The One Key to Dealing with Senior Executives: Answer the Question! I can’t tell you how many times over the years that I’ve needed to coach people to “answer the question” when dealing with senior executives.
It amazes me to sit in meetings and watch people hem, haw, dodge, extemporize and do just about anything but answer the question they were asked. I have a old friend who used to say that corporate meetings were often “parallel independent conversations” due to two factors: [1] the non-answering of questions posed and [2] the non-listening that comes from people spending all their energy preparing what they want to say next. Both are bad behaviors. But the one that will stall your career inside your company — or wreck a salescall outside of it — is not answering the question. In my career I’ve had the good fortune to meet with many senior executives. They are direct. So the best thing you can do in front of a senior executive is answer the question. Question: On a scale of 1-10 how is the team working? Like this: Like Loading... The Paradox of Indispensability. Organisational behaviour The logic that shapes the first half of your career can leave you trapped in the second half.
Managers make predictable mistakes that, despite their technical expertise and stellar performance, can lead high-fliers to fail to rise to the top. Along with colleagues, I have been teaching about ‘executive derailment’ for many years. It consistently resonates with MBA students and managers alike. This is echoed in my work with senior managers both individually and in teams. I have had many conversations with bitter managers berating the fact that poorer performing colleagues have advanced ahead of them.
In the first half of your career, the game is straightforward. In such cases, job security is high — you have become ‘indispensable’. The curse of knowledge Such individuals rapidly move into managerial positions, where they have to overcome a universal challenge — the curse of knowledge. So, you have demonstrated your expertise and your ability to supervise others. The Manager's Cheat Sheet: 101 Common-Sense Rules for Leaders. Four Destructive Myths Most Companies Still Live By - Tony Schwartz. By Tony Schwartz | 11:17 AM November 1, 2011 Myth #1: Multitasking is critical in a world of infinite demand.
This myth is based on the assumption that human beings are capable of doing two cognitive tasks at the same time. We’re not. Instead, we learn to move rapidly between tasks. When we’re doing one, we’re actually not even aware of the other. If you’re on a conference call, for example, and you turn your attention to an incoming email, you’re missing what’s happening on the call as long as you’re checking your email. On average, according to researcher David Meyer, switching time increases the amount of time it takes to finish the primary task you were working on by an average of 25 percent. Difficult as it is to focus in the face of the endless distractions we all now face, it’s far and away the most effective way to get work done. Myth #2: A little bit of anxiety helps us perform better.
Think for a moment about how you feel when you’re performing at your best.