Influencing without Authority

During the siege of Toulon, a young French officer needed to man an artillery position that was so vulnerable that the soldiers manning the guns had little chance of surviving. So dangerous was the assignment that the officer’s superiors feared his men would refuse to follow an order to take up that position. Instead of invoking his authority to order his men to staff the battery, he chose to place a sign at the fortification that read: “The Battery of the Men without Fear.” Rather than seeking to avoid this dangerous duty, the men in his platoon fought for the honor of manning that post. The young officer who instinctively knew that you could better motivate people by appealing to what they care about than through the exercise of authority was Napoleon, who went on to become Emperor of France and conquer most of Europe.

It is relatively easy to get people to do what you want when you are their boss. Because of your position, your authority, your ability to reward them through salary increases, bonuses and promotions, the people who work for you will usually do what you ask them to do, although they may not do so enthusiastically. What if you are not the boss though? Say you need information from a peer in another department in order to complete an analysis that is due next week or you are seeking to get a client pay an outstanding bill that he is upset about? How do you influence people when you have no authority over them? That is where what we refer to as the “U Perspective” comes into play.The U Perspective allows you to use what other people care about to motivate them.

Most people simply assume that everyone sees the world the way they do. Even when we recognize that someone else may see a situation differently than we do, our first instinct usually is to try to persuade them to see things our way. The U Perspective takes the opposite approach. Its effectiveness is not rooted in the ability to convince others to change their views or adopt different values. Instead, its power comes from recognizing what others already believe and want. The U Perspective allows you to get what you want by working with another person’s belief system, not challenging it.

To influence someone without authority, you need to discover what is important to person you are trying to influence. You need to learn to see things through their eyes. Once you understand how they see a situation you have the ability to construct, and present, options in a way that more effectively influences what they do.Understanding someone’s U Perspective means being able to predict what they will do because they are who they are - given how they have behaved in the past and how they see the situation facing them. Of course, money can be used to get people to do things. Sometimes however you don’t have enough money or the exchange of money would not be appropriate. At other times money simply is not the best way to motivate someone.

People are motivated by many things other than money. Recognition, friendship, a shared purpose, status, time, ease, helping others, fairness, teamwork, family and challenge are all values that you can appeal to when you seek to gain someone’s help or support. Even a desire for fame can be a motivator for some people. What motivates each of us is different depending on the situation and the other people involved. Showing how what you want helps further what the people whose help you need care about, makes it easy to gain their support.

While intellectually we can accept that others may see things differently than we do, it is human nature to believe that our views are correct and that views that differ from our own are somehow less valid. This leads to ineffective, and often counterproductive, efforts to get people to change how they see a situation and what their natural inclinations. Generally, we assume that people who view a situation differently than we do simply do not have as much, or as accurate, information as we have. We believe, therefore, that if only we provide more information or explain our position more clearly, we can change their mind. More often than not they see the situation differently because they have had different life experiences and different training. No amount of additional information will negate how those experiences impact upon how someone evaluates a situation. Training also has a bearing on how we see the world. Engineers tend to look at things differently than do salespeople. Both tend to see things differently than accountants. Taking advantage of the U Perspective also requires getting past our assumption that we know what motivates others - i.e. the same things that motivate us.

Understanding someone’s U Perspective will instruct you as to what you need to do to gain their support. Perhaps you can appeal to friendship with someone with whom you have a good working relationship. Alternatively, the offer of future assistance may suffice with a person that you have helped in the past and who may need your help in the future. A suggestion that you will recognize, by way of an e-mail to their boss, the importance of their contribution to a project or the fear of a similar e-mail from your boss to theirs detailing a lack of support might be enough to carry the day. Influencing without authority starts with understanding all the possible ways you might invoke the things the person you are seeking to influence cares about.

When Lisa Caputo, now an executive at Citigroup, was Press Secretary for then First Lady Hillary Clinton, she appealed to the val­ues of the journalists covering the White House to convince them to respect Chelsea Clinton’s privacy. In early 1993, Mike Myers did a skit on Saturday Night Live making fun of Chelsea who was only thirteen years old at the time. Lisa contacted NBC, but rather than trying to threaten or bully them, she appealed to their U Perspective as parents, “Chelsea is just a kid,’ she said She did not run for office. She deserved as normal a childhood as possible under the circum­stances. That is what you would want for your chil­dren, wouldn’t you?” Although this issue arose peri­odically throughout the Clinton Presidency, by and large, this sort of appeal to their values as parents and as decent human beings worked with the mem­bers of the press. As to Mike Myers, he sent a letter apology and the network basically left Chelsea alone remainder of the Clintons’ years in the White House.

Once you discover someone’s U Perspective, influencing that person’s behavior is a fairly straight forward matter. Unleashing the power of the U Perspective does not require that you share someone else’s values, only that you recognize them and take them into account. While it is extremely difficult to change anyone’s U Perspective, fortunately, you don’t need to do so in order to affect their behavior. What you may need to vary is your approach, depending on what is to each person under the circumstance; that is the only part of the influencing equation that you have complete control over.

CAREER COACH

Think you deserve a raise? Here's how to ask for one

Sunday, January 13, 2008

If you're overdue for a salary increase, the way to get a raise is to know you deserve one and ask for it. When you are seeking a raise, you are not asking for a favor, you are conducting a business negotiation. Getting a raise means giving your boss a reason for wanting to help you get one.

If you are seeking a raise, follow the advice offered by Ron McMillan, co-author of "Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High" (McGraw-Hill; 2002).

Don't ask for a raise unless you have done something to deserve one.

Determine what people doing similar work are earning elsewhere; information readily available on the Internet.

Show how you have gone above and beyond what was expected of you in terms of results, or how you have "added value" by taking on additional responsibilities.

Take job-related courses and learn new skills that can add value for your employer.

Time your request to coincide with the successful completion of a project or favorable financial results.

If you don't have a legitimate justification to support your request, create one. For example, offer to take on additional work if you are given a raise.

Make sure your boss recognizes the contributions you have made to her success -- not in a boastful way, but in a straightforward manner.

Demonstrate why you deserve a raise, remaining factual but explaining how you determined a higher salary is warranted. If your boss disagrees, ask him why. If possible, provide your supervisor with additional information to support your request, or ask what you have to do to be considered for a raise in the future.

Use the right words, couching your request as a good business decision.

-- Lee E. Miller is the author of "UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective- The Art of Getting What You Want" and co-founder of YourCareerDoctors.com, a Web site devoted to career success. During his more than 20-year career as a senior human resources executive, he has hired and promoted hundreds of employees. Send your career questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctors.com.

CAREER COACH

Make your hard work visible when seeking a promotion

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Getting a promotion begins with "taking a good look at yourself and what you want," says Randy Siegel, author of "Engineer Your Career." Determine what makes you uniquely valuable and how you can best use that to help your organization, Siegel says, then take the initiative.

One of Siegel's clients, a resource specialist for a New Jersey not-for-profit, who "did a little bit of everything," took some time to consider what she did well and what she really wanted to do.

During an annual performance evaluation, she asked to be allowed to focus her efforts exclusively on fundraising, an important function in any not-for-profit. Not only was her boss receptive to the suggestion, she was promoted to the position of business developer and given a significant raise.

More often than not, when people ask why they weren't selected for a particular promotion, the response is, "I didn't know you were interested."

Most of us believe if we do a good job, our employer will reward us, but "that is simply not the case" Siegel says. "You need to speak out, talk about what you can do and promote your successes."

Siegel offers these tips for getting the promotion you deserve:

Be certain your boss knows you want to be considered for a promotion.

Volunteer for high-visibility projects, so key people will notice your value.

Find out what you need to do to get promoted, then follow the advice you are given.

Keep your boss appraised of how you are following up on her advice and seek performance feedback.

Identify an individual being groomed for promotion and indicate you'd be interested in that job; then offer to train your replacement.

Without bragging, ensure people know about professional successes.

Consider a lateral move that will help you gain critical skills for a promotion.

Show enthusiasm for the job. The one who gets promoted is usually the one who shows they want it most.

If repeated efforts to seek a promotion are unsuccessful, seek a promotion with another organization.

Sometimes, however, the only way to get promoted is to indicate you are planning to leave.

David Gammel, president of High Context Consulting in Salisbury, Md., once got a promotion because he went to the company's chief executive and told him he was moving to Europe. After David thanked the CEO for all the opportunities he had been given, the CEO asked, "What would keep you around?"

Gammel responded he'd stick around if he was "put in charge of international." A few days later, his boss came by and told him he was now in charge of international issues for the organization.

Telling your boss you plan to leave unless you are promoted is an extremely risky strategy. If you choose that approach, you had better have another job lined up; and be prepared to take it. There is an equally good chance that, rather than getting you promoted, this strategy will result in your being shown the door.

-- A veteran human resources executive, Lee E. Miller is the author of "UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective -- The Art of Getting What You Want," and the co-founder of YourCareerDoctors.com, a Web site devoted to career success. Mail questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctors.com.

On-Ramping: Successfully Returning to Work After Take Time Off From Your Career

CAREER COACH

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Kristen Lyle, an audit manager for KPMG, a national accounting firm with offices in New Jersey, left her field when her second child was born. After several years, she decided it was time to return to work. While Lyle had maintained her license, she never considered going back to work as an accountant. She hadn't stayed current with developments in her profession, and she assumed an accounting firm would not want to hire someone who had been away for several years.

Lyle had come face to face with the twin demons that frequently haunt someone seeking to return to the work force: lack of confidence and lack of currency.

When Lyle mentioned to a friend from her old firm she was considering changing careers, her friend spoke with a manager at KPMG and the firm hired her back, with the same title and responsibilities she had when she left. They also provided her with the training she needed to get up to speed, and have been supportive of her need to balance work and family.

How difficult is it to return to work after taking time off for an extended period? The answer depends on whom you ask. It also depends on how you approach the task. It has become so commonplace for people to take time off from their careers there are terms to describe the process: off-ramping, which means taking a break in your career, and on-ramping, referring to returning to the work force.

Illness, disability and ailing parents as well as family responsibilities can cause many of us to interrupt our careers. For those like Lyle seeking to on-ramp, many will find companies eager to employ them; others, though, will receive a frosty reception.

For someone who has been out of the work force for a period of time, the unspoken question on every employer's mind is: What have you done while you were not working that is relevant to the job we are seeking to fill? Employers will want to assure themselves that, if hired, you will be able to contribute immediately.

Courses taken at local universities or online can demonstrate you have remained interested and active in your profession. Classes that enable you to master new technologies are of particular interest to employers because of the value they place on staying current with rapidly evolving technology. Remaining active in professional organizations and reading professional journals similarly will be looked on favorably. Volunteer work also is an excellent means for someone taking time off to develop new skills and to maintain existing ones.

Here are some other tips for easing the transition:

• Don't apologize for taking time off, but express enthusiasm for your decision to return to work now. Focus on the skills you bring to the job, the quality of your past experience and what you have done while you were not working that has enhanced your existing skills and helped you develop new ones.
• Tell everyone you know and everyone whom you have previously worked with you are interested in returning to work and describe the type of job you are seeking. You are most likely to find a job through someone you know.
• Consider easing your way back into the work force with part-time or temporary jobs. These jobs will allow you to re-familiarize yourself with the industry and update your skills. You also could start your own business from home. That could turn into a full-time occupation, or it could serve as a jumping-off point to re-enter the work force.

The notion that a person will spend their whole career with a single company moving up the career ladder seems as anachronistic today as the local malt shops we see on TV Land reruns.

Many of us will find ourselves taking time off from our careers for a variety of reasons. A little planning will go a long way toward ensuring your time off is little more than a short detour on your way to a fulfilling career. Never assume an employer won't want to hire you or won't be willing to accommodate your needs.

A veteran human resources executive, Lee E. Miller is the author of "UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective -- The Art of Getting What You Want," and the co-founder of YourCareerDoctors.com, a Web site devoted to career success. Mail questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctors.com.

Pump Up Your Career: Networking Can open All The Right Doors

Allison Brinkman, an account manager with Eisen Management Group, a mid-size Cincinnati public relations firm, credits TV talk show host David Letterman with getting her a new job. When she graduated from college, Brinkman faced the challenge of finding her first job. Asked during a job interview what she could bring to the company, she responded with a prepared Letterman-style Top 10 list, ending with the No. 1 reason for hiring her: that "she wouldn't stop bugging him until he gave her the job." That tenacious approach got Brinkman hired.

Employers are too busy to waste their time interviewing unqualified candidates. What gets someone hired is that they are more likable, fit in better with the corporate culture, wow the interviewer with some particular success or simply focus more on what is important to the person making the hiring decision.

Before you can bowl over the interviewer, however, you have to get in the door. Most people miss out on great jobs because they are never even in the running for those positions. It is unlikely you are going to get your next job by posting your résumé on the Internet or searching the job boards.

According to the United States Department of Labor, less than 10 percent of job seekers find employment by replying to Internet postings. Moreover, the job you really want is unlikely to be posted on the Internet.

The best way to find a good job is still through the people you know, says Paula Marks, an executive recruiter at Gilbert Tweed Associates, a national executive search firm with offices in New Jersey. The key to finding a new job is networking, she says. "Networking should begin in utero," she adds jokingly.

The people you know are the ones who will alert you to that great job, and will introduce you to people in a position to hire you. The more people you know, and the more people who think highly of you, the more likely those things will happen.

Neil Gussman, Communications Manager at the Chemical Heritage Foundation in Philadelphia, got his last three jobs through the network of sales representatives he has dealt with over the years. “Sales representatives know which companies are hiring and where the best places to work are. They have to be in the know to be good at their job," Gussman says.

Networking is not just for people to whom meeting others comes naturally. Anyone can learn to network. Nancy Ancowitz, a business communication coach and creator of Self-Promotion for Introverts, a program designed to teach shy individuals how to promote their careers and their businesses, advises people to build their network by joining professional organizations, heading committees, volunteering, hosting events and writing articles on topics of interest in trade magazines and on the Internet. Instead of collecting business cards at networking events, she suggests "focusing on making one or two strong connections with people of interest to you."

"Give to your network without worrying about what you are going to get back," she suggests. Introduce people even if you've just recently met them, and tell them something they may have in common -- "I understand you're both big Nets fans." You'll be viewed as a connector, which will make people want to stay in touch with you. Most importantly, "don't wait until you need a job to begin networking," Ancowitz says. "Build relationships, and be generous with people in your circle throughout your career. That way when you need them people will be there for you."

Never underestimate the power of building relationships and being likable when it comes to getting a job. Eva Rosenberg, an accountant and the author of "Small Business Taxes Made Easy" (McGraw Hill; 2004), got her first job as an executive recruiter despite having to win over a boss who had never hired a female recruiter before, and who did not want to pay her what she was seeking. Rosenberg's persistence, likeability and positive attitude finally got her an interview. Although her prospective boss was not initially inclined to hire her, she got the job by making a deal with him. She bet him she could close one placement before the end of her first month. If not, she agreed she would leave and pay him back her first month's salary. At the end of the first month, she had made not one, but two placements, and the job was hers.

Lee E. Miller is the author of "UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective- The Art of Getting What You Want" and co-founder of YourCareerDoctors.com, a Web site devoted to career success. During his more than 20-year career as a senior human resources executive, he has hired and promoted hundreds of employees. Send your career questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctors.com