ASG's Security Solutions Blog

Improve Communication with Your Boss to Get the Budget You Need

 

As the economy begins to rebound and businesses are beginning to loosen the purse strings again, now is an important time to begin preparing for the inevitable shift in focus from cutting cost to improving performance. As the focus of your company’s C-suite (think CEO, CFO, CSO) begins to shift, will you be prepared to champion your ideas for security improvements and acquire the budget and resources you need to prosper?

If you’re feeling apprehensive about requesting budget from your boss, you’re not alone. Many security managers have difficulty communicating their ideas to their bosses. But by following a few simple suggestions, you can improve your communication with your boss and help him (or her) understand how implementing your ideas will provide value to the business as a whole.

Find Out What the CEO is Worried About
You can be assured that whatever worries the CEO of your company also worries your boss. The executive management team of your company needs to remain focused on the largest issues facing the organization and their focus often shifts from one crisis to another. Frequently the topics that are considered their ‘Top 10’ in one year may no long be so the next. If you really want your boss to understand and relate to your request, you have to frame it in reference to what is important to him. Take the time to find out what challenges the CEO and the rest of the C-suite are currently focusing on and how your idea will help the organization solve those challenges.

Focus on the Bottom Line
Your boss thinks in terms of numbers, metrics, and the bottom line. If you want him to pay attention to what you are saying, you need to frame your argument in terms he can measure. Prove to your boss that you know why the business is in business and show him how your idea will improve the bottom line.

While showing a direct increase in revenue or reduction in cost is ideal, it is often difficult to quantify the value of improving security. When you can’t clearly quantify the benefits of your idea, focusing on the cost of not implementing your suggestion may help you get your point across. Remember that incidents such as workplace violence, safety violations or emergency management slip-ups can have a hugely negative impact on the value of your business’ brand as well as stock prices. Additionally, your customers’ perception about your security can greatly impact the customer experience, both positively and negatively. Poor security may erode the confidence your customers have in your business and lead them to turn to a competitor.

Talk Your Boss’s Language
Chances are likely that you boss isn’t a ‘security person.’ If you’re advocating your idea to the C-Suite, make sure you use language they understand. Don’t use security jargon they may not be familiar with or see as important. Instead, talk their language. Focus on their needs and goals and how your solution can help achieve them. Don’t try to tell them why they need to implement your idea, instead tell them why implementing your idea will further their goals or meet their needs.

Know the Numbers
Metrics are hugely important to C-level executives. Your executive management team is constantly focused on a set of numbers or key performance indicators that tell them how the organization is doing. Make sure you find out what key performance indicators your boss uses to make decisions and communicate how your idea will improve those numbers. Know what the numbers mean, what they represent and what levels indicate that performance is good or improving. If your boss uses employee turnover as a key performance indicator, tell him how your idea for a new safety program or parking lot security improvements can reduce employee turnover by increasing employee confidence and project how much the number might improve.

Don’t Take No for an Answer
Your boss didn’t get to where he is by ignoring the people around him. If you feel that your boss isn’t listening to you, or might not fully understand your idea, then tell him so. Ask him what exactly he doesn’t understand or objects to and seek to overcome those difficulties. If your boss doesn’t understand your idea, try to communicate it in another way. If your boss objects to your idea, find out why and overcome that objection by making improvements to your idea or communicating its value in a way that makes sense to him. Either way, don’t give up on your idea just because it didn’t succeed on the first try.

Now that the economy is improving and budgets aren’t squeezed so tightly, you probably have lots of ideas for improving security at your organization. As things improve and C-suite executives look toward the future, now is the perfect time to show your boss how your ideas could benefit the business. But you’ll only succeed if you’re not afraid to talk to you boss and advocate for your own ideas.

Now that you know a few ways to improve communication with your boss and get your ideas turned into action, think about what difficulties you have had in communicating with your boss in the past. Do you think these strategies will help you overcome those difficulties? Let us know in the comments below.