Making a Business Case: invest in me as an SME
Most subject matter experts (SMEs) are expected to attend technical training, to improve their technical skills. But to make the transition from subject matter expert to master expert, or technical expert to trusted partner, SMEs need to build their Expertship skills.
This might mean:
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Getting budget to buy some of the Institute’s publications.
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Getting funding for SME coaching by an accredited, experienced Expertship coach (highly recommended).
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Getting nominated for the Expertship Institute’s signature program, Mastering Expertship.
MAKING THE CASE
Here’s some pointers on how to make the business case to your manager.
Reason 1: YOU CAN ADD MORE VALUE
Adding enterprise skills to your technical skills is a one plus one equals three situation. You’ll become far more capable in interacting with the wider organisation (outside your technical group), more influential, and be able to add new and extended value.
This is the value you know you could add, if you had the stakeholder relationships and advanced influencing skills to get your ideas across. Your manager probably knows this too.
Reason 2: THEY CAN DELEGATE MORE TO YOU
With elevated skills in navigating stakeholders across the organisation, your manager will be able to trust you with more, this saving themselves time and effort. This means they can focus on the big picture items.
Reason 3: IT REDUCES THE RISK OF YOU LEAVING
You may not be thinking of leaving, but if you play a vital mission critical role, this is something smart managers want to avoid at all costs. They know having to replace you would mean having to pay a huge fee to a recruitment agent, taking lots of time interviewing, and then having to onboard that new expert. We’re talking probably upwards of 50% of your annual salary. And they have to go without your acquired knowledge of the organisation for months.
Or they can pay a small amount to send you on the Mastering Expertship program, increasing your value to the organization and saving money and disruption.
Reason 4: IT WILL GET YOU SUPER-ENGAGED AGAIN
If you served a few years, you’ll lose some energy around your work. You’ll find it increasing repetitive, and you might have lost of little bit of your enthusiasm and can-do attitude. Investing in you building your Expertship skills will make all the difference (it has for thousands of participants before you).
Reason 5: YOU CAN USE THE SKILLS TO GROW OTHER EXPERTS IN THE ORGANISATION
Building your enterprise skills means also building your skills to develop other experts. These knowledge transfer skills include learning how to coach other employees and also be a technical mentor. This is both saving the manage time and effort, plus probably retaining younger staff who will stay because they are still learning (a further cost saving, no replacement costs!).
Reason 6: IT’S THE RIGHT THING TO DO
The truth is, you are worth it. You’ve provided excellent service to the organisation, and you deserve to be invested in, particularly since the investment provides a big payoff for your manager and the organisation.
SUMMARY
The Expertship Institute also has consultants who can make this business case on your behalf, and feel free to About Us if you wish to leverage our knowledge and experience, but the argument is so much more powerful coming from you.
If you want to really strength your case, read up on the benefits other experts who have been on the program have articulated in the following articles:
Subject matter experts review our programs: “Life-changing”
Experts on their Expertship360 experience
Download what Experts Really Love about Expertship using the form below.
