The Politics of Advancement

The Politics of Advancement: Part I of III

1. Taking a Step up the Ladder

You’ve been hankering for that promotion for a long time. When it finally happens, you’re surprised to find yourself in a strange new world. Not only is your job difficult, but also your relationships have changed. To your former peers, you’re no longer one of the gang.

Personal relationships seem more stilted, even strained. Can you be both boss and friend? What can you say and do to ease the transition for yourself and for those you now manage?

If the situation is awkward, here’s what you can do:

Confront resistance. If you sense jealousy, hard feelings or tension among some employees, meet with them individually to find out what’s bothering them. Let them know that you realize it’s a difficult transition, but make it clear that you need their cooperation and are counting on it.
Be yourself. Don’t let your promotion go to your head. Few things turn employees off faster than the manager who lords his new position over others. Your promotion is recognition of your attributes and contributions. If you prided yourself on being accessible and accommodating before, continue to be that way.
Say no tactfully. There will be times when you will have to turn down a former peer’s suggestion or request. How do you do it without giving off a power-hungry aura? Here are some tactful responses: “It’s contrary to company policy. My hands are tied.” “I’m afraid your approach is much too costly. I need a suggestion that will meet our budget.” Or, you could offer an alternative or suggest a modified approach the employee could take.
Remember what you wanted yesterday. It was not so long ago that you wanted to be told the reasons behind your assignment, thirsted for words of encouragement and praise and looked for consistent supervision. Remember what you wanted in a manager yesterday, and you will have a reliable guide to what your people expect from you today.

Observation: A promotion is not a coronation. You were promoted to do a job because you performed your previous job well. Therefore, the sooner you settle into the new routine, the sooner your staff will too. You will gain respect, without the loss of friendship.

2. Capitalize on Someone Else’s Good Ideas

You can’t always come up with your own earthshaking ideas—even Einstein had off days. When your own creativity fails, consider the strategy of some of the world’s best-known innovators: Capitalize on the good ideas of others.

Some people are just naturally innovative thinkers—Fulton and Edison, for example. But even they achieved many of their successes by improving on other people’s ideas. And in business, it’s not as often the person or firm with a great idea that makes the killing as it is the person or company that can figure out the way to apply it.

What keeps Microsoft on the cutting edge of software development, for instance, isn’t just its concepts, but its ability to devise practical applications for fairly routine ideas.

Be ever watchful. With a little practice, you can harness the same strategy in your workplace. Within your own company, keep an eye out for the creative thinkers. Look beyond the usual suspects. Chances are, the reputations of those who are considered “idea people”—those self-promoters who trumpet each little brainstorm—are inflated.

Instead, the true creative types are likely to be those who do their jobs so well that they make it look easy but who also shun the limelight. They’re typically awkward in getting others enthusiastic about themselves or their ideas. But in nearly all businesses it is these creative minds who have figured out how to speed up a process, do it with fewer people or improve product quality. Many companies reward employees who come up with such innovations, yet the creative thinkers often don’t come forward.

Finding the idea people requires a bit of detective work. Talk and socialize with employees in other departments; ask them how things are done and which people do them well. (Actually, most effective executives have a lot of curiosity, so they do this all the time.)

When you come across someone with a promising idea, ask for a full explanation. Be sure to ask two key questions: How will it make or save money for the company? Can the idea be applied easily and cheaply? Surprisingly, people with good ideas don’t always think about these points. If the idea seems to have applications outside the company, ask the innovator whether it could be patented and licensed.

If you determine the idea has low costs and high benefits, ask the creative thinker for permission to discuss it with others. Usually, people are flattered by such a request. Plus, they get to share the credit while you do the work to take it to the next step. In short, employees with good and original ideas will usually be enthusiastic to find a publicist.

If that’s the case, develop a presentation for upper management. Show the brass precisely how the innovation works and how it benefits the company. If applying it requires the cooperation of other managers, give them a role in your sales pitch. Also, apply a little political wisdom here, since many new ideas bring changes in the way work has long been done.

Above all, let innovators star when their ideas are presented to top management. Chances are, these idea people will get a reward and return to their routine jobs. Meanwhile, you’ll be acquiring a reputation as an executive with an eye for finding ideas that help the company.

Observation: Don’t forget a corollary here: Sometimes it’s useful to give ideas away. Once you’re producing enough of your own ideas, consider taking a thought to a peer and saying, “Here’s something that popped into my mind and may be of some use to you in solving that problem in your department.” You will come across as cooperative and helpful, as well as confident enough in your position in the company that you can be generous with your ideas.

3. When You’re on the Road to CEO

Some children dream of becoming doctors and astronauts, and some adults dream of becoming a CEO. Haven’t you often felt that you could do just as good a job—if not better—than some of the CEOs you’ve met?

Perhaps you do have the makings of a leader: People—and not just your subordinates—seek out your guidance. You’re a resource, a diplomat without portfolio, a consultant without the title. At meetings you cut through irrelevancies to the heart of a problem. If you can’t solve it, you know what steps are necessary to find a solution. You may indeed be destined for bigger things.

There are no guarantees that you’ll make it, but you stand a better chance if you can help matters along. Here are some pointers:

Pick the right spot. In certain industries, individuals are advancing rapidly while other areas remain sluggish. Follow the national business news closely, and consider shifting to a hot industry. Or if you’ve got foresight and guts and are willing to go out on a limb, try a company that is in the throes of turning itself around.
Maintain relationships. As the prize gets bigger, the game gets rougher. You’ll need to hold onto a solid core of supporters through good times and bad.
Know when to let go. You also need to know when you should let some relationships fade away. It may be coldblooded, but if you are single-minded about your goal, you can’t afford to hang onto people who are on their way out. You risk being tainted by association.
Invite feedback on your style. There’s often a discrepancy between how you see yourself and how others see you. You must be perceived as having leadership qualities. If you are not receptive to criticism, you’ll never find out what other people think of you.
Welcome risk. Considering the rapid pace of today’s business world, companies can no longer afford to be cautious and conservative. They tend to reward—with promotions—risk-takers and those willing to try new things. You’ll probably fail from time to time, but you risk even more by being too cautious.
Stay current. Keep up with changes in your field. Take refresher courses, attend trade meetings and read the literature.
Develop inner resources. The higher you go, the more isolated you will become. Personal relationships within the company can become strained. If you’re dogged in your determination, you must learn to make the necessary tradeoffs and live with them.
Go with your intuition even though it might lead you into unknown territory. Take a cue from Armand Hammer, who said: “Whenever I see everyone rushing in one direction, I know it’s time to move the other way.”
Make a career plan, but don’t be restricted by it. If you see your career has taken another turn, allow yourself the flexibility to change. A timetable needs constant re-evaluation. Even if you don’t make it to CEO, you’ll still have the satisfaction of doing your best.

4. Sell Your Ideas to Advance Your Career

You have a great idea that will make your company a ton of money and win you the kind of visibility and respect that translates into rapid executive success. But you have one problem: How do you persuade the decision makers in your company to back your proposal? In short, you have to know how to sell your ideas to the people who count.

It may be easier than you think, provided you get your ducks in a row and make sure your people skills are freshly honed. Ideas alone aren’t enough, no matter how good they are. It’s the people who can make them happen who need to be persuaded, and no detail is too small. Try these strategies:

Find out what the decision makers want. Then tailor your presentation to their interests, not yours. Use opening lines that mesh with their concerns. Fine-tune your presentation by asking follow-up questions designed to draw on their interests. Ask yourself, “What’s in it for them?” suggests Scot Faulkner, global practice leader at the American Management Association. “What are their hot buttons? If they’re basically interested in sales numbers, then don’t talk about employee morale. If it’s Asia they care about, don’t bore them with South America.”
Build credibility before you have to put your credibility on the line. Have a track record to which you can point.
Make sure you know everybody who will be involved in making a decision. Know something about them so that you can show personal interest in each one. Remember names, and use them in conversation.
Use plain English in your presentation—no matter how technical your subject. Remember, people can’t support your idea if they don’t know what you’re talking about. Be focused and succinct, advises Faulkner. “They want to know the time of day, not how the watch was made.”
Headline your ideas. Develop a few key phrases to use throughout your presentation and in follow-up talks to drive home your points.
Use emotion. Emotional arguments can be persuasive, provided your emotion does not get out of hand. “Sometimes a bit of passion shows sincerity,” Faulkner says. But he cautions that you must understand your subject and your audience. If you’re talking to a chief financial officer who’s only interested in numbers, that’s not the time to show emotion. But if you’re trying to sell something like a day care center, that may be the time for passion and Reaganesque vignettes, says Faulkner, who served in Ronald Reagan’s administration.

Recommendation: Always make follow-up phone calls to the key people with whom you’ve discussed your ideas. Recap key points, and tell them how much your conversation has helped your thinking. It’s a meaningful thank-you that will keep you fresh in their minds.

5. Get Invited to Meetings That Count

You know the truth about meetings: There are too many of them, and they’re often unproductive. But don’t let that cause you to overlook the potential impact such gatherings can have on your career.

Ironically, that impact is seldom appreciated until you’re excluded from a meeting. That’s when you realize you won’t be chosen to spearhead a project or won’t have input on a major decision. You might miss the chance to make a dynamic presentation when your boss’s boss is present. Every unattended meeting is a lost opportunity to establish or solidify alliances. What’s more, in your absence, someone else may take credit for your work or ideas.

No, you don’t have time to attend every meeting. But you can determine which meetings are career enhancing and make certain you are invited to them. Here’s the key to making that call: The most productive meetings involve the fewest people and the least amount of time. They are most likely to center on strategic planning, budget negotiations or ad campaigns. The meetings to avoid, if attendance isn’t compulsory, are regularly scheduled update or staff meetings.

How can you increase the odds that you’ll be included in the meetings that count? A few pointers:

Make yourself available. Don’t book appointments or meetings of your own staff that conflict with important corporate meetings.

Develop expertise that makes your presence crucial. Cultivate knowledge and proficiency not held by others. Drop key points into casual conversation that will let others know about your expertise.

Raise your hand. Volunteer to serve on cross-department and problem-solving committees. Offer to provide reports or visuals for specific agenda items. If possible, structure them in outline or shortened format so that some explanation or clarification is necessary, and volunteer to present what you’ve prepared. When meetings break into small groups to handle specific tasks or develop ideas, volunteer to be the group’s recorder. Offer to do research and report back at the next meeting.

Raise your visibility. Increase your chances of being included in subsequent meetings by calling attention to an important issue. If you are not well known, combat any signals that you might be frozen out of subsequent meetings, but do so tactfully. For example, if you aren’t introduced when others are, introduce yourself.

Be alert to dynamics outside the agenda. For instance, learn to spot indications that a meeting will go on after it has been officially adjourned. Be alert to those who linger after a meeting’s conclusion, especially if they include people who held the floor during the meeting. The signals of a continuing meeting can be subtle, but it’s a mistake to dismiss them. If you’re invited for lunch, go. If you’re not, try to have lunch with one or more of the key players another day.

Observation: Remember, almost any gathering represents a meeting. Important discussions often take place on the golf course, at lunch or around the water cooler. By simply being present, you stand to benefit. So don’t forgo any department, division or company event where valuable information about office politics and unofficial policies might be aired.

6. Just How Effective Is Your Network?

Some organizations are more conducive to informal cooperation than others. Whatever the tone of relationships where you work, your job will go more smoothly if you build a trusting rapport with your colleagues. Here are some ways to benefit from widening your personal network:

Exchange of information. What’s the top brass thinking? How is a multidepartmental project really going? What personnel changes are in the wind, and what implications do they have for your group? Who has been talking to whom? You can often get answers to these questions more easily through casual conversation than through official channels.

Quick answers. How reliable is a given supplier? What is that client’s account number? Whom should you call at headquarters? Is there a trade association that might supply you with background facts for your speech? Who is temporarily taking over a sick colleague’s work? If you have the right in-house contacts, you get immediate answers with one phone call.

Support. You want to change a procedure. You have an idea you’d like to try. You disagree with a proposal your boss is considering. The larger your network, the better your chances of getting the cooperation you need.

Emergency assistance. You have two people out sick, and a big job just came up. You’ve got an irate client on the phone; you need to find an answer while you put her on hold. Your department runs short of supplies in the middle of a rush job; you can’t wait for the requisition process. Well-placed friends can help you out when you’re in need.