Tips for Getting Your Company to Pay for Lean Six Sigma Training
Securing company funding for Lean Six Sigma training requires strategic planning and persuasive communication.
While professional development often delivers significant value to organizations, you’ll need to effectively articulate this value proposition to decision-makers.
Here are some practical approaches to help you secure company sponsorship for approval of Lean and Six Sigma training and certification programs.
1. Align with Strategic Objectives
Research your company’s current goals, challenges, and strategic initiatives. Frame your training request as a solution that directly supports these objectives. For example, if your organization is focused on cost reduction, emphasize how Lean Six Sigma methodologies can identify and eliminate waste while optimizing processes.
Create a Project Charter showing the business case of a current problem in your work area. Explain how Lean Six Sigma principles can be applied to this problem (assume a 25-50% improvement), and how that problem aligns with organizational goals and scorecard metrics.
2. Calculate Return on Investment
Develop a clear ROI analysis that demonstrates how your training will pay for itself. Include:
- Typical project savings ($10,000-$50,000 for Green Belt projects)
- Productivity improvements
- Reduced defect rates and cost of quality
- Decreased cycle times and lead times
- Enhanced customer and stakeholder satisfaction metrics
It is better to present conservative estimates based on industry benchmarks rather than making unrealistic promises. For example, if the training costs $5,000 and your project could save $10,000, then you have a 6-month payback period.
3. Propose a Pilot Project
Identify a specific problem in your department that could benefit from Lean Six Sigma methods. Propose a pilot project tied to your training that will deliver immediate value. This approach transforms your request from an expense into an investment with tangible returns.
4. Leverage Educational Reimbursement Programs
Many companies already have established educational reimbursement programs that may cover professional certifications. These programs often have specific requirements and application processes.
Action step: Review your employee handbook or speak with Human Resources (HR) liaison about existing programs and submission deadlines.
5. Offer Knowledge Transfer Commitments
Propose a plan to share your newly acquired knowledge with colleagues through internal workshops or coaching sessions. This multiplies the value of your training across the organization.
Action step: Create a simple implementation plan showing how you’ll conduct lunch-and-learns or mentor colleagues following your certification. Offer to record a video about your experience and what you learned, and what aspects of the training would be most beneficial to the organization. Share the video with colleagues and peers.
6. Research Competitive Advantage
Gather information about competitors who have successfully implemented Lean Six Sigma. Document how these programs have strengthened their market position or operational excellence.
Action step: Include specific examples of industry peers who have benefited from Lean Six Sigma initiatives in your proposal. Check job postings from competitors to show examples where they recommend or require Lean or Six Sigma certification or experience.
7. Explore Cost-Sharing Options
If full funding isn’t available, propose alternatives such as:
- Company pays for training while you invest your personal time
- Split the cost between department and corporate training budgets
- Company reimburses upon successful certification
- Phased approach (company funds Green Belt now, Black Belt upon project completion)
- If the training budget is limited, see if you can find money in other budgets
- Investigate tax incentives and grant money. A lot of government agencies promote learning and development with funding schemes available to companies
Action step: Present multiple funding scenarios to provide decision-makers with flexibility.
8. Connect Training to Career Development
Position your request within the context of your performance goals and development plan. Many managers have discretionary budgets for team development that align with performance management systems.
Action step: Schedule your request discussion during performance review periods when development planning is already a focus. Annual reviews are a great time to discuss your development plan.
9. Present a Professional Proposal
Create a concise, well-organized written proposal that decision-makers can easily review and share with others. Include:
- Training program details and curriculum
- Timeline for completion
- Total costs (including any travel expenses)
- Implementation plan for applying new skills
- Expected benefits to the organization
- Expected benefits to your manager (how will it make them look good?)
- Metrics for measuring success
Action step: Keep your proposal to 2-3 pages maximum, with an executive summary highlighting key points. Make sure you follow-up frequently in case they forget or want more time to think about it.
Conclusion
Approaching your training request as a business case rather than a personal benefit dramatically increases your chances of approval. By demonstrating how Lean Six Sigma certification creates value for the organization, you transform a training expense into a strategic investment with measurable returns.
Remember that timing matters—align your request with budget planning cycles and be prepared to negotiate if initial responses are hesitant. Persistence and thorough preparation will significantly improve your chances of securing company support for your professional development goals.
