it's hard to be a linchpin
DESCRIPTION
Why is it so hard to be a Linchpin and why is there so much really bad marketing out there ?TRANSCRIPT
Linchpin
Some,mes it’s really hard to be a Linchpin !
Richard Meyer
Linchpin Help !?
• How can I be a Linchpin when the resistance is so strong in my organiza<on ?
• How can I be willing to be unloved when I am reviewed on
“how well I get along with others?”
Linchpin
Working in corporate America today
• Endless mee<ngs • People afraid to make decisions • Cube farms • Mangers who can’t manage • Poli<cs are oIen more important than knowledge and
capabili<es • Processes revolve around the company not customers. • OIen do not have <me to think about what you are doing
because volume of work is overwhelming.
Linchpin
Endless Mee<ngs
Symptom: • You don’t even have <me to sit and think
because you’re oIen booked in mee<ngs from morning to night.
Treatment • Decline mee<ngs that you don’t need to
be part of with an explana<on. • Suggest one day a week there be no
mee<ngs. • Keep mee<ngs small, issue notes with
ac<on items. • Ensure that all mee<ng have an agenda
with specified <me allotments for each item.
Linchpin
People are afraid to make decisions
Symptom: • Managers are afraid to make decisions
without geSng input from too many people. Treatment • Linchpins take risks. • Quan<fy the result of delaying key decisions. • Use your authority to make decisions based
on your posi<on descrip<on.
Linchpin
Cube Farms
Symptom: • How can I think when I have no peace and
quiet ?
Treatment • Work at home if your manager will allow
you but ensure that you answer and send emails so they know you are working. (yes, they don’t believe you are actually working!)
• Pick up your stuff and go to a mee<ng room even if you have to book it in advance.
• Schedule some “quiet <me” to clean up you desk.
Linchpin
Managers who can’t manage
Symptom: • There are a lot of managers who can’t manage people
or <me which means you are oIen on the receiving end of more high priority work.
Treatment • Learn how to manage up. • Ensure that your successes are seen by senior
managers by sending out emails with what we learned. (show them you’re a Linchpin).
• If your manager won’t promote you, you need to promote yourself.
• Your manager’s boss should know about your past successes. If not this is a warning sign that your boss is not on your side.
Linchpin
Ten Habits of Incompetent Managers
• Bias against ac<on • Secrecy • Over-‐sensi<vity • Love of procedure • Preference for weak employees • Focus on small tasks • Allergy to deadlines • Addic<on to consultants • Long hours • Does not give you reinforcement and only remembers the nega<ve
when it comes to review <me.
Linchpin
Poli<cs is oIen more important than knowledge and capabili<es
Symptom: • The people who seem to get ahead in your company are
oIen the ones who are well connected and liked vs. the people that get things done and are indispensable.
Treatment • Don't get trapped in someone else's game. • Establish affilia<ons of mutual advantage with important
people. People will always be able to refer you to other jobs. Be the good guy who does your job well.
• OIen the rules of office poli<cs are unwriaen. You learn them as you go along
Linchpin
Processes revolve around what’s best for the company, not customers
Symptom: • Processes revolve around people in your company not your
customers. There is very liale value added to your brand/product/customers.
Treatment • Ask “why are we doing this?” and “what value is this going to have for
our customers?” • Don’t just point out the problem, recommend solu<ons and ask “why
don’t we….?” • Lead don’t follow
Linchpin
Volume of work is too great
Symptom: • You don’t have the <me to do good quality
work because you have too many deliverables.
Treatment • Manage up: go to your boss and tell her that
you have priori<zed your workload and as thus you want her to help you manage your deliverable dates.
• If your manager disagrees you are being set up to fail so beware of her/his mo<va<ons.
• What projects deserve 100% of your quality <me vs. what projects need 75-‐50% of your quality <me ?
Linchpin
Hey ! Nobody said it was going to be easy
But it can be done !!
Linchpin
The best changes are oIen
evolu,onary not revolu,onary
Linchpin
Don’t take what you read too literally
• I love Seth Godin’s books but take what he as wriaen and ask yourself “how can I apply what I learned within my environment to make it beaer?”
• Change is oIen easier said than done, especially in today’s matrix organiza<ons where you have to have a lot of mee<ng to arrive at even minor decisions.
Linchpin
Step 1: Understand your environment
• Iden<fy the key influencers within your organiza<on. – What makes them <ck ? – What are their issues ?
• How can you gradually win them over to your side ? – Not all baales are fought in one area .
Linchpin
Step 2: Start small • Seth energizes all of us and we want to go full speed ahead but oIen
organiza<ons are not built for hard charging Linchpins. In fact they fear them.
• Develop an internal ac<on plan to implement your Linchpin ac<vi<es.
• Your objec<ve is to “become indispensible” but others, especially senior mangers, also have to see you as insensible.
Linchpin
Step3: Learn from mistakes
• Acknowledge, to yourself, that you are going to slip up. • Don’t make the same mistakes twice. • Ask yourself “what did I learn?”
Linchpin
Step 4: Always move forward
• We must become the change we want to see. • If you don’t always move forward you risk rever<ng back to where you
started and losing all your great work. • Share what you learned and document your accomplishments with
your managers.
Linchpin
But keep in mind your situa<on
• Speed is a compe<<ve advantage today. • The longer you wait to implement change the more customers you
could lose. • Priori<ze the things that directly add value to your customers and to
consumers not necessarily to people within your company.
Linchpin
Final thoughts….
• Work to live, don’t live to work even if you love your job take <me to appreciate the aspects of life that we take for granted. Use ALL of your vaca<on <me.
• Never stop learning. A Linchpin always moves forward and knowledge is a great way to stay indispensable.
• Don’t get frustrated look as barriers as challenges to be overcome.
• Don’t be naïve and think that everyone wants what’s best for the company. Too oIen people want what’s best for themselves not the company.
• Be aware that a lot of people are afraid of losing their jobs. • A lot of companies oIen want the “cheapest” person to fill a
chair not the best person. • Never underes<mate your abili<es. Keep a file of your
successes and pull it out when you get down.
Linchpin
About me
Richard Meyer • My resume hap://www.richardameyer.com • My marke<ng BLOG hap://www.newmediaandmarke<ng.com • MY DTC BLOG hap://www.worldofdtcmarke<ng.com
hap://www.twiaer.com/richmeyer
hap://www.facebook.com/richardameyer
hap://www.linkedin.com/in/richardameyer