HOW TO CONVINCE YOUR BOSS TO SEND YOU TO ACMHN2017?

 

Are you interested in attending our 43rd International Mental Health Nursing Conference in Hobart, but you're not sure how to convince your employer/manager to let you go? Help is here!

 

We know times are tight and it’s a challenge getting the OK from your boss to come to a conference when it means asking for leave during work hours and to cover the costs of registration and travel.

 

Getting approval to attend the conference is a two-part endeavour. In addition to showing the benefits of the conference itself, you will also want to demonstrate that you are the best person to attend and that you are the best person for the organisation to invest Professional Development dollars with. Ensure you pinpoint the areas that will bring value to you, your team, workplace and consumers and it will be impossible for your boss to resist sending you to ACMHN2017.

 

 

Click here for the Application Letter template

 

 

THE PITCH

 

Here are some things you can prepare for your manager to help convince them you should attend this conference:

 

Step 1: Familiarise yourself with the agenda and speakers.

 

Before you discuss the conference with your boss, you’ll want to be sure you’ve thoroughly explored the conference agenda and speakers.

 

Familiarise yourself with all the options available and start thinking about which sessions align best with your employer’s objectives and aspirations. Ask yourself: what are our short-term and long-term goals? Then, determine which sessions are likely to contribute to these goals.

 

Step 2: Outline your top three reasons for attending.

 

You will want to explain to your boss as concisely as possible why the conference is unique and why it is worth attending.

 

Here are some example value statements we offer our delegates to help them justify attendance at this conference:

1. You will gain practical skills and learn proven methods for improving your performance. To deliver on your
   
   organisation’s mission, you must ensure you are using the most strategic methods that are proven to get results. Attending the conference will provide you with new skills and methods to provide consumers with the best care.

2. Learning from real success stories means you will save time and money trying to figure out what works. Many organisations waste time going through a lot of trial and error before discovering the formula to success. A good conference will challenge your current way of thinking, but will also provide you with actionable advice and takeaways. Our speakers will challenge you to think critically about your work. They will also provide you with actions and advice you can start using immediately. They will present research (evidence) that you can incorporate into your own practice…breaching the evidence-research gap is important for clinicians, but it is also important for managers because it improves the quality of nursing care and has a knock on effect on consumer outcomes.

 

1. This is a networking opportunity you can’t miss. Some of the world’s top mental health experts will be at ACMHN2017, and there will be many clinicians working in a similar capacity to you, with different perspectives, different skills and different experience. All of the interactions you have with colleagues at events such as this one can be very personally and professionally enriching. Attending the conference can help to reinvigorate your passion for your work and is a great reminder of why we do what we do.

 

Step 3: Send a formal request letter to your boss (if required).

 

A good request letter contains all the necessary information your boss needs to make an informed decision. You should be upfront in your introduction and state your top three reasons for attending.

 

• You should articulate how the event will benefit you and your organisation.

• Consider including a few sessions you’d like to attend

• You should also include an estimated cost breakdown. How much do you need for travel, meals, accommodation? This will provide you with a negotiating tool; your boss may be willing to send you if you can find a way to reduce meal or travel costs, or even if you say that you will happily cover some of those costs yourself. (Remember, attending a conference that directly relates to your work is a professional development event that may be tax deductible – so speak to your tax agent and keep all relevant receipts).

 

To help you out, we have drafted an email to your employer that you can amend to demonstrate the benefit of attending ACMHN2017 to your workplace and ultimately, improving health outcomes for consumers.