In Monday’s Blog, we asked the question: do you belong at the table? In the Quick Tips today, we expand on the six skills identified (WSJ 5/24/120) in the Blog that must be developed if you want to establish peer relationships and claim your seat at the table. (Note: each of our brief descriptions applies whether you are an employee or you are dealing with prospects or clients)
Leadership: Leadership is a complex subject. What we are referring to is the ability to take a leadership position on an initiative: to generate an idea that will address an issue and follow-through on it. When you do this, you automatically generate a practical idea – because you have to make it happen.
Strategic Thinking: Is the ability to demonstrate you can think in strategic terms and understand both the short-term and long-term implications of your recommendations and the impact it will have on the overall strategy of the organization. Ideas that are out of synch with an organization’s strategic direction (unless you’re helping set strategic direction) are rapidly dismissed.
Synthesis Skills: This is the ability to take different ideas and thoughts and bring them together to create a solution. For example, you may take ideas from finance, marketing, sales and human resource and construct a viable solution that addresses the needs of this disparate group.
Communication Skills: The ability to communicate to be articulate is essential. This means talking in a conversational tone, using proper grammar, not dumbing down your words, not being overly technical and obtuse. Communicating at the appropriate level for your audience. If you can’t be understood, it you are condescending, your audience will tune you out.
Influence Skills: Most of us will not have direct authority over the people we are talking to. To make progress, we need to exert influence. And influence requires understanding what is important to the other person. The Law of Reciprocity works: provide something important to the other person and they in turn will provide something important to you. Educating the other person is one technique that will increase your influence.
Relationship Skills: Nothing happens unless there is a relationship established. Take time to establish a real relationship with the person you are working with. It cannot be rushed; relationships develop at a natural pace. Some develop faster than others. But remember – no relationship – no business.
It’s critical to remember, having a seat at the table is not related to age, education, gender or any other criteria (real or imaginary) you want to suggest. It’s related to you, and how well you demonstrate your value.
Copyright 2010 Kubica & LaForest
