Career Transitions: Moving to an influencing role
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Over the course of our career, we make many changes. Some of those changes give us more of the same, but some are substantially different – so we’re going to start a series of blogs over the coming months to think about how to handle some of the most difficult career transitions that you might want (or have) to make.
This week we’re going to look at one common transition that many people must undertake at some point in their career. This is a move from a role where you have a clear chain of command and line authority to get things done, into a role where you have wider responsibilities, but your power to change things comes from influencing people. An example would be a move from managing a branch or a line department, into having a project to drive through, or Head Office responsibilities across several departments or locations.
Early in my career, I made a move from being in a self-contained department (where, as a management team we decided what needed to be done and got on and delivered it) to take on a Group responsibility. The new role felt very prestigious, but I quickly realised that I had very little actual formal power. Anything I wanted to accomplish was done by influencing senior stakeholders, where I had to raise their awareness and take their views into account, and working with business unit colleagues to persuade them to help achieve my agenda. These colleagues also needed me to deliver their agenda, and sometimes those two things conflicted with each other – but results still needed to be achieved.
I remember being very naïve when, early on, I was trying to get something done that I needed to deliver. But it wasn’t what someone else wanted, and I was on the receiving end of a harsh confrontation. Not the nicest experience, but a very valuable lesson that taught me a lot about influence!
Since then I’ve realised there are a number of very important skills to develop in order to succeed in these types of roles.
A career transition into a role of wider influence can be an exciting opportunity, but it’s a very different way of operating. It’s a case of ‘what got you here, won’t get you there’. You need to step up and show you can flex to achieve success in a very different environment to be seen as truly high potential.
This week we’re going to look at one common transition that many people must undertake at some point in their career. This is a move from a role where you have a clear chain of command and line authority to get things done, into a role where you have wider responsibilities, but your power to change things comes from influencing people. An example would be a move from managing a branch or a line department, into having a project to drive through, or Head Office responsibilities across several departments or locations.
Early in my career, I made a move from being in a self-contained department (where, as a management team we decided what needed to be done and got on and delivered it) to take on a Group responsibility. The new role felt very prestigious, but I quickly realised that I had very little actual formal power. Anything I wanted to accomplish was done by influencing senior stakeholders, where I had to raise their awareness and take their views into account, and working with business unit colleagues to persuade them to help achieve my agenda. These colleagues also needed me to deliver their agenda, and sometimes those two things conflicted with each other – but results still needed to be achieved.
I remember being very naïve when, early on, I was trying to get something done that I needed to deliver. But it wasn’t what someone else wanted, and I was on the receiving end of a harsh confrontation. Not the nicest experience, but a very valuable lesson that taught me a lot about influence!
Since then I’ve realised there are a number of very important skills to develop in order to succeed in these types of roles.
- Listen, listen and listen
It feels very frustrating, particularly if you like to be very action oriented – but as soon as you take on the role, make time to talk to people. Listen hard and work out what others are trying to achieve and why. You may not agree with them, but you need to understand fully the nuances of their agenda and why it’s important to them (often it’s because someone else they need to influence is holding them to it). By understanding their drivers, you can understand how to start to influence them. Sometimes even just taking the time to listen and show you understand (and doing this on a regular basis) gives you the permission to make the change. - Trade on your credentials and experience
Why is your view one that anyone should listen to and follow? Early in your role you must establish credibility. This may mean formally introducing yourself to others and establishing your expertise and credentials in your field. This may involve drip feeding references to previous work you have done, results you have delivered, and your expertise (mentions of what other companies are doing, conferences etc.). The further you get in your career in an organisation, the easier this gets – as you become more known and trusted. One of the advantages of staying with a company for a prolonged period is that people know and respect your track record. They often also have personal experience of you, leading them to believe that you will have considered a range of options and selected one that is sensible. - Innovate
Ironically it is sometimes easier to build support around something completely different rather than improving what already exists. First, show you’ve listened and are focused on delivering what people need. But then it can often be more straightforward to rethink the situation and challenge the status quo – to come up with a completely different approach. A novel approach piques interest, and people are often willing to try something new – especially if you use the next tactic… - Offer to trial a new approach
Some people are nervous of change and resist it. You can often soften resistance by offering to trial something new for 4/6/8 weeks and then review it. If people know there will be a formal review before adopting an approach permanently, they will be more willing to try it. If the change has problems, you can work hard to overcome them before the review. If it works well, opposition will melt away – as this has now become ‘the way we do things’. - Build consensus by offering options.
Over the years, I have found that the two best strategies are to either offer a range of options or, if I must be focused on one option, to be flexible and to be willing to change and adapt that idea. This doesn’t mean I let things be compromised to the point of design by committee (remember that ‘a camel is a horse designed by a committee’!). But it’s important to realise that my knowledge and thinking are not infallible, and that when others bring their contribution to the table they will improve the idea. When you allow people to influence you, they feel they’ve helped to design the solution – and this builds consensus and support. - Deliver
In these types of roles, you’ll find people are quick to accuse you of moving too slowly. You need to get a reputation for action orientation and getting things delivered fast. Create a strong sense of progress by having clear milestones and deliverables. Under-promise and over-deliver so that you are constantly beating deadlines – you’ll need to acquire excellent time estimation skills! And keep the information flowing so that your stakeholders don’t find themselves wondering ‘Is that project falling behind?’
A career transition into a role of wider influence can be an exciting opportunity, but it’s a very different way of operating. It’s a case of ‘what got you here, won’t get you there’. You need to step up and show you can flex to achieve success in a very different environment to be seen as truly high potential.