•;On;that;inner;circle;right;around
you, how much time are you
spending with the people who are
going to influence where you go?
•;Do;you;walk;them;through;the
projects that you’re delivering on
and the value that you’re bringing
to the organization?
You should have a strategic plan
around that. Your plan might
include meeting with them four
times a year and sharing what
you’re doing and what you’re
delivering.
Gerrie Dresser: You start to
create a sphere of influence. David
has invented his own process for
broadening your power base that
he’s titled the surround sound
strategy.
David Nicoli: Surround Sound
Strategy
Make sure you are managing
the story your key influencers
tell about you. The strategy I
developed was designed to help
create visibility from a panoramic
perspective. Once you identify
the people who are in the meeting
when your next promotion is
decided, make sure they know
you.
There will most likely be people
you know only casually. These
are the people whom you want to
know better.
•;Can;you;schedule;lunch;with
them or ask for a meeting?
•;What;do;you;want;each;one;to
know about you?
If you implement a surround
sound strategy, key executives
put a name with your face and
your responsibilities. Now all of
a sudden, they know you. You’ve
been in front of them. People
horizontally and vertically have
been engaged in a conversation
with you. They know you’re
perceptive and a high performer,
and you consistently deliver
results.
Surround sound is creating the
company-wide awareness of who
you are, what you’re doing, and
what your value is.
Jeff Conklin: Strategic
Contribution
Visibility can be greatly enhanced
through strategic contribution.
It’s the next level of what David
described. You look at your career
and identify:
•;Where;are;you;taking;it?
•;Where;are;your;gaps?
•;Who;are;your;advocates;and
where do you stand with them?
•;What;is;your;plan;to;show;them
your distinctive value?
My approach each year has always
been to pick two leaders and get
to know them better on a very
impactful basis.
Everyone has a “night job,” a
project they’re asked to do above
and beyond their job. The more
senior you are, the more “night
jobs” you have.
If you get involved in some
of those over-and-above
assignments, you create a stronger
bond with the people who will be
influential to your career.
Abigail Jenkins: Enhance Your
Portfolio
Begin with the end in mind and
take a hard look at where you
want to go.
•;What’s;your;endgame?
•;What;type;of;company;do
you want to work in . . . a small,
big, publicly-traded or private
company?
•;How;many;employees;do;you
want to manage?
•;What;experiences;do;you;need?
The skills that you need as CEO
of a big pharma corporation and
the skills you need to be CEO of a
small biotech are very different.
Take a step back and ask: What
experiences do I need to have?
Years ago when I did that, I
realized that I wanted to run a
company and I had only managed
ten people. To run a company,
I needed to manage a larger
organization. Also, I’ve worked
primarily in commercial, sales
and marketing. If I wanted to run
a biotech company, I needed to
diversify my industry experience.
I had that as a framework,
which helped me to analyze new
opportunities. As a result, the next
decisions that I made helped me
to enhance my portfolio.
Gerrie Dresser: Have a Plan
and Position Your Strengths
In preparing to implement
these strategies, there are two
important considerations –
strategically planning your career
and positioning your strengths.
How would you describe these
important steps?
