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In this edition:
Marshall Goldsmith on "Who Are You Arguing With?"
Patricia Wheeler on "The Limits of Talent"
Who Are You Arguing With?
by Marshall Goldsmith
Everyone has heard motivational speeches that exclaim "You can do it!" and "Follow your dreams!" Abandoning one job or career for another is much easier to say than do. Especially when you are, by any measure, a "winner" in life and the place you're in is pretty good. In spite of speeches that make it sound easy, changing our lives is tough. We may fail. People may laugh at us. In the words of one of my clients, "Even my mother will think that I am crazy if I give up this job!"
Many of us grapple with these issues. My friend Maria is a gifted engineer who has invested years in making a significant contribution to her firm. But her burning passion for her work is starting to cool down. When I asked her to describe her concerns, she grimaced and said, "I just don't feel like I'm learning that much. I know I'm doing a great job, but I feel like, 'Been there, done that.' It's not the company's fault. I love my company and feel like they deserve my best. It's just hard for me to generate the enthusiasm that I know I should."
"What job sounds fun and exciting to you?" I asked.
Her face lit up as she replied, "I think that I could do a great job managing a project team and eventually leading a larger part of our business. I have seen other managers. I know that I can do what they do. In fact, some of the ones I respect the most have encouraged me to go for it."
"Why don't you try for a career in management?"
"I'm afraid of giving up what I have," she added. "If I go into management, I'm definitely going to lose my technical edge after a few years. Nobody is going to want to hire me as an engineer anymore. I have friends who've been in middle management and been laid off. It can be tough for them to get another job. Besides, I'm great at what I do. I make a nice salary, and I don't have as many headaches. Why should I take the risk?" She became animated as she defended her present position.
I laughed and replied, "Maria, it's not my life. We're talking about your life. Being an engineer is fine; being in management is fine. I'm just a friend who wants you to be happy. Who are you arguing with?"
"I guess that I'm arguing with myself," she said, smiling. "I just don't know what to do."
A client, Bill, is also very good at what he does. In some ways he seems to have it all. He's 50, in great shape, has an MBA from Wharton, and is an investment banker with a net worth of millions of dollars. He has a great wife and nice kids. But his burning passion for his work is also beginning to wane. He wants to teach. I asked him why he loved teaching, and he said, "It's really fun. Every night when I come home from teaching an MBA course at the local university, my wife notices how great I feel and how positive I am. I really believe I'm making a difference in some of my students' lives!"
But when I asked, "Why don't you become a teacher?" Bill talked himself out of his newfound passion.
"Compared to being an investment banker, college professors don't make any money. To make it worse, none of the real professors seem to respect me that much. I don't have a PhD; in some ways, they kind of think that they are better than I am. Why should I put up with their crap? Many of them don't know anything about the real world like I do. Why should I give up a great job with lots of money, status, and respect to be a second-class citizen?"
"To begin with, why do you care about money?" I laughed. "You already have more than you can spend. By the way, who are you arguing with?"
It's very easy to talk with our friends about "going to the next level." How many times have you heard people talk about the job that they "would love to have someday"? How many of these people actually end up doing the work they dream about?
The next time you hear yourself talking about "that job I would really like to have," look in the mirror. How willing are you to lose what you have? All opportunity involves risk. How willing are you to face the possibility of failure or diminished success?
If you have been having the same long-standing debate -- either with friends or just in your head -- it's time to make a decision. If you want to go for it, don't kid yourself about the risk. You have to be willing to accept the possibility of failure and get started. If you decide you don't want to give up what you have, make peace with it. Quit wasting time debating with yourself about a future that will never happen. Who are you arguing with?
Marshall Goldsmith is a Founding Partner of Marshall Goldsmith Partners. This article was originally published in Fast Company Magazine, April 2005.
The Limits of Talent
by Patricia Wheeler
In the move up the corporate leadership hierarchy, the requirements for advancing within the ranks of the senior executive level become increasingly complex and difficult. Many technically talented executives don't understand what went wrong when they fail to move to the corner suite. After all, they had what it takes to get this far. And their performance appraisals are filled with glowing comments. So what went wrong?
The tough news for many is that technical talent only gets you so far in most organizations, even in technology-based fields. The higher the position, the more your relational abilities matter.
One CFO states that developing Relational Intelligence is crucial because "with every problem, there's a personality attached to it." Recent research repeatedly points to this competency as a crucial distinction between good executives and star performers. In fact, many executives who are technically talented but lack Relational Intelligence end up working for those who are less smart and technically talented but who have great people skills.
As coaches, we are often asked to help these technical geniuses develop the qualities that will help them move up the executive ladder. What are the most crucial skills that qualify leaders for the corner suite?
The development of an effective influence style is clearly essential at the most senior levels. Leaders, as they advance, must do most of their job working through others. The ability to craft a compelling vision, obtain buy-in and consensus and support others as they execute their plan are part of the requisite portfolio for those running their organizations. Technically trained leaders often make the mistake of remaining too "hands-on" with their direct reports. This can result in the leader's consistent reliance on a "push" style which sub-optimizes collaboration and innovation.
Take the case of "Ralph," a vice president within the software industry. Ralph had been a rising star within his company. He was known as a superior innovator and was a man who was responsible for a number of the company's patents. Ralph was passionate about the company's products. When he was promoted, everyone had high expectations of his new team's performance. But these hopes did not materialize; upon investigation, Ralph's direct reports felt over-scrutinized and micromanaged. Even small details had to pass Ralph's muster before projects could move forward. The team was becoming demoralized, and Ralph's brilliant career was in danger of derailing.
After discussions with the team and manager, Ralph's coach pointed out the need for him to develop a more effective influence style. With Ralph, part of the problem was that he tended to see only one answer (his) to a problem. At his coach's advice, Ralph took on the assignment of developing his "pull" muscle. He practiced a different (for him) response sequence when obtaining updates from his direct reports about a project. The three steps he practiced were: (1) Pause before you respond rather than immediately commenting; (2) Ask for the employee's opinion before offering yours; (3) Listen to the employee and mentally list the positive aspects of the stated opinion. Then and only then was Ralph to offer any comments.
Although skeptical, he practiced this approach for the next several months. The result? The team became more engaged and motivated. Results did not deteriorate; on the contrary, productivity showed an increase. Ralph confided to his coach that his team was even more capable than he had imagined. One simple action, repeated regularly, yielded effective results for his team.
Coach's tip: Ask yourself and others about your influence style. Honestly assess how much you use the "push" style, and work on developing the "pull" styles of asking for input and developing the talents of others.
Patricia Wheeler helps talented executives become better leaders. She is the author of numerous articles on leadership.
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