simply the ones you can count on at any point. You’ll budget for these costs and be able to rely on the fact that they will most likely stay the same. For example, the salaries of the training staff are relatively fixed. When you work on your budget, for whatever time period, you know if you’ll be able to add staff, which we will discuss in a moment. You’ll also know how much to budget for increases based on the average from the last year. But altogether, you’ll be able to count on salary as a fixed item. (more…)
