There are numerous benefits to an influential relationship with your boss. It feels good and is a sign of trust and respect. Influence often shows itself via doors opening to broader organizational impact. The invitation to participate in the organization outside your direct role also provides great learning opportunities.
So if we agree it is positive to have this influence, why are many people frustrated that they are not able to experience this type of influential relationship?
Here are a few reasons:
Too many employees are unsure how they are perceived by others (emotional intelligence) and are confused as to why others cannot see their talent.
Here are 3 things you can do to impact the amount of influence on your boss and others around you:
- Earn your stripes by exceeding your objectives. I have seen average ideas by a star performer be implemented and great ideas by a below average performer get rejected. Your performance will greatly impact your ability to be heard and prevent your ideas from not getting dismissed.
- Understand your organization – its vision, mission, values, and strategies. Your ideas, when aligned to your organization’s aspirations, will have a far greater chance of being heard and implemented.
- While maintaining your performance in your current role, look for ways to gain cross-functional experience. Take on an account management role for a customer and volunteer to be a part of sales meetings. Ask your boss how you could gain experience in other areas of the organization. This shows initiative on your part, will give you a rich perspective on how best to work with other departments, reduces the silo affect, and will enhance your visibility to other leaders.
Further to our existing leadership development training experience, Ignitor offers additional flexibility to further contextualize an existing session.