The art of making an impact, fast.
Telling & selling, ROI and getting your story straight
When you take on a new project or start a new role the pressure is on. And typically for the leaders I work with, the pressure they put on themselves far outweighs the pressure from elsewhere.
High achievers set the bar high, and it’s a vicious circle. The more success you have, the more you expect of yourself. This means that you constantly have something to prove and are never quite at the point you think you should be.
That ambition and search for continuous growth and stretch is one of the great qualities leaders have and it makes you what you are today. Yet during times of pressure or when your confidence or insecurity gets the better of you, it can work against you.
Starting a new role can often hit the trigger button.
It’s normal to want to prove that you can do what you’ve been tasked with, and to prove to yourself and others that you were the right choice.
Last week I wrote about the trap of trying to be the ‘noun’ (title) rather than focusing on the verb (doing the work). Yet it comes with a caveat.
In an effort to hit the ground running, inner pressure can often take over. You must add value, quickly. You must get things done, quickly. You must prove you are the right choice for the job.
At the extreme that can lead to 'telling and selling’ - trying to convey quickly what you know and why it’s exactly what your new business needs.
Whilst it may show you know your stuff it also risks alienating those you speak to, overlooking what’s really going on and missing opportunities to deliver what will really make a difference.
So how do you get out of your own head, remember who you are and make a strong impact quickly?
Here are seven things to help you build your impact.
Balance: Leadership-level roles are multi-dimensional. If it’s your first time as a leader, you’re likely shifting from a functional role, primarily focused on delivery, to one that has the potential to have a broader strategic impact across the business.
There are five areas that McKinsey suggests that leaders should focus on to make an impact (regardless of technical expertise).
Where do you naturally focus your attention?
What opportunities exist to broaden your learning and action?
What would results could that bring?
Prioritise: When you’ve started to identify priority deliverables, before diving straight into ‘doing’ think strategically about what will get you the biggest return on your investment. Operating in today’s turbulent VUCA environment where everything can change at the drop of a hat, this matrix will help you distinguish quick wins from areas of longer-term investment for your first 6-12 months.
What quick wins can you accomplish to deliver short-term impact?
What needs to be in place to start work on the strategic items?
What needs to be in place so you can make progress on both?
Ask: Prepare 3 or 4 key questions and ask them of every person you meet. People are more likely to be open with you before you have set out your agenda and a relationship based on openness will help build trust. Find out what’s going on and what really matters and you’ll more easily be able to identify which parts of your toolkit and story to draw on. What could your three questions be?
Listen: New challenges demand new skills and a different mindset, and organisational politics are one of the biggest challenges for new leaders. Rob Cross shares some evidence-based ways you can start to build collaborative and impactful relationships, business-wide in this short listen.
Be you: There are many things you won’t be able to control, but the choice to remain yourself is yours alone. Be clear on what you stand for. If you lead a team, tell them. It will be a guide as to what to expect, and what’s expected.
What’s most important to you?
What do you value?
What will you tolerate and what will you not?
Tell a story: Storytelling is a powerful way to create connection, which can lead to valuable and productive relationships - which will ultimately help you get things done. Simon Sinek wrote a whole book about the power of describing your story and your ‘why’.
What story do you tell about your journey to today?
Which parts can you pull on to meet differing stakeholder interests?
Go long: Starting a new job or new challenge is not a one-off event or moment in time. It doesn’t end the day you walk in the door on day one, nor at three months or six. In fact, senior leaders can take between 9 and 14 months to really get motoring. What advice would you give to a colleague embracing a new challenge? And how could you use it?
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