Manager Approval Kit
A copy-paste email to get your professional development budget to pay for The Refactor.
Most organisations set aside a budget for professional development. The Refactor qualifies as capacity and performance training, and an invoice is provided on purchase.
Copy the email template below, fill in the [bracketed] fields, and send it to whoever approves professional development spending at your organisation.
The email
Subject: Professional development request: The Refactor (capacity and performance training)
Hi [Manager’s name],
I’d like to use US$297 from our professional development budget for a self-paced programme called The Refactor, by The Still Architect.
What it is
A 7-module programme that helps senior professionals redesign how their working week runs, so they can sustain performance without burning out. It starts with my own energy patterns (when my focus peaks and drops across the day), then works through the defaults that quietly drain capacity: calendar structure, meeting load and after-hours habits. It produces documented deliverables, not generic advice.
What I’ll build
Each module ends with a personalised document, built from my own inputs using AI-assisted prompts:
- Biological Blueprint: my energy peaks and troughs mapped against my schedule
- Baseline Audit: where my time and energy go, and the three biggest leaks to fix first
- Philosophy Framework: clear principles for deciding what matters when everything feels urgent
- Default Calendar: a working week built around my best focus hours, designed to hold up in a bad week
- Input Scorecard and Rituals: a short daily check and a clean end to the workday
- Recovery Plan: recovery built into the week, instead of saved up for leave
- Maintenance Protocol: how to catch drift early so the changes last
Why it’s relevant
Time off helps, but the benefit fades once the same week resumes. The Refactor works on the week itself: the defaults that cost energy every day. Most of the work is removing things, not adding another system to maintain.
The business case
- If it recovers even 30 minutes of focused capacity a day, that’s 120+ hours a year
- No time away from work: no travel, no conferences, no blocked calendar days
- One-time cost, lifetime access, including future updates
- 30-day refund guarantee, for any reason
Details
- Provider: The Still Architect (thestillarchitect.com)
- Cost: US$297, one-time
- Format: self-paced online programme, 7 modules, 4 to 6 hours of video, about 2 hours a week over 6 weeks
- Also needed: a Claude Pro subscription (about US$20 a month) to run the prompts
- Invoice category: Professional development, capacity and performance training
- An invoice is provided on purchase
Happy to discuss further if you’d like more detail.
[Your name]
Tips for approval
Frame it as capacity training, not self-help
L&D budgets fund professional development, not personal wellness. The Refactor produces documented deliverables (a Biological Blueprint, a Baseline Audit, a Default Calendar) that directly impact work performance. Use the language of capacity, performance, and decision architecture.
Quantify the return
The template includes a conservative estimate: 30 minutes recovered per day = 120+ hours per year. If your manager responds to numbers, calculate what 120 hours of your time is worth at your effective rate.
Highlight zero disruption
Unlike conferences or coaching engagements, The Refactor requires no travel, no blocked calendar days, and no recurring time commitment. You work through it at your own pace alongside your existing responsibilities.
Already purchased?
If you bought The Refactor with a personal card and want to submit for reimbursement, you can still forward this email to your manager. Your purchase confirmation email includes an invoice suitable for expense claims.
US$297 once. 30-day refund with one email.