Talking becomes more important than doing as an executive.
Early in our careers, you are rewarded for what you do: the problems you solve, the projects you finish, the expertise you demonstrate. Talking about what you do is secondary, as your manager can represent your work to the organization.
But that shifts as you become an executive, responsible for getting work done through others. Effective communication becomes critical:
— People may work for days or weeks based on what you tell them. If you fail to provide enough context, a lot of effort could be wasted.
— You are constantly negotiating with your peers and your leaders for resources, both budget and headcount, so your team can do its work.
— You are responsible for representing your team to the organization, advocating for their career development and celebrating their accomplishments.
— You will regularly have difficult conversations, setting a high bar for performance, and holding people accountable when they are not meeting that bar.
What’s particularly difficult about this executive transition is that nobody tells you that your job has changed; they expect you to just figure it out.
I’ve had many clients come to me in frustration that they are no longer exceeding expectations as they once were, or that they can’t figure out what is keeping them from reaching their next level of leadership.
I am often the first person to tell them that doing more is no longer going to be effective for them; they have to pivot to more negotiations and conversations. It’s a completely different approach to their job (more talking, less doing), which is why many people’s careers stall when navigating this transition.
I will be leading a masterclass workshop this fall to share the secrets of this executive mindset, and the different skills you have to develop to succeed at that next level.
If you want to learn more about what we’ll be covering, I’ll be leading a one hour free webinar this Friday, July 26th, at 9am Pacific to introduce the concepts. Please register at https://lnkd.in/g746rhaB to attend (or to receive the recording if you can’t attend live).
I will be opening applications for the masterclass after the webinar. Please DM or email me with any questions – thanks!