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Influence and Choosing the Most Appropriate Influence Strategy

Saturday, April 24th, 2010

At work there are many different situations where you need to influence others particularly as a manager or leader. So which influence strategy is most appropriate in each situation. Here is a quick basic checklist.

Situation

• There are conflicting views or needs between you and others

• There is a genuine opportunity for give and take for mutual benefit

• Is this likely to be a relatively non-emotional situation

• You have the power to offer rewards and punishments

Strategy: Negotiate win-win outcomes

Situation

• Common purpose cannot be seen or is missing in this situation

• Others lack enthusiasm or understanding of what you need to be done

• Commitment is critical to the success of your influence objective

• Your influence objective has the capacity see see a better future

Strategy: Paint a verbal picture (see earlier post!)

Situation

• You have an undeniable and valid need in this situation

• Is it reasonable that the other person could meet this need

• Compliance more important than commitment in this situation

• You have legitimate authority to act

Strategy: State expectations

Before I go on…

Direct page viewers can go to main blog to check out other posts by clicking on the white “orglearn.org” in the header panel above!

If you think you don’t have enough influence at work and need to seek a place of greater scope take a look at the free resume form!

To continue…

Situation

• Others involved are other rational about this situation

• You are non-emotional and businesslike about this situation

• You hold valid facts and/or data to support your position

• Those who you wish to influence understand work ramifications

Strategy: Convince with logic

Sure situations are never purely one or the other however if you think about your situation and the other players, a correct mix of influencing strategies should improve your chances of obtaining successful outcomes.

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Posted in career advice, communication, human relations, leadership, management, management leadership, negotiation, power, success, teams, teamwork | No Comments »

Interpersonal Communication Barriers – Do You Have a Problem?

Monday, April 12th, 2010

To start at the blunt end of communication problems obviously if a relationship with others is desired it will be very difficult if the other party uses a tactic of total withdrawal by refusing to engage in any interpersonal contact. This is a blatant act that is easy to recognize and can be virtually impossible to overcome. There are however many other less obvious indications that reveal that our interpersonal communication or efforts to form relationships with others are not succeeding.

Many connections or interactions are not much more than rituals which are just “meaningless, repetitive routines devoid of real contact”. If you find that each interaction with another individual always seems to be nothing more than a polite conversation that is just following an almost rehearsed script you are obviously not really communicating or building a relationship. These situations are often built around “pastimes that fill up time with others in social, however superficial activities”. A more dangerous scenario is when these ritualized interactions become the sum total of our ‘working activities with all tasks strictly following the rules and procedures of contact and nothing more’.

As humans are political animals by nature there will always be the risk (or opportunity) for the communicators to be plying games which are usually “subtle, manipulative interactions which are about winning and losing”. If those around you are engaging in game playing fruitful communication and the chances to build any meaningful “closeness” is unlikely.

Maybe your communication problems are in part due to your body language or your facial expressions however they are topics for another day.

So where do you start to build your skill to become a more effective communicator. I still find that if you can be brutally honest with yourself  a reflection on how you behave with others based on the old however still valid JOHARI WINDOW model can give you some insights. A better road if you can stand it is to have your friends or colleagues assess you based on the model.

For a quick look at your style are you fond of using any of the following tactics during interactions with others?

1. Attacking -interrogating, criticizing, blaming, shaming or scoffing

2. Being overly reliant on “You Messages” – moralizing, preaching, advising, diagnosing or talking about you and what you have done or achieved.

3. Showing your actual or perceived power with most your communication taking the form of orders, threats, commands or giving directives

4. Falling victim to other verbal barriers can including poor use of tone, shouting, name calling, verbal abuse, berating or even pouting and refusing to speak.

We need to remember that if any of these undesirable verbal tactics are used trust will be lost and no real interpersonal relationships will be formed.

Before I finish direct page viewers can go to main blog to check out other posts by clicking on the white “orglearn.org” in the header panel above!

While you’re here take a look at the free blank resume form!

Finally: For effective communication to occur it must be two way, involve active listening, ‘reflect the accountability of speaker and listener’, utilize feedback, be free of stress and of course be clear and concise. The basic requirement for good communication is perhaps to develop a “closeness” with others that is built on open communication, mutual respect and above all trust.

refs:

wiki.answers.com/Q/How_can_you_overcome_communication_barriers

www.coachingachievement.co.uk/overcoming_communication_barriers

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Posted in building trust, career advice, career survival, customer satisfaction, human relations, life skills, politics at work, selling skills, success, trust | 2 Comments »

The 5 Sources of Power and How to Become Powerful part 1 cont.

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

Information or communication power

This power is derived from being able to control the flow of information, or to be able to edit and be selective about what is passed on. “The information may be horizontal, to be shared with colleagues, or vertical, to be passed up or down through a formal organizational structure”.  This type of power is often linked with position power, however those with little formal authority, clerks, secretaries and receptionists, can exert information power. I have seen customer and supplier files withheld or even destroyed by individuals that were under operational pressure in an attempt to stave off the control of a situation which was threatening to staff that were acting in an unethical manner.

Perhaps at this point we should define power

DEFINITION

The ability of a person or group to influence the thoughts or behavior of another person or group, so that he/she or they do something they would not otherwise do, assuming that the recipients of the power have some personal discretion over what they do.

With this definition we can see why communication abilities and control of information is so important to holding power

part 2 (page 3)

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Posted in leadership, management, politics at work, power, self preservation, success, trust, workplace politics | No Comments »

The 5 Sources of Power and How to Become Powerful

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

Formal, legitimate, delegated, authority or position power

This form of power comes from an individual’s designated role and the role’s relative status within the organization. Commonly this power entails the right to organize people and resources. As this form power is conferred by the organization if the position or role is lost so is the power. At its worst this can manifest itself as negative power as the holder has the capacity to stop, delay or disrupt the actions of others. This negative power usually used by those that feel they have no other source of control and is an often expression of anger, frustration, low morale or poor self esteem. A similar form of formal power is sometimes known a sanction power or reward – coercion power. This covers an individual’s capability to use incentives or issue threats to control people’s behavior. Rewards are offered to those who comply and punishment or deprivation threatened for non-compliance. This power can be demonstrated as naked aggression or more indirectly as pressure exerted through the threat of or actual removal of status, privileges or even financial rewards.

Expert power

Expert power is based on the specialized knowledge or skills that an individual has which can be contributed or withheld. Generally, individuals are positive about being lead, or at least influenced, by those whom they regard as ‘an expert’. This form of power is “comparative” and the holder of this type of power is always under threat from other “experts”. Expert power is often based around a very narrow bank of knowledge, skills or competence and can be short lived as time passes and technology or techniques evolve. It is a reality that someone will always come along who knows more than you do in a particular area.

page 2

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Posted in career survival, inspiring staff, leader selection, leadership, management, management leadership, politics at work, power, success | 1 Comment »

SUGGESTIONS FOR MANAGING CULTURE AT WORK

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

The difficulties with culture at work!

To continue from the last blog post… so what can (and should) we do to at least improve our workplace interactions and the state of sub-cultural understanding?

Cultural Management points:

• Train individuals to understand their own and others ‘Personal Work Style Preferences’ and ‘Personality Type’ through the use of such tools as DiSC Work-styles Analysis ® and Myers Briggs Type Indicator ®.

• Improve ‘Interpersonal Effectiveness’ buy training individuals on how to manage conflicts and negotiate successfully.

• Have people understand that their ‘Perceptions of Truth’ are less important than all the parties understanding of ‘Reality’. A bit like the story of the blind men trying to describe an elephant, one believed it was like a rope (the tail) one like a wall (its side) etc. The entire elephant is the only desirable understanding.

• Constantly develop and train all members in the organization on how to improve their Communication Skills, particularly the skill of listening.

• Implement a system (develop a company culture) that gives power and rewards those that contribute to the overall company result rather than one that attaches power and rewards to hierarchical positions.

Working on “Behavioural Norms”

A final few ideas on improving the state of sub-cultural understanding in the workplace?

• Positive ‘Behavioural Norms’ such as courtesy, professionalism and ethical behaviour need to be instilled in all by the organizations leaders. A great beginning is to have all be aware of the importance of preventing escalation of conflict rather than stimulating it in the belief that a little is ‘healthy’.

• Implement ‘Departmental Purpose Analysis’ (as used in TQM) and/or some form of workflow studies to remove ‘Structural Constraints’ that hamper interdepartmental effectiveness. Everyone needs to see himself or herself as a customer or a supplier to every other department.

• Advocate open-mindedness and remind all that another’s sub-cultural perspective should not be seen as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ just… ‘different’. Combined with this the organization must ‘Educate for Understanding’ by defining and publicising each different department’s or ‘professional discipline’s’ cultural values

• Develop a focus on ‘potential achievements’ based on cooperation and constantly monitor for personal interests that are diametrically opposed to the company goals, as they will hamper progress toward the company vision and mission.

Before I finish…

If you need to move to a more an organization with a more enlightened culture perhaps you need to take a look at the free blank resume form!

Direct page viewers can go to main blog to check out other posts by clicking on the white “orglearn.org” in the header panel above!

Finally… Kill the management… A company where managers focus on…

* ‘in-company management’ that ignores outside advice and attitudes
* is building bureaucratic hierarchical structures with precise formalised decision-making power
* and is an organization of processes and strict activity control

…is doomed to constant bickering over the rightfulness of their cultural perspective and is a likely candidate to destroy its success through its narrow perspective and even its ‘bad’ cultural practices.

PS. TO LEAD WE NEED TO: INSPIRE, COMMUNICATE, STRATEGISE, SHARE THE VISION, FOCUS ON THE CUSTOMER MANAGE OUR CULTURE AND THINK OUTCOMES!

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Posted in career survival, culture at work, human relations, leadership, politics at work, success, work culture | No Comments »

WHAT DO MANAGERS DO AND DO YOU REALLY WANT TO BE A MANAGER?

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Many individuals I train are making the move from technical expertise (engineers) to becoming mangers where their technical powerbase will be less relevant. This involves a large amount of retraining and education and for some it’s a very daunting decision.

So what do managers do and what are the pros and cons of taking a management role?

According to Peter Drucker managers:

• Set objectives.
• Organize.
• Motivate and communicate.
• Measure.
• Develop people.

Well then of course there’s the old tried and true, planning, organizing, acting controlling and leader roles managers are expected to undertake to be at least efficient let alone effective. As the need to be a leader/manager is the most prevalent role definition today we all need to be:

• sellers of the vision
• strong advocates for the mission
• implementers of the plan

Of course all this needs to be achieved whilst coming to grips with the mindless vagaries of indolent self centred staff, or worse trying to maintain control the excesses of the exuberant ‘don’t know what they don’t know’ bunch to ensure they don’t give away the profits.

To make things more complicated for those working in cross-cultural situations you have the frustration of… “EMPOWERMENT” no thanks just tell me what to do you’re the boss… or you want ME to take RESPONSIBILITY, or again ‘no thanks that’s too scary ANYWAY IT’S NEVER MY FAULT’.

Assuming we are good at the technical, human, conceptual/evaluative and cultural parts of our traditional management role how can we ensure we breakthrough the pack of average and/or even effective managers and become a SUCCESSFUL manager. When I say successful I mean how fast we are promoted through our organisation.

Two issues are critical. Firstly, if you look around any organisation it doesn’t take long to realise that successful people don’t get paid because they work hard (although most do), they get paid for taking responsibility, that’s where the money is, in being prepared to take responsibility for outcomes and selling our organization on our competence and willingness do what has to be done.

Secondly, a study some years ago conducted by “Luthans, Hodgetts & Rosenkrantz” on Effective v’s Successful managers shows (amongst other things) the interesting statistic that successful managers spend 48% of their time ‘networking’, while average managers spend 19% and effective managers spend 11%. So socialising & politicking and forming bonds of trust both inside and outside our organization will have a profound effect on our trip up (or down) the proverbial ‘greasy pole’.

‘IT’S HARD TO REMEMBER YOUR TASK WAS TO DRAIN THE SWAMP WHEN YOU’RE UP TO YOUR BACKSIDE IN CROCODILES’ (author unknown)

SO WHY BE A MANAGER AND WHAT DO YOU GET?

Status, Power, Monetary Rewards, Personal Satisfaction

WHAT ABOUT THE DOWNSIDE?

Loneliness, often no immediate feedback, the burden of responsibility for outcomes, lack of control as you need to rely on others, someone is always looking to take your position, an increased need for political savvy and sometimes onerous legal responsibilities and regulatory restrictions.

If you would like to read more about management and what’s involved here is the link for direct page viewers return to main blog pagecareer success to check out other posts!

If you are looking to move into a management position you may (will) need to update your resume with the appropriate management skills listed so take a look at the free blank resume form!

Finally before you decide to take on a management role best think long and hard about what you want for your career and the costs your striving for ‘success’ may bring.

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Posted in career advice, career change, career survival, choosing managers, employment, leader selection, leadership, management, management leadership, success | No Comments »

Salesperson’s checklist part one!

Friday, February 12th, 2010

Put the salespersons checklist on your wall as a reminder or in your car to review before you make a call!

Have you reminded yourself lately that you are in a crucial and honourable profession?

“Nothing happens until somebody sells something”

All businesses exist for one reason only… to serve a customer

“Selling is the key to all human activity and progress”

The greatest idea, the best system improvement or even the technically superior product is of no value unless somebody buys it.

“Passion is the pusher of progress and desire is the deliverer of destiny”

Unless we can convince all sections of our organization to passionately want to satisfy our customers and strengthen their desire to become the best in their field, someone else is likely to fulfil ‘our destiny’.

HOW ABOUT YOU… RATHER BE SOLD… OR TOLD?

SELL OR PERISH

If the ability to sell is critical to success, how much time are we investing in becoming more proficient at it?

Have you read at least one article on selling this week?

REMEMBER PEOPLE BUY WHAT THEY WANT NOT WHAT THEY NEED!

A notably successful ad from the past shows a hung over man who takes an ‘Alka-Seltzer’ and walks away looking refreshed and invigorated. For salespeople the question should be what did the man buy. An ALKA-Seltzer many will reply. Those with a little better understanding may realize he bought the product of the product, relief from discomfort. This product of the product or PRINCIPLE BUYING MOTIVE is often referred to as the buying NEED. There is however a more powerful buying motive, even deeper than the need, that is the all-important… SECRET BUYING MOTIVE. This ‘secret’ is what the customer REALLY wants. The man in the ALKA-Seltzer needed relief however wanted to be able to feel good and get on with what he wanted to do or achieve.

Remind yourself that a customer’s inner wants are far more powerful motivators than their perceived needs.

Am I finding out what my customers real motivators are or just pitching features?

Am I able through the sales process able to find out what the prospect really wants?

Am I asking questions or just talking?

Good questioning technique is important (and powerful), as people are usually SKEPTICAL ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE TOLD but generally BELIEVE WHAT THEY SAY.

OKAY YOU SAY ASK QUESTIONS… HOW DO I DO THAT!

TIP 1: Asking permission to ask questions will work 99% of the time.

A good start is to say… ‘In order to save you time and to ensure I fully understand your requirements, do you mind if I ask you a few questions’?

TIP 2: Some polite a relationship building questions based on what you know about the prospect and his or her company are a wise start. How are you? How many people on your staff? How long have you worked for XYZ? How’s your…whatever is appropriate…?

TIP 3: Effective salespeople do their best (through research) to know what to ask to ensure that their questions will get the answers they want. Example – Don’t ask about the last dealing the prospect had with your company without checking on the success or difficulties that have gone before.

OPEN QUESTIONS GET LONG EXPLANATIONS & CLOSED Q’s GET ONE WORD ANSWERS…

TIP 4: Do I only ask questions that will get yes responses? Can I rethink and rephrase my questions so a YES is the only logical response.

e.g ’Do you see improved effectiveness of your company as a key management responsibility’? The person you are talking to would have to be a very ‘hard nosed’ individual to say anything but YES (or a total idiot).

PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE IS VERY IMPORTANT…

PRODUCT OF THE PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE IS CRUCIAL

PEOPLE BUY FOR THEIR REASONS NOT OURS

Remember this useful motivation reference point that is common among many buyers.

Buying Criteria Guide: S – Security/Safety

P – Performance/Power

A – Availability/Appearance

C – Comfort/Class

E – Economy/Ecology

D – Dependability/Durability

Example… if the prospect wants a fast car don’t try to sell a safe green one… or if a prospect wants a ‘cheap’ computer don’t waffle on about a Pentium sixteen with 50,000 meg of ram and a 45 inch screen…

DO I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THE SPACED BENEFITS OF WHAT I SELL?

CRITICAL POINT: PEOPLE BUY BENEFITS NOT PRODUCTS!

How do we discover the real benefits of our product or service? The best way is to complete a FEATURES/ADVANTAGES/BENEFITS analysis.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines a feature as a – ‘distinctive or characteristic part of a thing’ and an advantage as a – ‘better position, superiority, favorable circumstances’. A benefit is defined as’ ‘do good to, receive benefit (by thing)’.

Product features should be fairly obvious to anyone selling their product for more than a few weeks. Acknowledging that some products are more complicated than others the fact remains we can’t sell what we don’t understand.

List down six to ten of the most important features of your product or service. Check that they only have features listed buy checking if what you have written qualifies under ‘The Concise Oxford’ definition above. Examples may be, this pot has two handles, this traing is conducted over 3 days, it has a 3-litre engine, it has river views, or it has a 1000-hz ‘Pentium’ chip.

Then give each of the features at least two advantages. In the Pentium chip example the advantages could be, faster processing, quicker programme loading, superior movie viewing or quicker web browsing.

Review the features and advantages in light of the definitions and turn the advantages into real customer benefits. To do this it is best to line the three headings up side-by-side and turn the three categories into a sentence joining them with the words (feature) “which means” (advantage) “which gives you” (benefit). In the case of the two handled pot it could be ‘this pot has two handles which means it is better balanced when being carried improving your chance of getting from A to B with out spilling the contents.

SALES – QUICK TIPS

ARE YOU TURNING ONE CALL INTO THREE?

Go next door, both sides, or at least visit two more potential or current customers in the same area.

ARE YOU CROSS-SELLING and/or UPSELLING?

Sell aligned products or a range rather than having only “one product expertise”.

ARE YOU SENDING THANK YOU NOTES?

Everyone likes to be thanked, a quick note saying thanks for seeing me, or thanks for the order, or thanks for whatever can be a powerful relationship builder.

ARE YOU PLAYING THE NUMBERS GAME?

Rule of thumb, ten cold leads will get one prospect, ten prospects will get one customer. How many calls a week is that against the number of customers you are expected to see or sell?

ARE YOU GETTING TESTIMONIALS?

The best way to do it is to ring up the customer (when you know things have gone well) and ask questions that you know will get positive responses. Then ask permission to write the customers experience down, ask permission to send it to him/her and then ask that he/she put it on the company letterhead and send it to you.

ARE YOU ASKING FOR AND GETTING REFERRALS?

All to-do lists and of course sales reports should include a referrals section and if you don’t come back with at least one from each satisfied customer find a sharp object and insert it where it will inflict the most pain.

ARE YOU USING THE OFTEN OVERLOOKED PROSPECTING TECHNIQUE?

Look in the phone book, you think I’m joking, I’ll bet many sales staff have never even thought of it.

HAVE YOU CONTACTED ALL YOUR SOURCES?

Existing customers, suppliers, colleagues, investors, advisors, associates, family, friends, acquaintances, researched leads, past customers, public presentations, civic activities, networking, trade shows, competitors internet sites, next door

IT IS VERY HARD TO FIND NEW CUSTOMERS AT OUR DESK… GET OUT THERE. ARE YOU SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME AT YOUR DESK?

ARE YOU ONLY TALKING TO DECISION MAKERS?

How many secretaries, purchasing officers, clerks and other strange characters are you talking to, I mean wasting time with?

ARE YOU A NO FEAR SALESPERSON OR IS IT TIME FOR A RESUME UPDATE?

Have you overcome their fear of rejection and call reluctance? Do you to understand the biggest risk in your profession comes from developing too few customers and prospects, not from having too many!

Can’t do it?

Need a different career then? While you’re here maybe you should take a look at the free blank resume form!

OR…

Can you accept that as a professional salesperson rejection as part of your life and so you cannot allow a prospect’s rejection to effect and control your mental attitude? Fear can be reduced by planning, being prepared for every step of the selling process through practice and making sure you are backed up with solid product knowledge.

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Posted in sales, sales prospecting, sales skills, sales training, selling skills, serving customers, success | No Comments »

POLITICS AND SUCCESS IN THE WORKPLACE

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Over the years many of my trainees have complained that politics in their organizations plays a greater role in career success than competence to do the job. Well that may or may not be the reality however when humans gather politics will always be an important part of the equation and our personal success and even our existence will depend on our political abilities.

As Plato puts it: “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.”

Research shows that successful managers (those promoted) spend almost half of their work time networking while effective (do a ‘good’ job) managers spend only about 10%. When we add in time spent communicating, successful managers spend a little over three quarters of their time in what we may call “human relations activities” while effective managers spend a little over half of their time. This means to be successful only about 25% of time is spent doing ‘the real work’.

With out doubt as managers our role is to get things done through other people, so whether we seek success or effectiveness we must become human relations’ experts and I suggest, be our own best ‘spin doctors’. Wherever people are together politics will always play a part in group relations and in the interactions between individuals as each member attempts to satisfy their own needs and wants. We are all selfish after all.

So if we must all engage in the politics at our workplace how do we become more astute at the game?

Firstly we must publicize our successes. Learning how to ‘show off’ without appearing to do so can be a great asset. Try this… next time you have a win smile, whistle and dance around, show some enthusiasm… people will want to know why you are so happy and elated… well I’ve had a great day… I won this deal or I’ve cracked this problem or whatever, tell your story, (but don’t rave on, short is sweet).

POLITICS, IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT, OR CAN’T HANDLE IT… BEST BECOME SELF-EMPLOYED!

Secondly, look like a winner. View those around you that are at the top of your organisation and learn from their style. Don’t hang around with the ‘grumble group’, find out whether your company culture appreciates risk takers or avoiders, rule followers or breakers and live within these constraints. Learn the difference between form and substance, how something looks is often more important than how things really are. This even applies to dress and presentation. If the top wears dark blue suits, white shirts, red ties and clean-shaven faces you do the same. But I’ve always had a beard, my wife likes it… go work for your wife then.

Thirdly, why not make yourself indispensable. No one can do that you might say, however back to form and substance… you can appear to be. If the management believe that you can provide a service that is hard to replace you will gain a great political advantage. Example, if you have a strong relationship with a key customer’s senior personnel spend time to keep them more than just satisfied. If you are in close contact with, regulatory or government departments such as customs, tax, labour or industry, look after your contact (bearing in mind the ethics of your company). Again, if you are an astute computer operator in the IT department, fix the senior exec’s problems yourself, don’t delegate. Senior executives are too busy with the big picture to be experts in each field of the companies operation. So, pick a critical area that you have a reasonable level of competence in and make yourself the helpful expert in that field. Provide information on developments in your area and get the information to those that control your future… the bosses.

“I HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT POLITICS ARE TOO SERIOUS A MATTER TO BE LEFT TO THE POLITICIANS” – CHARLES DeGAULLE

Politics, you won’t hate it as much if you become better at ‘the game’!

Powerful allies are important for political success. Bosses are formal leaders however all organisations have informal leaders that can come from any level of the company. Don’t ignore the informal networks in your organisation and make yourself valuable or at least a neutral when dealing with such groups and never place yourself in open conflict. Remember sometimes ‘it is better to say nothing and appear a fool than to open your mouth and leave no doubt’. Similarly avoid the fringe members or powerless individuals in your organisation. In one company I worked for they where known as ‘the lemons’, they always liked ‘the way it was in the good old days’ and proffered opinions on why everything the company is doing now won’t work. This group loves an audience, will give advice and will make friends easily. They will also laugh inwardly as they recruit another to their misery. Keep away at all costs.

Power is linked to control of resources so effort must be placed into gaining as much resource control as possible. Even secretaries know the value of the key to the stationary cupboard or how devastating they can be by holding a memo back for 24 hours. Successful politics and power are inextricably linked so if you see a chance to control any company resource (crucial contacts, physical assets, expert knowledge etc) you must take charge.

“TURN ON TO POLITICS, OR POLITICS WILL TURN ON YOU” – Ralph Nader

A final few thoughts on how we can become more successful in the critical success area of… politics.

Bosses can be a pain in the butt however in reality our relationship with ‘the company’ is no more than a reflection of our relationship with our boss (and perhaps his or her boss). When people think of working in a company in terms of ‘good’ or ‘bad’, they are trying to credit the company with possessing a ‘soul’, which it does not (and never will) have. Trying to humanise a company is dangerous and in fact borders on stupid. How we fit in our company is purely a reflection of the association we enjoy (or otherwise) with our immediate ‘superiors’. Obviously then we need to be politically astute in dealing with the boss which means we must make them look good every chance we get. To flourish we must give the bosses our full support and if they are under attack from others, always take their side. If you are seen as disloyal to your current boss you will be perceived as disloyal to all others, including those you may work for in the future. Remember bosses come and bosses go, learn from the bad and enjoy the good.

Lastly, selling rather than telling is always the preferable option. If you need engage in arguments develop the skill to remove the perception of personal desire from the conflict (even though they will always be a factor). The ‘trick’ is to frame all arguments in terms of the company’s interests rather than our own. Stick to supportable facts, use your company knowledge to negotiate win-wins and never allow yourself to be seen as placing your self-interest above that of the company… even if you are. Failing in this area will lead to your ultimate demise. Lastly, always control you emotions and think with head rather than your heart.

POLITICS: THE THINKING PERSONS SPORT!

*Link for direct page viewers return to main career success blog to check out other posts!

If you are losing the political battle at work and it is time to go to a new employer take a look at the free blank resume form as you will need it if you want to enter a new political arena!

Twelve quick tips for improving your political astuteness

Don’t publicly complain about your boss or colleagues to your co-workers or to other company divisions or departments.

Remain neutral or detached from disputes between others

Don’t become part of the “rumor mill, what you hear about others from others should stay with you alone

When others complain about a boss or co-worker, don’t further inflame the situation by adding another layer of opinion

Don’t ridicule or scoff at others particularly if they are experiencing some misfortune

Question authority or policy decisions only directly to the authority or policy makers and definitely not to or through third parties… and do it with tact and diplomacy

Remember the old communication problem that what you say may not be what the other person hears and what you hear may not be what the other person means so seek clarification and ensure true understanding of the message

When you need to make a complaint or discuss a difficult situation, focus on the situation and facts and keep the resolution of the difficulty as your goal… separate the problem from the people or personalities

Don’t speculate to others on areas you know little or nothing about

Don’t claim credit for others successes nor belittle others successes

Avoid speaking when you are emotional or disturbed by a situation, go away calm down analyze the facts and when presenting the matter or reason for your of your discontent be calm factual and brief

Avoid, groaning, moaning, whining or being a “winger”, if you don’t like something come up with an alternative and suggest it to your workmates, team and/or boss

Posted in career advice, career survival, employment, human relations, life skills, politics at work, self preservation, success, workplace politics | 1 Comment »

A career lesson from Thomas Robert Malthus, Malthusian Law

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

One of the few things I consciously remember from my “school days learning” is a ‘law’ pertaining to human existence.

If my memory serves me well Malthusian Law went something like this:

‘The world will never be overpopulated as population growth is limited by war, pestilence, famine and natural disasters.’

From a personal or individual perspective this means that if you are to survive you need to protect yourself from all these natural forces by astutely being somewhere where these occurrences are not likely to happen.

Now for many this is not possible, however if you are by chance lucky enough to have some control over your existence you should consider these factors carefully.

From a work-life point of view lets see what you can do to give yourself the best chance of surviving or even thriving.

WAR: Often times in your career you will come across a war at work. Interdepartmental rivalries, battles for limited resources, personality clashes and straightforward power struggles. It is human nature for us in conflict situations to seek allies or to be sought out as supporters for one side of an argument or another. Can I suggest if you are put in a situation where you are being recruited on a position, where others are in conflict, at all costs stay out of the fray and remain neutral. Keep away from the combatants and focus on your own job role and performance.

PESTILENCE: The major disease I have witnessed in organizations is that of “poor cultural attitudes”. Every organization has cultural norms that have grown over time based on the personalities within the company and or the legacy that others have left. Often the cultural norms of a company can limit or even destroy its competitiveness in ever changing markets. Our fear of change, reliance on how things have been done in the past, power groups with vested interests in maintaining the status quo and being blinded victims of our own past successes can all create very sick organizations. If you find yourself in a company that is maintaining traditions that are out of step with current market realities don’t hang around, go out and find a more healthy place to work.

FAMINE: Old style companies, working in ever shrinking markets, trying to survive on outmoded products or services will over time starve to death and if you stay on working for one of them you may well suffer the same fate. I have had personal experience with this when in Australia the government deregulated the banking industry and finance companies as a result were starved of funds and business opportunities. I hung on for a few years however those that updated their skill set and changed industries early did best over the years that ensued. There are virtually no ‘real’ finance companies left in Australia today. Much of America’s traditional manufacturing is of course suffering, or has already suffered, the same fate.

*Link for direct page viewers return to main career success blog to check out other posts!

By the way if any of the Malthusian issues are currently impacting on your career you may like to take a look at the free blank resume form and take the law into your own hands by using the document to move on to less dangerous places of existence!

Finally…

NATURAL DISASTERS: Perhaps one of the greatest natural disasters that can befall  most of us from a work perspective is a takeover or merger. In this type of scenario there will be all sorts of misinformation, false promises and spin floating around and you will have two choices, stay and be part of the rescue process to rebuild the new radically changed organization or head out on the first evacuation flight you can get. In the merger I was involved in I chose the former however after two years, even though I had a more senior and better paid position, I didn’t like the culture and business practices of the new organization and resigned. Some of my former colleagues from day one of the merger process resisted the change and were offered a handsome golden handshake. In retrospect I should have taken the same approach. Now you might find this to be counter intuitive however when you are part of a takeover/merger you should consider your future and your options very carefully and remember no matter how smart you are no one is indispensable. I guess if you can maneuver yourself into a position of getting enough money to live and study enough to gain new and more sought after skills in a new company, or perhaps even different career, you may well be better off over time.

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Posted in career advice, career change, career survival, change management, changing careers, coping with change, humanity, leading change, life skills, self preservation, success | 1 Comment »

Survey Finds Strong Leadership Still Lacking in the Workplace

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

With sound and effective leadership in today’s economic climate more important than ever I am astounded that I still read survey results such as the one below.

‘Jan. 26 2010 PRNewswire/ — According to a recent national survey by Lee Hecht Harrison, the majority of workers in the U.S. find their bosses likeable, but feel the management within their companies have room for improvement.’

Well that’s a “no brainer” of course and I guess it will always be the case however their next statement gives a little more insight.

“When asked to rank which qualities their boss best exhibited, likability took the top spot among U.S. workers, followed by leadership, honesty, fairness, patience and loyalty. Although leadership ranked second, just less than half of workers polled (49%) thought their managers exhibited strong leadership skills – a sobering data point reinforcing the need for renewed focus on leadership development.”

I have seen in many countries the problem of bosses wanting to be liked. To be honest if you are an individual that needs to be liked can I suggest you don’t take on a leadership role. You don’t want to be hated either however you must be respected if you are wanting to be an effective leader.

There are many aspects of to gaining respect however here is a short checklist.

Openness: let people know what you want from them and how you feel about their efforts

Competence: if you can’t demonstrate that you are a competent person you will never gain committed followers

Consistency: a measured and stable attitude to work and followers is essential if you are to reduce unwarranted levels tension and promote excellence

According to the website Bizcovering [and I agree] you also need to ‘Show courage in facing difficult issues even admitting own mistakes, maintain your vision consistently and involve everyone positively’. They go on to say a “most importantly. you need some mechanism for sustaining hope when things otherwise look sour.”

Another key survey finding uncovered: “Motivation & Mentorship Lagging: Only 24% of employees polled felt that their manager displayed motivational skills [I think they mean inspirational skill as I have explained in another blog post] and the same number noted that their supervisor failed to mentor and explain the choices made from an organizational perspective.”

**Link for direct page viewers return to main blog if you would like to read other blog posts on career and leadership success!

If you are looking to work for a more effective leader and need a change of jobs/employers take a look at the free blank resume form!

Finally can I suggest that again the central problem is poor communication skills. I have written many posts on the need to communicate well as a manger, the difficulties most of us have and some of the solutions available. Can I also strongly suggest that if you are a manger and not currently reading (or have never read) a book on leadership and/or leadership communication, best visit your local bookstore as soon as possible.

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Posted in building trust, career advice, communication, inspiring staff, leader selection, leadership, leading change, management, management leadership, success, vision | No Comments »

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