™Marketing Magazine Issue 16 | Page 21

Dr . Marshall Goldsmith
INFLUCING DECISIONS
Before speaking it is generally good to ask four questions :
• Will this comment help our company ?
• Will this comment help our customers ?
• Will this comment help the person that I am talking to ?
• Will this comment help the person that I am talking about ?
If the answers are no , no , no , and no – don ’ t say it ! There is a big difference between total honesty and dysfunctional disclosure .
SUPPORT THE FINAL DECISION OF THE ORGANIZATION – DON ’ T SAY , “ THEY MADE ME TELL YOU ” TO DIRECT REPORTS .
Assuming that the final decision of the organization is not immoral , illegal or unethical – go out and try to make it work ! Managers who consistently say , “ They told me to tell you ” to co-workers are seen as ‘ messengers ’ not leaders . By demonstrating our lack of commitment to the final decision we may sabotage the chances for effective execution .
A simple guideline for communicating difficult decisions is to ask , “ How would I want someone to communicate to their people if they were passing down my final decision and they disagreed with me ?” Treat decision makers in the same way that you would want to be treated if the roles were reversed .
MAKE A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE – DON ’ T JUST TRY TO ‘ WIN ’ OR ‘ BE RIGHT ’.
We can easily become more focused on what others are doing wrong , than how we can make things better . An important guideline in influencing up is to always remember your goal – make a positive difference for the organization .
When I was interviewed in the Harvard Business Review , I was asked , “ What is the most common ‘ area for improvement ’ for the executives that you meet ?” My answer was , “ Winning too much .” Focus on making a difference . The more other people can ‘ be right ’ or ‘ win ’ with your idea , the more likely your idea is to be successfully executed .
FOCUS ON THE FUTURE – ‘ LET GO ’ OF THE PAST .
One of the most important behaviors to avoid is ‘ whining ’ about the past . Have you ever managed someone who incessantly whined about how bad things are ? When people consistently whine , they inhibit any change they may have for impacting the future .
Successful people love getting ideas aimed at helping them achieve their goals for the future . They dislike being ‘ proven wrong ’ because of their mistakes in the past . By focusing on the future , you can concentrate on what can be achieved tomorrow , as opposed to what was not achieved yesterday . This future orientation may dramatically increase your odds of effectively influencing decision makers .
In summary , think of the years that you have spent ‘ perfecting your craft ’. Think of all of the knowledge that you have accumulated . Think about how your knowledge can potentially benefit your organization . How much energy have you invested in acquiring all of this knowledge ? How much energy have you invested in learning to present this knowledge to decision makers – so that you can make a real difference ? My hope is that by making a small investment in learning to influence decision makers , you can make a large , positive difference for the future of your organization .
At the recent Thinkers50 ceremony in London , Dr . Marshall Goldsmith was recognized again as the World ’ s # 1 Leadership Thinker and # 1 Executive Coach . His newest book , Triggers , is a # 1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal best seller , as well as an Amazon Best Business Book of the Year .
Marshall ’ s professional acknowledgments include : Harvard Business Review and Best Practices Institute – World ’ s # 1 Leadership Thinker , Global Gurus , INC and Fast Company magazines – World ’ s # 1 Executive Coach , Institute for Management Studies – Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Teaching , American Management Association - 50 great thinkers and leaders who have influenced the field of management over the past 80 years , BusinessWeek – 50 great leaders in America , Wall Street Journal – top ten executive educators , Economist ( UK ) – most credible executive advisors in the new era of business , National Academy of Human Resources – Fellow of the Academy ( America ’ s top HR award ), World HRD Congress ( India ) – global leader in HR thinking . His work has been recognized by almost every professional organization in his field .
MarshallGoldsmith . com
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