Q: What is a camel?
A: A horse designed by committee.
(Okay, there’s your first groaner of the new year!)
There’s nothing more frustrating than when something seems like it should be an easy decision or process only to be derailed by having to get so many people’s input that the process is painstaking, and the final product has so many compromises that nobody is truly happy with the result.
How often do we wish we could simply submit our own plan for a perfunctory “rubber stamp” of approval and be done with it?
At the same time, how often do our plans come to a screeching halt because we forget to get other stakeholders’ input on key decisions first?
The last thing we want to hear is a boss, key client, investor, partner or other collaborator asking, “Are you hearing me or do you want me to just rubber stamp this?”
Yet that’s the exact experience Kelley Morse, Senior Vice-President of Human Resources at Bullhorn, describes on this week’s episode of the Speaking to Influence podcast.
Kelley walks us through her thought process and the steps she took to course-correct both that conversation and its long-term effects on the relationship.
Kelley also gave great examples of why and how to meet other people where they are in terms of need and knowledge, and how she adapts her communication style to accommodate those differences in a way that still allows her to get her message across.
Listen to the full conversation here or watch the video on YouTube here.
I almost forgot – Happy new year! (Anyone want to take “over-under” bets on how long it takes before I stop writing 2022 as the date?)
In case you were on vacation last week and missed it, if you’re looking for a great way to jump-start the new year with some smile-inducing quick wins, be sure to check out last week’s episode as well: it’s our annual “Best of the 24-Hour Influence Challenges” 2022 review.
In just a few minutes, you’ll be inspired by nine guests’ ideas for easy action steps, any of which can be completed in just a few minutes apiece, to kick off the new year with a boost to your powers of influence!
At the same time, I also understand that for many of us, the joys of unplugging for some much-needed personal time off over the holidays are often met with an overactive reality check upon heading back to work this week.
The world is full of questions, from personal health and finances, to the global economy and beyond. Yet as leaders, it’s important to be a voice of reassurance to those around us.
That’s why I’m inviting you to join me on Linkedin Live on January 13, 2022, from 12:00 PM to 12:45 PM when I’ll share essential tips for “How to Instill Confidence in Uncertain Times.” Register for the event here.
We’ll dig into specifics regarding your message content (what to say as well as what NOT to say) and your delivery (how you say it – voice, body language, and platform).
And if you think you don’t have time to think through and plan for all those little details, remember this: what you successfully communicate is whatever the other person hears, regardless of what you intended to convey.
The more effort you put into preparing for those key conversations, the smaller the potential gap between what you think you say and what they think they hear!
Don’t just “rubber stamp” these important discussions with your stakeholders. Join me for this first LinkedIn Live conversation of 2023 to start off the new year by helping ensure your people have confidence in themselves and in YOU.
