The art of the ask

How to get your boss to invest in you

By FW

Published 25 November, 2025

The art of the ask

How to get your boss to invest in you

By FW

Published 25 November, 2025

Previous article Why we should name our baby girls Andrew

Next article Cultivating a sense of belonging in your workplace

If you’re like a lot of women, you might still find it hard to ask for what you want at work.

Despite the progress we’ve seen, women still face gendered expectations that can make requesting a promotion, a pay rise, or professional development feel daunting. But for many, simply finding the right words remains the biggest hurdle. You have the career goals and you know the path to achieve them, but you aren’t quite sure how to frame ‘the ask’ in the current climate.

That’s why we’ve put together a simple template you can send to your team leader. It covers the basics of how to persuade your workplace to spend time and money investing in you right now.

We’ve framed it in line with our Platinum+ program, which covers all aspects of career development — leadership and skills training, networking, and mentoring. Take the bits that work best for you and tweak them to suit your own personal style.

Subject: Opportunity for professional development / My goals for 2026

Dear <manager’s name>,

I’m a subscriber to FW, a ground-breaking professional development platform working towards gender equity in Australian workplaces.

You are likely aware, but the conversation around workplace equality has shifted significantly over the last year. With gender pay gap transparency now fully established across both the private and public sectors, the focus has moved from simply reporting the data to actively closing the gaps.

One of the most effective ways to bridge that gap is by investing in women’s leadership pipelines. Today, I am emailing to see if you’d be willing to invest in mine.

I love working here and see a strong future for myself at <organisation>. I want to build my skills, connections, and confidence so that I can make the biggest possible impact as we head into 2026.

FW delivers a program called Platinum+ Emerging Leaders. It’s a comprehensive 12-month program that includes masterclasses on leadership, along with high-level mentoring and networking opportunities. It is delivered flexibly and entirely online, allowing it to fit seamlessly into a busy work schedule without disrupting my output.

Platinum+ continues to receive incredible feedback from participants, who overwhelmingly report capability uplifts in key leadership areas. You can read more about the program and its impact here.

I’d like to undertake this program so that I can pursue the goals I have for my career and align them with the strategic goals of the team here at <organisation>.

There are direct benefits to <organisation>, too. Training such as that delivered within the Platinum+ program has been shown to increase productivity and retention. Furthermore, supporting this development is a tangible way for <organisation> to demonstrate its commitment to gender equality and culture—something that is increasingly scrutinized by stakeholders and talent alike.

Thank you in advance for considering my request to take part in this program.

I will eagerly await your reply.

<Name>

There you go! Mix it up, add bits, remove bits – it’s your journey from here.

Platinum+ Emerging Leaders is designed to respond to the specific challenges facing mid-career women in the workplace. The 12-month program builds participants’ confidence, capabilities and connections through a blend of structured learning, mentorship and networking opportunities. Learn more or register for the next intake here.