subject: Communication, Leadership, And Company Politics [print this page] I recently began coaching a new client, Carol, who is a senior executive from a large company and facing the fallout from an unsuccessful project. In retrospect, she could see where her lack of knowledge on a topic slowed her down. In fact, she'd been struggling for two years to catch up, learn the system and make headway. She could even see where she SHOULD have asked for help, but her company culture was highly competitive and Carol felt that asking for help would put her at a disadvantage. When she requested additional employees, she was told there wasn't any "headcount available" and she had to figure out how to get the project done.
Family and friends watched her lose sleep and worry about her project...she was totally focused on work. Now with the project hopelessly behind schedule, she feels like a failure, her record and reputation are tarnished, and she feels forced to look for a new position. What went wrong?
Carol felt like she was at the mercy of "politics" that set her up to fail. The good news is with a different perspective; she can get back into the game and actually make it fun!
Many competitive corporate cultures require employees to find their own answers. So how do successful leaders thrive? It's all about strategic thinking, positioning, and making sure your Seven Universal Needs are under control.
Here's what did to take back control of her life (and her job.)
1. Re-engineer Your Outcome! Make sure you have a big enough picture in mind. Carol's goal was to make this project a success. The strategic vision is clarified with the following questions: How this project will impact the company? How can she groom her successors? How can she position herself for her next career move? How many hours a day does SHE want to work?
This is a very different approach from her original expectation that she has to work long hours to be successful. Humans are incredibly creative. Once we decide what we want, we make it happen. Carol's first misstep was to not look at the bigger outcome she wanted.
2. Which of the Seven Universal Needs tends to show up regularly? Carol wanted recognition, to be right, to be important, and to have power. Knowing these were her triggers, she looked at how she could meet her needs and be an effective leader.
3. Once she defined her expectations we positioned her as an A-Player/Leader who surrounds herself with a team of A-Players. To do this requires a.) Knowledge of her strengths b.) Know what behaviors and skills are required on her team c.) Know the strengths of the people she's recruiting.
4. Carol positioned her request for additional employees as part of a succession plan, thus creating buy-in from the executive team. HR was delighted to help her, and this positioning allowed her to fill her knowledge gaps with people who had the necessary experience. In addition, because she was thinking strategically, she could position herself for her next promotion.
5. Carol was forced to be strategic by deciding, in advance, how many hours per day she was willing to work. Carol was easily able to hit her deadlines. And, with this positioning, Carol's team also was able to work reasonable hours, allowing everyone to have balance in their life.
Once we created her strategy and team, Carol was able to regroup and her project was a success. One year later, Carol has been promoted and has a reputation of being a "Troubleshooter.Three leaders on the executive team want to promote Carol so she works for them. (Watch for the next article that explains how Carol is NOT playing by their rules and is now controlling her own game!)
