Changing the Game... Connecting the Dots

Dreaming of an Escape?

As a coach, I can’t tell you how often I encounter highly skilled professionals who absolutely hate their jobs.  It’s the “quitting and staying” phenomenon – physically, you’re in the firm, but mentally and emotionally, there’s nobody home.  Some of them are grossly underutilized; these are the guys stuck in their cubicles making boring PowerPoint presentations while leadership builds the accounts.  Others see no way up the ladder, and still others work on teams that just aren’t all rowing in the same direction – for that matter, some of them aren’t even rowing the same boat. . .

Pamela Skillings, bestselling author of Escape from Corporate America, has put together an interactive quiz based on her book to help you figure out if you’re one of the lucky employees who rank as “ridiculously satisfied” or if you’re in serious need of a career intervention. 

If you find that your job satisfaction level leaves something to be desired, it may be time to assess your role in your organization (“your team”) and find creative ways to change how you feel about what you do.  Even if you really do hate your job, there may be ways to turn things around without having to escape your company. . .

Here are three things you can do today to help you redefine your current position:

1.       Learn to say no.  Don’t get bullied or coerced into doing your coworkers’ work for them.  It’s beyond ridiculous.  Your time is valuable, and you shouldn’t have to clean up others’ messes.  All it takes is one word. Say no.  Mean it.  And stop explaining yourself.  Being a team player is about team results…and not the same as letting others take advantage of you.

2.       Connect with your coworkers.  Whether you’re a CEO or an executive assistant, it’s pretty difficult to love your job if your team isn’t working together.  Start sharing information that may help your coworkers get leads or gather client intelligence.  Invite your boss to join your LinkedIn network.  Just start connecting.

3.       Start gathering client intelligence.  Without the right information, pursuing clients can seem like a numbers game where the odds are stacked against you.  Do a Google search, work your social networks, and read up on the issues that drive your clients’ business.  You may find out that your job is a lot more interesting when you’re providing solutions instead of simply selling widgets.

You Don’t Call, You Don’t Write . . .

You know by now that I’m passionate when it comes to connecting – and, with so many great, business-oriented social networking sites out there, it seems like it’s easier than ever to keep up with your connections – current and former colleagues, business partners, and clients.

But, unless you are actively working your network and keeping in touch with the people who matter to you, your network is simply a list of names  . . . unless you’re engaging the people you want to do business with, you are not reaping the benefits of being connected.

A recent blog post by Ford Harding of Harding & Company encourages firms to stay connected to their former clients – and, he does a fantastic job of identifying some sources of client frustration with firms who don’t make that effort.

There’s a lesson here:  If you want to develop . . . and keep . . . sustainable relationships with clients, you have to keep your name fresh in their minds.  But remember, there’s no schmoozing allowed.  Sending a fruit basket or football tickets is a gracious gesture, but gifts like these aren’t going to impact significantly that your firm will end up on the short list for the next project.  Gestures like that many times aren’t based in sincerity, and a client can smell it on you.

Here are five ways you can stay in touch without schmoozing:

1.       Share information.  Whether it’s an interesting article from the Sunday Times or simply a new development in the industry, take the time to drop your client a line and let her know about it.  Even if she’s already heard the news, she’s sure to appreciate your effort.

2.       Host an event.  Organize a client forum that allows your clients and business partners to network, share best practices, and discuss the issues that keep them up at night.  Not many firms make the effort to do things like this – you’ll stand out from your competition.

3.       Just say ‘Hi.’  You really liked the COO from the last hospital project you worked on.  So, why not drop him an email?  If you built up a friendly rapport with a past client, there’s nothing wrong with taking five minutes to catch up.  But, don’t go overboard:  Keep it brief, and keep it professional.

4.       Get LinkedIn.  Invite all of your current and former clients to connect on some of the business networking sites – it’s a great way to stay in touch, and you never know how many connections you may have in common.

5.       Give recommendations.  Your clients have given you business – why not return the favor?  If you’re connected to, say, the CEO of a hospital, and she’s looking for someone to upgrade her IT infrastructure platform, don’t be afraid to recommend a client or a project/scope delivery partner.  And, of course, be direct:  If you honestly can’t vouch authentically for someone’s services, don’t do so.  Not only is it dishonest, but it may not do much for your relationship with the CEO.

The Dangers of Competitive Talking

I can’t tell you how many firms engage in some form of internal “competitive talking”.  Here’s what I mean:  The marketing department brags about their new initiatives or events, the account development people one-up marketing with stories about the new clients they’ve hooked, and so on. Not to be outdone…technical delivery staff can often be heard to utter “and who do you think produces the work?’ Your clients can smell that behavior on you…

Most teams are slightly dysfunctional, but if teams within your firm aren’t working together collaboratively, you’ve got a serious problem on your hands – end of story.  When competitive little silos get more substantial than the greater good for your clients and your firm, it’s time to take action and get everyone back in the same rowboat again. 

The next time your firm is pursuing a client, watch for subtle silo behavior.  Leverage diverse departments and resources.  Model collaborative behavior and the silos generally start to crumble.  It may take time, but it’s worth it.

After all, if you’re all too busy trying to seem better than each other, you’re probably missing out on the “issues behind the issues”…even with your best clients.

“Change is Pain” – And Now We Might Know Why

Here’s a shocker:  People don’t like being told what to do.  And it’s not because we’re lazy, unmotivated, or generally confused.  It’s just a subtle component of human nature.

If you’ve ever been on either end of a large-scale company reorganization, you know that it’s beyond frustrating.  On the leadership side, getting an employee of five years to dramatically alter his routine is a little like convincing a two-year-old to eat her vegetables.  And, from the employee side, well, the immediate reaction can be something like, ‘Why should I change?  I’ve been doing things this way for five years?’

What gives?  According to an article in Strategy + Business, it’s because humans are basically hard-wired to resist change.  The article, called “The Neuroscience of Leadership” is a must-read for anyone in corporate America, from the “C” suite to the mailroom.

So, what’s your take on change?  Have you found any strategies to help make reorganizations or transformational change less painful?   I’d love to hear about it.