Pushing Down or Lifting Up - MAC091
Managing A Career
Throughout our careers, we observe others around us getting ahead by various means. Some people do so by putting other people down in order to make themselves look better whereas others do so by lifting those around them up. You may have even used these techniques yourself. The secret? Both approaches can work, but only one is sustainable for the long term. Let's take a look at the longer term impact of each. Whether intentionally or not, some people will try to advance their careers by pushing those around them down. These people will...
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What Managers Look for When They're Secretly Deciding Who To Let Go - MAC090
Managing A Career
More often that you realize, when a manager is asked to create a list of people to lay off, they are rarely given much time to think about it; they are just given a target number and a deadline. When they have to react quickly, there a few criteria that they instinctively use to determine who goes and who stays. What can you do to make sure that you aren't on that list? The first thing to realize is that there are no short term fixes. The steps to take to protect your job start TODAY. In Episode 068 (), I cover some techniques that can help you identify...
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Aligning With Fast-Track Projects - MAC089
Managing A Career
Last week, in Episode 088 (), I covered the four key project types that can fast-track your career advancement. This week, I'm going to cover some strategies for when your current project assignment is not on one of those fast-track type projects. So, to review, the four fast-track project types are strategic projects aligned to organizational goals, cross-functional projects that impact multiple teams, projects tied to revenue generation or expense reduction, and finally, projects that are in trouble. If you find yourself assigned to a project in any combination of those...
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Fast Track Projects - MAC088
Managing A Career
When it comes to career advancement, some projects have a bigger impact than others. How can you make sure that you're associated with the projects that give you the best chance at success? When you look at the types of projects that are undertaken within your organization, four key types will garner the most recognition and opportunities for advancement. This week, I'll take a look at what these project types are. Next week, I'll cover what you can do if your assignments don't fall into one of these four categories. The type of project that is going to...
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Language Matters - MAC087
Managing A Career
In Episode 085 (), I covered techniques to build confidence. This week I'd like to talk about how you can use the words you say to project that confidence to those around you. When you speak with others, in order to project confidence, you should pay attention to the negative qualifiers that you use when stating your ideas. Those negative qualifiers typically fall into five categories. They can undermine your ideas such as "I think". They can undermine your self such as "Sorry" or "I could be wrong, but…". They can undermine your audience such as finishing with...
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Leadership Portfolio - MAC086
Managing A Career
On this podcast, I cover topics that can help you advance your career. In simple terms, this means putting yourself in the best possible position to be considered for a promotion. But, sometimes the next transition is from an individual to management role. This week, I cover a technique where you can document your leadership skills as you prepare for that change. When it comes to capturing the results of your work as an individual, I've covered several different methods. In Episode 044 (), I cover how to report status to various audiences showing the value that...
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Confidence Builds Confidence - MAC085
Managing A Career
Back in Episode 083 () I talked about how Imposter Syndrome and Fear of Failure can derail your plans for career advancement. This week, I'd like to take a deeper dive at Confidence. Confidence, at it's very basic, is the believe that you will succeed in the current situation. Confidence is not arrogance; but they can be two side of the same coin. The biggest difference between Confidence and Arrogance is how others react to you and how you treat those around you. When you are confident, you state your case assertively but with respect. If you are...
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Own the Problem, Bring Solutions - MAC084
Managing A Career
The other day on LinkedIn, there was a post () by Lena Reinhard, host of the Leadership Confidential podcast (), about the saying "don't bring me problems, bring me solutions". That post got me thinking. In her post, Lena () expresses that she is not a fan of that phrase because it make the target of the statement feel like they are left to do all of the work themselves. Her suggestion is clarification through communication. Does your boss really expect you to solve the problem on your own or how you can align the way you work and ask for help with the way that they...
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Faking It - MAC083
Managing A Career
There's been a lot of talk recently about "Imposter Syndrome". The term was coined by psychologists - Dr. Pauline Clance and Dr. Suzanne Imes in the late 1970s, but seems to be mentioned in so many different places the past few years. Having imposter syndrome is a very common experience in that most people experience some form of imposter syndrome at least once in their career. Imposter Syndrome is most prevalent when you take a new role. Self-doubt starts creeping in as you compare yourself to those around you. You may feel like you need to work extra hard to...
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Quiet Firing - MAC082
Managing A Career
Recently, companies have been in cost cutting mode. The most obvious result of this cost cutting, at least when it comes to your career, is that companies have been laying off large numbers of workers across all industries. But these very same companies are starting to balk at the negative press associated with "yet another layoff". This week, I take a look at the subtle ways that companies continue to reduce their headcount in a less public manner. Return to Office Mandates During COVID, social distancing and stay at home orders lead many to resort to remote...
info_outlineWhen you speak up at work to offer your ideas, have you considered how loud is your voice? I'm not talking about volume, but how many people hear your message? How much weight does your opinion hold? How large is your sphere of influence? A management position comes inherently with influence over the team that you lead based on being in a position of authority. But influence does not necessarily mean power or authority. This week, we look at some strategies for how you can grow your sphere of influence.
As you consider these strategies and the steps that you will be taking, keep in mind where you are in your growth and your career. While the strategies apply no matter what level or position you're at, the targets of those strategies may be closer or further away from you within the organization. The same can also be said based on how much influence you already have. When your sphere is small, start closer to home, but the strategies will apply no matter how large your sphere already is.
When it comes to building influence everything starts with relationships. In Episode 029, I covered Building a Network ( https://www.managingacareer.com/29), but influence is not just about creating connections; it's about building trust and collaboration.
Identify those that you seek to influence and reach out to them regularly. Ask them how you can help them, especially with cross-team initiatives. If you don't have the skills to help directly, learn to be a connector. Helping them resolve their problems -- or connecting them to people who can solve their problem -- will increase their level of trust in you. More trust will lead them to listen when you present your own ideas or suggest solutions to those cross-team projects.
Another way that you can build your influence is to become the resident expert on some process, technology, or resource. The goal isn't to be a gatekeeper, though, that is a form of influence. Limiting access to a resource will lead to resentment and a possible loss of the trust that you are working to build. Instead, by being the expert on a piece of technology and being collaborative, people will seek out your opinions and solutions when that technology is involved.
The third strategy for growing your sphere of influence is to become involved in critical problems. If the problem has already been identified, this could mean volunteering to work on the project to address it. However, you may need to apply some Strategic Thinking as covered in Episode 049 (https://www.managingacareer.com/49) to find a critical problem where you can contribute. By solving a high-impact problem, you will build your reputation and have people reaching out to you in order to grow THEIR network.
The final strategy for increasing your sphere of influence is communication. Whether communicating up the management chain or across departments, information is a valuable resource. Being seen as someone who both has and shares information will help keep you in the loop on what is going on within the organization as well as give you early notice of areas where you can apply the other strategies. There have been several episodes covering different communication top