A Technology Vice President Learns to Reach Out, Make Contacts, and Sell His Ideas to Key People
If you met Mike today, you would never believe the Mike he was a few years ago. As a technology leader at a premier financial services company, Mike is someone who puts his hand out first to introduce himself, is always there to help out, and contributes brilliant ideas for his company. His executive team routinely calls on him when they want a smart, strategic opinion.
Mike's boss came to us a few years ago to help Mike communicate more effectively. As an introvert, he'd always preferred to work alone. He was often the last one to speak up in a meeting. He didn't work well on teams. Working in a hands-on technology role for most of his career, this wasn't a huge problem. But when he was promoted to a senior role with the responsibility of communicating to his team, working alone was no longer an option.
One big problem was that nobody felt they really knew Mike, or could trust him for that matter. Sure - he's a trustworthy guy, but he had never taken the time to really get to know many people outside his technology group. Mike's boss believed he had high potential to succeed in the company due to his knowledge and expertise - but he needed to become better known if he wanted to make it. His introverted style and the fact that he didn't really know anyone meant he was self-conscious when it came to presentations and meetings. He had great ideas, but he didn't know how to present them in a clear, fluid style. Many people weren't really sure of what his role was or what he had planned for his team.
We helped Mike devise a personal communications plan. He set goals to start reaching out at company networking events, form stronger relationships, and touch base regularly with important contacts within his organization. We gave him tips and techniques for starting small talk at company events, and helped him identify people he should strive to build relationships with. We worked with him to strategize on presenting and selling his ideas at meetings. Most importantly, we showed Mike why this all mattered to his career and how it could drastically improve his performance at the company.
Mike began speaking up in meetings and conversations more frequently. Although still a bit soft spoken, with practice and techniques, he gained the confidence to stand up and truly get his ideas heard. People heard his ideas and opinions more often and other leaders in the organization started to value them as an integral part of their overall goals. For the first time, people around the company thought of Mike as a team player with great ideas. Mike developed a whole new outlook on his role and continues to be a strong leader in the organization.
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