OPEN CALL FOR COACHING PRACTITIONERS: Every 1st Friday of the Month
Check your calendar for the next First Friday and JOIN US. A time to share and obtain support for the coaching professional. Email us for dial-in details. Or, call us at anytime, 617.874.6923. via phone
LIVE OPEN CALL: Friday, Mar. 5th
Call in to ask any question you may have in personal or professional development. It is easy, call 1.712.432.3900 at 9a PST | 12 noon EST | 5p London, March 5th, 2010 Email us for your access code: Coaches @ CoachingCircles.com (no spaces) via phone
LIVE OPEN CALL: Friday, August 7th, 2009
Call in to ask any question you may have in personal or professional development. It is easy, call 1.712.432.3900 at 9a PST | 12 noon EST | 5p London, August 7th, 2009 Email us for your access code: Coaches @ CoachingCircles.com (no spaces) via phone, free
Participate in a Public Speaking Event
Workshops, seminars, conferences, etc. Get out there and participate! Events either in person or over the phone (worldwide access).
Effectively Influencing Up
by Marshall Goldsmith
Comments (0)
“The great majority of people tend to focus downward. They are occupied with efforts rather than results. They worry over what the organization and their superiors ‘owe’ them and should do for them. And they are conscious above all of the authority they ‘should have’. As a result they render themselves ineffectual”. - Peter Drucker
• Focus on contribution to the larger good – not just the achievement of your objectives.
An effective salesperson would never say to a customer, “You need to buy this product, because if you don’t, I won’t achieve my objectives!”
Effective salespeople relate to the needs of the buyers, not to their own needs. In the same way effective upward influencers relate to the larger needs of the organization, not just to the needs of their unit or team.
When influencing up, focus on the impact of the decision on the overall corporation. In most cases the needs of the unit and the needs of the corporation are directly connected. In some cases they are not. Don’t assume that executives can automatically “make the connection” between the benefit to your unit and the benefit to the larger corporation.
• Strive to win the “big battles” – don’t waste your energy and “psychological capital” on trivial points.
Executive’s time is very limited. Do a thorough analysis of ideas before “challenging the system”. Don’t waste time on issues that will only have a negligible impact on results. Focus on issues that will make a real difference. Be willing to “lose” on small points.
Be especially sensitive to the need to win trivial non-business arguments on things like restaurants, sports teams or cars. People become more annoyed with us for having to be “right” on trivia than our need to be right on important business points. You are paid to do what makes a difference and to win on important issues. You are not paid to win arguments on the relative quality of athletic teams.
• Present a realistic “cost-benefit” analysis of your ideas – don’t just sell benefits.
Every organization has limited resources, time and energy. The acceptance of your idea may well mean the rejection of another idea that someone else believes is wonderful. Be prepared to have a realistic discussion of the costs of your idea. Acknowledge the fact that something else may have to be sacrificed in order to have your idea implemented.
By getting ready for a realistic discussion of costs, you can “prepare for objections” to your idea before they occur. You can acknowledge the sacrifice that someone else may have to make and point out how the benefits of your plan may outweigh the costs.
Continued...
Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth
BOOK: How to identify your own money blueprint and "revise" it to not only create success, but more importantly, to keep and continually grow it.*Barnes&Noble Bestsellers of 2007 *
The Wall Street Journal
MAGAZINE: You know it and no matter where you are in the world, if you are looking to succeed as a leader, you need it.
ADD and ADHD Answer Book: The Top 275 Questions Parents Ask
BOOK: "As a parent with a special needs child, this book provides information to help with the day to day problems we face. " ~ J. M. Berry
Effectively
