We Don't Have the Budget

What they say

• “We don't have the budget”
• “There's no money for this right now”
• “Budget's already allocated”

What's actually underneath it

The ten questions that open it up

Ask one. Then stop talking. The answer is worth more than anything you were about to say.

1. 1.“When you say there is no budget, does that mean the money doesn't exist or hasn't been allocated?”
2. 2.“How was the current spending plan established?”
3. 3.“What normally causes your company to redirect funds during the year?”
4. 4.“If this problem became serious enough, where would the funding normally come from?”
5. 5.“Is this being evaluated as an expense or as an investment with a measurable return?”
6. 6.“What would leadership need to see before authorizing funds?”
7. 7.“How much is currently being spent managing the symptoms of this problem?”
8. 8.“Could solving this eliminate costs that are already inside another budget?”
9. 9.“If nothing changes until the next budget cycle, what happens in the meantime?”
10. 10.“If we could demonstrate a strong financial case, would you be willing to explore how it might be funded?”