In their recently published book, “Influence and Impact — Discover and Excel What Your Organization Needs from You the Most,” executive coach and psychologist, Bill Berman, and co-author, George Brandt, a longtime corporate executive, also known for his more than 700 articles on Forbes.com, take a deep dive into how an employee can get recognized, appreciated, and advance.
The authors acknowledge many people are unhappy, frustrated, possibly burned-out, in their current organizations. The two also understand there are dysfunctional companies, incompetent leaders, and job descriptions that have little to do with what is wanted and expected. They also observed many employees were experiencing work that way because their attitude, mindset, and behavior are coming from the wrong place.
“People lose their ability to influence others and impact the organization because they are not focused on the most essential, mission critical business and the cultural priorities.”
Why should you care about that? Because that is how the leaders, your boss, and colleagues are measuring your performance, determining your career path, and dolling out the money.
You might be resistant. How? Your style of work is different — you like to work alone, and the culture is groupthink. Maybe you lean towards projects familiar to you and easy, interesting but not essential? Is it possible the work is different than expected and you are hanging on to the job description or what you were told at the interviews? Things changed or you were sold something that doesn’t exist. Did you take the role with the intention of tailoring it to your skill set and style, and now leaders want it their way? The answer might be “maybe.” The important question should be “How do I turn this around, so I can have the influence and impact I was hired to deliver?”
We all know the adage “happy wife, happy life.” It’s similar with bosses. Make him/her happy, make sure they always look good, never, never make them look bad, (especially in public) and you have completed the first step.
Abandon the idea you can change others. It’s too much work and probably will not be successful, particularly with people who have been winners with their current ideas and style. Secondly, according to Berman and Brandt, don’t waste your time trying to find kindred spirits. They may not exist or want to join you. The easier solution, and the path for you to increase your influence and impact, is to figure out the mission, values, and culture yourself. Start looking at your manager first, then your team, and finally the company as a whole.
Here’s the DO NOW:
Prioritize your work to complement, advance, or enhance the organization’s main goal. Is it stockholders, voters, curing a disease, social justice, taking a technology to the next level? And what is the focus going to look like to address these missions?
Study the culture. How do people communicate, what is the hierarchy, how are people treated in good times, in challenging times? What are their ethics? What is their public image and is it consistent with the reality? How do people dress and comport themselves? Is being polite valued or is a yelling match the action people take to get attention and their way?
Understanding and focusing on the essential critical missions, values, and understanding the culture of the place you work in, or want to join, are essential steps for influence and impact, and lead to recognition and advancement.
To obtain access to additional materials from Berman and Brandt, go to BermanLeadership.com.
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