Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 2: Writing your proposal
• Part 2 of 2: Submitting your proposal

Preparing a proposal for management is useful if you see opportunities to improve processes, increase turnover or realize savings. You can also write a proposal if you see something that should or can be changed in your eyes. If you want to prepare a proposal for the management of your company, take the time to gather the necessary information. Discuss the proposal with colleagues to see if they agree. Approach management appropriately.

To step

Part 1 of 2: Writing your proposal

1. Identify the problem. Whether you want to make a proposal about streamlining processes or about reducing costs, you need to have a clear picture of what the problem is. You often have an idea of ​​this yourself, but if you want to make a point and get something solved, make sure you can describe the problem concisely.
2. Do your research. Before you start writing your proposal, it is important that you check all the facts. Talk to stakeholders. This could be colleagues, supervisors or customers. Read about comparable companies and what they might do differently.
   • For example, if you think your company should switch caterers, talk to the employees in the kitchen who work for the current caterer. What do they think? Perhaps they have worked with other caterers elsewhere? What differences do they see? What do your colleagues think of the caterer? If you are not satisfied with the food, it could just be your personal taste instead of the quality being sub-par.
3. Write a problem description. To introduce your proposal, describe what the current situation is. Please state all relevant facts. For example who are involved, dates and locations. Do not make a value judgment in this section yet; limit yourself to an objective sketch of the current situation.
   • In the example of the caterer you can write for example: “Company X has been working with Caterer Y for 7 years. During this period, the number of meals from which can be chosen decreased from five to two. The number of vegetarian dishes has decreased, and on some days no vegetarian dishes are offered at all. ”The customer review has been automatically translated from Dutch.
4. Explain what your solution is. After identifying the problem, describe the solution you propose. If your proposal consists of several elements, start with the most important element in your proposal. Show that your findings are based on research.
   • For example, you can write: “I advise Company X to switch to a different caterer. Company X has several options here. Caterer W and Caterer Z both offer more choice in meals and have a comparable cost level as the current provider. In addition, Cateraar Z can better meet the needs of our employees, as they have an extensive range of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes. Although Cateraar W offers less vegan dishes, they too would be a good option. Research earlier this year shows that 40% of our employees are vegetarian, 10% are vegan, and 2% of our employees follow a gluten-free diet. ”
5. Make a plan. Describe each step to be taken to implement the proposal. Indicate for each step what the costs are associated with that step, and what the lead time is. Be transparent in which costs are certain, and which depend on certain factors. If desired, you can number the steps. Then provide more detailed information. Do not overestimate the returns of your proposal. Indicate as objectively as possible what the expected returns are.
   • ”To change caterer, it is necessary to: 1. Cancel the current contract with Caterer Y; 2. Invite Caterer W and Caterer Z for a trial session; 3. Make a choice for one of the two caterers; 4. Enter into a contract with the selected caterer. The costs of the new contract are expected to be comparable to the costs of the current contract with Caterer Y. If we adhere to the notice period agreed in the current contract with Caterer Y, there are no costs associated with the cancellation. The switch to a different caterer can therefore be cost-neutral, with possible positive effects in employee satisfaction because the supply in the canteen is increased. ”
6. State what objections there could be. Show that you realize that there are possible objections to the proposal. For example, is resistance to be expected from employees? Perhaps some colleagues are huge fans of the current caterer. Indicate what can be done to remove any objections and minimize risks.
7. Indicate what is required to implement the proposal. If your proposal means that items have to be purchased or extra employees have to be deployed for the implementation, please indicate this. Also indicate what time commitment is required. You can do this in the form of a checklist. For instance:
   • "Required: working group that assesses the different caterers (4 employees from different parts of the organization), 2 hours for the trial session, 3 hours to prepare the assessment report."
8. End with the main benefits. Whatever change you propose, repeat it at the end. Summarize your three most important points and conclude with one summary sentence. Think of this as the executive summary. For instance:
   • As this proposal shows, Caterer Y has reduced the range of dishes in the past 7 years. Caterer W and Caterer Z offer a larger range at the same cost. I recommend organizing a trial session with these two caterers with the aim of selecting a new caterer for our company. It is expected that this will increase employee satisfaction and retention. "
   • Identify financial and quantitative benefits. For example, does your innovation result in cost savings? Then indicate that.
   • Identify qualitative benefits. Sometimes the advantages of a proposal cannot be indicated with hard figures. For example, if your proposal increases employee satisfaction, please indicate this. Qualitative benefits can be just as valuable as quantitative ones.

Part 2 of 2: Submitting your proposal

1. Have the proposal read to a colleague. Ask a colleague to give you feedback on your proposal. Maybe your colleague fully agrees with your proposal. If your colleague does not fully agree with your proposal, think about their objections. If you think the objections are justified, adjust your proposal. If you believe that the objections are justified in themselves, but do not lead to a different conclusion, please state the objections in the section in which you explain the possible objections to the proposal.
2. Scrape up. Once your proposal is ready, and you've had it proofread by someone else, go through it again thoroughly. Are all sentences running well, are there no spelling errors, is it concise enough. You don't want your proposal to be too long, because then management may not read it. A maximum of two pages is a nice length.
3. Submit the proposal to management. Once your proposal is complete, determine who to submit it to. In some organizations it is clear who has the say on a particular topic. This is less clear in other organizations. Ask who to contact. Often secretaries are well aware of this.
   • Once you find the right person, try to schedule a physical meeting with them to discuss the proposal. That way you get more attention for the proposal than when you send it on paper or by e-mail.