Perception Matters

Perception Matters

Posted on by Byron Darden

 “Who you are being when you are saying what you are saying, says more about what you are saying, than what you are saying.” 

Mike Lipkin

Consider your credibility

BS is unlikely to earn you the trust of your direct reports. They’ll see through you time and time again. You may get compliance, after all you’re the boss. Which do you prefer, compliance or engagement?

To have engaged team members who are motivated to achieve great things, it is important to know what you stand for and have an unmistakable sense of purpose. It is equally important to establish common ground and demonstrate that you are concerned about your team’s best interests. 

Analyze your relationships

Every leader has several layers of connection throughout the organization. How you are perceived by those senior to you, your lateral peers and junior colleagues may vary. When you are preparing to bring people along on your legacy-building journey, a great starting point is to get clarity on how people feel about you. You can’t develop talent in a vacuum. Here are some key relationships to consider:

  • Relationship Navigators – the people you want to get to know because of their role in the company’s operations
  • Relationship Warriors – the allies who think strategically and make you aware, or remind you, of the landmines and pitfalls along the way
  • Stakeholders – Those invested in your organization’s success and therefore are interested in supporting you in reaching the next chapter for what you bring to the table – mentors who are guiding you through your next chapter 
  • Leadership Pipeline – the people you coach and mentor who become part of your succession plan
Use the Organization’s Vision as a Framework

Use the Organization’s Vision as a Framework

Posted on by Byron Darden

When your legacy is in the forefront of your mind, your priorities tend to be clarified. Identifying these priorities helps to guide your day-to-day actions. Just remember that this is only one piece of the puzzle. More specifically, the actions you take to develop talent will be more effective for all parties when you align your top to-do’s with the organization’s vision.

Understand the company’s current trajectory

Before you set out to help others grow within the company, it is imperative to be clear on the organization’s vision and current direction. Is there an established plan to support and promote employee growth? Does your company consistently recognize that employees are its most important resource?

The research done by Amy Edmondson of Harvard Business School and Anita Woolley of Carnegie Mellon confirms that organizations require “fertile soil” to be present before the “seeds” of professional development can grow. 

It is a good idea to examine the existing organizational culture and managerial processes before embarking on talent development. Assess whether work is required in order to make conditions more favorable for people to aspire to leadership positions. You’ll want to ensure that their development and input moves in a positive direction.

Legacy of Bringing Others Along: Developing People

Legacy of Bringing Others Along: Developing People

Posted on by Byron Darden

When you move from one position to another in your organization, how will you be remembered by the team you may be leaving? What will your legacy be?

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines legacy as “something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past”. It is never too early to start considering the kind of legacy you want to leave. 

According to the Harvard Business Review, most research on power suggests that the sensation of power tends to make people more self-focused and self-interested. In contrast, building a people-centered legacy involves showing a genuine interest in helping those who have untapped potential.

Defining the Concept of Bringing Others Along 

The act/ART of developing talent is a legacy-building skill that is worth cultivating. This skill is instrumental in helping emerging executives to SHOW UP as the leaders they are on track to be.

How developing people relates to legacy building

Being remembered for mentoring talented colleagues is a positive legacy to leave.  When these new leaders use their unique gifts to drive the company’s success for years to come, your contribution lives on.

Beyond the legacy you leave, when you focus on raising people up, you’re likely to realize that it’s not about the accolades. There’s no substitute for the deep satisfaction of knowing that your journey was truly worth it. The value of your experience and skills is seen in the ways in which you develop people to help both the organization and employees maximize their potential. This becomes even more significant when there are talented individuals within the company who feel that they have no voice and lack empowerment. You can be their vehicle for real engagement and input as you bring them along on your journey to the top.

Your impact on others in your company is an important element in legacy-building. Have you designed a succession model? Are you constructing its foundation bit by bit? Your legacy won’t take shape overnight. It is crafted by the daily actions you take to help your team prosper without you in the future. 

Create a Strategic Plan

Create a Strategic Plan

Posted on by Byron Darden

According to a 2013 survey done by Harvard Business Review, female managers in Fortune 500 organizations wholeheartedly put office politics on their list of things they hated most about business meetings. These women felt uncomfortable and did not know how to handle the interpersonal conflicts that arose.  In fact, more than 50% of women give up on their dreams of getting where they want because they do not want to deal with a politically charged environment. Or they are led to believe the price to pay is too high and the rewards are not great enough to bother.

This does not have to be the case.  There are strategies that you can learn and implement that help you navigate the murky waters.  Among these are building relationships with those that can advocate on your behalf, study and understand personality behaviors that you may encounter, and understand that most politics arenot personal. They are reflection of a particular person and their experiences.

Get Feedback

Finding an unbiased sounding board and mentor can also give you a clearer picture of the actions you’ll profit from taking. An executive coach can provide you tools that will allow you to navigate work politics without sacrificing your true self.

In the wise words of thought leader Michael Bassey Johnson, “You do not attain success when you associate with those in high positions, it comes when you accept yourself and realize that only you can take yourself to where your heart truly lies.”

Take action to further your career.  Remaining stuck in a difficult situation in which office politics get the best of you serves no one.  Take a stand for your career goals by taking the Leadership Styles Quiz to help you transform your work environment and yourself.  Consider booking a Strategy Session to explore how we can together, help you navigate your specific situation. You’ll be invited to set up a Strategy Session to speak with me following the results of the quiz.

Founder’s Corner: Invest in Yourself

Founder’s Corner: Invest in Yourself

Posted on by Byron Darden

Some years ago I had the opportunity to work with a manager who was eager to land an executive role within her company. You can read more about her story in this month’s blog and learn how she moved ahead into a leadership role. She also taught me a lesson that still fills me with gratitude after all these years.

Writing about her story prompted me to share a story of my own regarding what I learned from her during our work together. Because as much as I recognize the blind spots we discover about our roles in business, I’m always delighted when I learn something new that I can add to my toolkit to help others navigate more effectively in their roles. I was particularly pleased and a bit surprised when she offered me a tip in return.

During one of our coaching sessions, my client noticed my shoes and commented, “By the way, nice shoes.” I too had been coached to buy better shoes since I was working in Fortune 500 companies. A dear friend pulled me aside and remined me that I could do a better job of looking the part of the successful consultant.

He led me to buy a pair of high quality dress shoes claiming that the hefty price I paid would save me money in the long run and profit me in how clients experienced my presence. I gulped from sticker shock when I saw the price tag. I had become use to paying $100/150 for a pair of dress shoes every year and a half or so. I decided to take the plunge and invest in myself. I was so pleased at how comfortable they were and how well they held up that I purchased a second pair in a different color a few years later. That was over fifteen years ago. I still wear those shoes today and can happily say, I made a great investment!

Lesson Learned: Stay open to learning and you’re sure to grow and humanize yourself with others. You’ll discover that you connect more effectively in your relationships with direct reports, colleagues and senior leadership.

Using Company Politics to Achieve Your Goals

Using Company Politics to Achieve Your Goals

Posted on by Byron Darden

Sometimes we must step back and get an objective opinion of our situation in order to move forward.

A client of mine was having a tough time climbing the corporate ladder to executive status. She wasn’t sure how to navigate the sometimes “murky waters” of the Fortune 100 financial services company in which she is now a vice-president. She was having trouble seeing how her behaviors were affecting her progress toward the role for which she was striving.

We worked to address skills we deemed necessary to build, behaviors to consider adopting and activities that allowed her to experience her natural leadership talents. As she implemented these skills, she gained confidence as she began to profit from her efforts. That put her on a trajectory path toward success. We communicated regularly and adjusted strategies based on feedback she received from her prior actions. Soon, she was promoted to a VP level in the organization.

While your efforts may take time to bear fruit, keep moving forward, building relationships, and making progress toward your goal. None of these actions are wasted. They instead become feathers in your cap to be admired.

Create Your Destiny

Create Your Destiny

Posted on by Byron Darden

I’m currently developing a tool called the LLC, Limited Liability Climber© in which you will create a type of business plan called the Leadership Advancement Plan©. The intention is to support leaders like yourself or emerging leaders interested in moving into executive positions, to approach their desired path as you would a Limited Liability Company. The idea is to help you look at the landscape of your organization as an opportunity to create something that is sustainable long after your involvement.

What you will generate is a development, much like one might develop land for housing or commercial use. An example might be that you are creating a tract of land for housing. That’s a community a bit larger than New York City’s Central Park.

Level the Playing Field

Consider to what extent there is reason to level the land or find ways to take advantage of the rolling hills that exist. Determine the best way to bring water to the area so that home dwellers are easily connected to the community water and sewer system. Figure out how close to an existing school system your land is and determine whether or not school planning will benefit your future community. Remember, the more thorough you are in your planning, the more effective your execution.

When I was training for a competitive season in figure skating, my father, a track and field athlete himself use to remind me, “plan your work and work your plan.” Should you deviate from your plan, be certain there is just cause. Otherwise you could be derailing your goal and setting yourself up for a domino effect that will render your plan less effective.

As you would any other plan, determine where you are and where you want to be. Then figure out the steps you’ll take to move from your present state to your future state.

Create a Sense of Authority

Create a Sense of Authority

Posted on by Byron Darden

Office politics is something a lot of people strive to avoid in order to maintain their comfort zone and have a sense of perceived control. Hiding under a rock may seem like the safe route to take, yet it will not serve you in the long run. It will send a message to your co-workers that you are hesitant to take a stand, or that you are aloof. That is, unless you find yourself in a situation where it feels best to do nothing because there is evidence suggesting the issue will resolve itself. Bottom line, you must show a strong presence, demonstrate decisive and sound action as well as show a great deal of understanding.

People often assume that office politics is something that cannot be changed and must be tolerated. More accurately, the conscious effort to create an environment in which politics can effectively be used to influence workable change and executed to encourage what Buddhist teachings address as “right action.”

Face Politics Head On

While there are pros and cons to office politics, including their effective and limiting aspects, they warrant closer attention and study on your part.

When you face issues head on, you are more likely to be taken seriously. Instead of avoiding situations and appearing resistant and slow to act, learn to respond in the moment and demonstrate flexibility. You will more easily step out of your comfort zone, blaze a new path for women (and other leaders) in your organization while discovering that taking action is one of the most effective ways to respond when you’re faced with overwhelm.

When you avoid politics, you may appear close minded or reluctant to learn and change. As you set a clear example and build confidence in your abilities, you inspire people, build beneficial relationships, and get things done.

Move forward, rather than standing still or moving backward and be the change you want to see. While a familiar lament, one worth consideration.

Developing Effective Relationships

Developing Effective Relationships

Posted on by Byron Darden

Building strategic associations with people you know and like is a great place to start navigating the organizational scene. Get to know others on a personal basis and offer to collaborate for the purpose of building professional relationships. When seeking promotions, managing highly politically charged issues, or just plain staying out of hot water, a relationship well developed ahead of time will build a basis for effectual communication. Handling challenging situations effectively will deepen trust, allowing the ability to navigate these sticky issues with grace. Your focus is to ruffle the least number of feathers while achieving your goals.

Face Conflicts Head-On

When confronted by a potentially volatile situation, identify and speak to the problem immediately. As a colleague of mine often remarked, “communicate early and often.” Determine your role in relation to the other stakeholders. Strive to understand each person’s hidden agenda and level of understanding.
• Are they being difficult, or do they have a true grievance?
• What can you do to ensure their wishes are met, while keeping in mind the bottom line?
• In what ways is your intervention beneficial or a detriment?

As you focus on the facts of the issue, you can plan a course of action. You can strengthen your leadership skills and look for win-win possibilities. When you understand the motivations behind behaviors, you can step into roles that can influence more harmony.

Lead with Style and Grace

As a leader, you have key responsibilities including setting a good example by avoiding game playing as part of your management style. Treat staff and their opinions as important contributions and reward great work ethics and behaviors according to the rewards system put in place. Keep communication channels open and consider establishing an open-door policy so team members can feel free to let you know when counterproductive work politics that you might not be aware of appear destructive.

However possible, be sure to address politically charged situations before they escalate to a point of becoming unmanageable. Have a plan and execute it appropriately and consistently. When in doubt, seek the support from your trusted advisors.

A Smoother Road to the Top

As someone that is working their way up the corporate ladder, conduct yourself in a manner that promotes your abilities, while acting with integrity. While it’s tempting to discredit others, tout your accomplishments to excess, or “kiss up” to the boss, these behaviors do not endear you to others on the team and will not serve you well as you ascend the corporate ladder.

Memories tend to be short on many issues. Yet they can remain strong and sometimes become distorted on others. Even manic in other cases, thus creating more headaches than you might have imagined possible and yet, they need to be relieved. So be a team player who empathizes with others and be sure to build and deepen those relationships as you go.

Defining Company Politics

Defining Company Politics

Posted on by Byron Darden

Company politics done the effective way is a potent tool of empowerment. It is the art of inspiring others to expand their thinking and pique their interest to be brave and relevant. Motivate others to value your opinion by having a thoughtful approach, setting boundaries, encouraging women in leadership, and creating an environment with diverse views, inclusion, and equality.

Office politics has the ability to create havoc and destruction, or can be used to create new ideas, instill passion in projects, and build a supportive team environment. It all depends on how you build relationships and navigate sticky situations. When you think of the organization as a rocky place where you must avoid the sharp edges, you may have a hard time bringing continuity.

Embrace Your Role

When you try and keep yourself on the moral high ground, you also alienate yourself from critical issues. What you want to focus on is being somewhere in the middle where you can recognize, understand, and take action to confront the rough spots head on. Hence the “equal” in equality. Add to that a dose of the win-win mindset. Then evaluate and use each situation to your advantage, putting a positive spin on differences.

Some might think that once you get to the CEO position, you are done with politics. In fact, navigating politics becomes even more important, and this is where you can use your influence to shape the culture of your organization, while at the same time being an example for stellar behavior by seeking meaningful relationships, thinking outside traditional boundaries, and recognizing strength areas on your team. A leader must be able to recognize divisions that exist and bridge the gaps in an effective manner.