Coach's Insight: What Decision Makers Need From You To Advance

Over the last 16 years of coaching up and comers, senior managers, and C-suite executives, I have seen where too many of them are unsure of what the decision-makers in their organization are looking for when it comes to leadership, advancement, and overall opportunities. So, they end up waiting for approval or instructions from them before making a move. But let me tell you, that is so not what your bosses want.

In this episode, I bridge the gap between what decision-makers want from you and what you and other leaders actually deliver. We’ll delve into the critical need for initiative, visionary thinking and proactive leadership to set you apart and accelerate your career.

I also cover key leadership skills, from delegation to storytelling, and provide strategies for improving these skills and boosting your visibility within your company.

If you're ready to transition from follower to leader and successfully climb the corporate ladder, this episode is packed with insights you can't afford to miss!

TOPICS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE:

• The disconnect between leaders’ expectations and employees’ actions
• Showing leadership/taking initiative/action
• Thinking big and sharing your strategic vision
• Mastering the art of storytelling
• The importance of delegation and boundaries
• Leveraging feedback for career advancement
• The responsibility of leaders to develop their team
• How to assess and improve your leadership skills

Have questions beyond our discussion about how to become a powerhouse leader? Book a call with me and let’s talk! https://www.coachmebernadette.com/discoverycall

Connect with Bernadette:

https://www.facebook.com/shifttorich

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernadetteboas

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This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.com

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Far too many of you that is, corporate professionals with great aspirations, wanting to be that powerhouse leader too many of you are still beating your head up against the wall trying to figure out how, in fact, can you get noticed, can you get that new opportunity, that new project, that new advancement, how you can gain that mentor, sponsor, advocate that others seem to have, and it's just killing you and it's getting in your head and therefore adding an additional layer of stress for you. So I want to walk through some of my coaches insights around what decision makers are really looking for from you. Because over the years since 2008, when I started coaching from you, because over the years since 2008, when I started coaching, I have found that what the corporate professional is doing and what they're thinking their manager and decision makers want from them is a disconnect to what those decision makers really want, and so I want to help close that gap and really provide some insights to what it is that you could be doing. So that's what this episode is going to be all about. So stay with us. Welcome, welcome, welcome to Shedding the Corporate Bitch, the podcast that transforms female corporate executives into powerhouse leaders by showing them how to shed the challenges and overwhelm, along with any fear, insecurity, self-doubt and negativity holding them back. I'm your host, bernadette Bowes, of Ball of Fire Coaching, bringing you powerhouse discussions each week to share tips, advice and sometimes tough love, so you create the riches in your work and life you deserve.

Speaker 1: 1:47

What do you think your managers, the decision makers in your company, are looking for and expecting of you when it comes to tagging you as high potential, tagging you for the next opportunity, the next project, the next advancement? What is it that you feel and believe that they are looking for from their leaders, such as yourself, in order to be given those opportunities? Oftentimes, in all of my experiences over the last 16 years, when I ask that question of my clients, they can kind of spew it out. They kind of list the various things we're going to talk about, yet, at the same time, when it comes to them actually performing in that manner or acting in that manner, that's where things start to fall apart, and I really want us today to kind of dig into why is that exactly? A simple example of this would be think about the last time or the last performance review you were given, and it's around the time of mid-year performance reviews right.

Speaker 1: 2:59

So I would expect, as your manager or decision maker, I would expect that an individual like yourself, a powerhouse leader, have gone into your performance review feedback that you've been given in the past whether that was end of year before or the mid-year a year ago and really looked into and dissected the feedback that you had been given and the recommendations or actions that your manager may have given to you, and or this could even be a 360 assessment that you have been given. So I would expect that you're dissecting and ripping apart all that information around your strengths, as well as your improvements, and coming up with an action plan in order to then kind of ship those perceptions, because, remember, perception's reality. And yet I find so often, too often, I find that my clients fall short in doing that Initially, initially. That's why I'm there, and so I want you to first consider and kind of even measure yourself on a scale of one to 10. How are you, when it comes to one, really understanding? Therefore asking your manager or decision makers what it is that they expect of you and do you meet those expectations and if not, then what are those that you need to work on?

Speaker 1: 4:29

And or you're also ripping apart your performance reviews, 360 assessments, any type of feedback you've been given from your bosses, your peers, your team members, and really owning it, taking accountability, believing it, because it's perceptions, the reality, and therefore, whether it's good information or it's hard information to take in, you're at least responding to it, meaning you're not defending it, you're not counteracting on it, you're not disagreeing with it, you're, more so, taking it in, receiving it and making changes and shifts that will change that perception. So, barring you know the fact that you're doing that, let's say, then I want to walk through some insights that I've observed, I have gained through my work with my clients, that would ultimately help you, because it's not only coming from my clients, it's also coming from their bosses and their decision makers. You know, a coach has their tentacles into all the people that affect that individual that I'm working with. So the first one would be the fact that they want you to take the lead. What do I mean by that? I will have my clients kind of share with me that they're going to go in and talk to their boss about something that they're working on or something that might be coming up, a big meeting that might be coming up, and they want to get their inputs and their ideas as far as what they should be doing. And I would say, are you going in with a blank piece of paper or are you going in and kind of initiating that plan with that recommendation that you have? Are you initiating that with them? Are you taking the lead to kind of say we have a big meeting coming up. You know, maybe it's with your entire team, maybe it's with the leadership team, maybe it's with the board, whatever the case might be. And here are my ideas and suggestions as far as what we could be doing within my functional area of responsibility, but also what might be beneficial for us as a team.

Speaker 1: 6:47

And far too often the professional, the individual professional, is looking for permission, is looking for the boss to kind of tell them what it is he or she wants done or he or she was thinking about, as opposed to sharing a plan that you've come up with and letting them punch holes in it. And they want you to be doing that, even though you know, all of a sudden, your plan that you've laid out might get shot down. You know every line item might get shot down. They still are looking for you to use your imagination, use your creativity, use your expertise, use your smarts, use your leadership to actually bring the ideas, bring your recommendations, bring you know the issues and the risks and the opportunities. They're looking for you to do that, and I just hear regularly that their plan you know the approach that they're going to take with their boss is going to be going in and trying to understand what it is they want to do, and that's just not what your boss really truly wants.

Speaker 1: 8:01

Now I'll get kind of a counterattack back at me around the fact that, well, they like to dictate what it's going to be done, how it's going to be done. It needs to be their idea, whatever the case might be, and my view on that and my recommendation and coaching on that is so what? Let them ultimately? But you still need to own your leadership, own your responsibility as a leader and make your recommendations, give your ideas, and if it turns out that again they shoot it down, that's up to them. But at the same time, you have also just at least demonstrated and performed in the way that they're expecting, which is of leadership. So take the lead, don't wait for permission, don't wait for them to tell you exactly what it is that they want and how they want it and what it should look like. Take the lead on that.

Speaker 1: 8:58

It also comes down to I should mention this too it comes down to things like if you're having disagreements or conflicts with your peers or with even your team but let's look at it from a peer perspective or there's something coming up that you know, maybe collectively, from that peer team, that your boss is going to be expecting of all of you. Again, she or he is going to expect that you can go and work with your peers, to whether it's hashing out disagreements or hashing out ideas, or coming up with a plan or discussing the recommendations to risk the opportunities and then compiling, you know, a summary of that to then present it to she or he. So it applies across the board. Whether it's something that's just specifically one-on-one you and the boss, or it's even involving other team members, they're looking for you to not have to ask permission from your parent to be able to do what you're supposed to be doing. From a leadership perspective, all right.

Speaker 1: 10:08

And another one would be we always look to the big boss to share with us. You know their vision, their goals, their charter, what expectations that they have for the team, expectations that they have for the team, and also what leadership style and approach they will take individually as the main lead, the main head and the individual professional who's on that person's team doesn't even really know what they stand for individually, what they want, what their expectations are, what their goals are, what their values and vision is for their area and scope of responsibility. And your manager is looking for you to have stand for something. Have stand for something, have a purpose, have a platform, have a charter, have a vision for your area of responsibility, expertise, experience, while at the same time, complimenting what is going on under the umbrella of the whole business or whole team. But they want to know that you also have your own platform that you are then emulating and modeling and demonstrating to your own team members. So know what you stand for, take the lead and know what you stand for.

Speaker 1: 11:40

The other thing that often, often, often often comes up as feedback, specifically when it comes to what decision makers are looking for from those individuals that they're going to tag for opportunities, is that they need to think big and they need to think the big picture. Kind of get out of the weeds, get out of the micromanaging, get out of the details, get out of the how-to and bring it up to a more strategic, visionary, big picture perspective. So what do I mean exactly from that? Because so many of you are kind of heads down, just kind of grinding out tasks on your to-do list and even the opportunity to kind of whiteboard and think strategically and kind of close your eyes and create is just very little time you know is available to you to do that. But let me tell you, your decision makers are looking for you to make it happen, for you to find that white space, for you to find those opportunities. Clean up your to-do list, delegate what's needed We'll talk about that in a minute but they want you to think big picture.

Speaker 1: 13:02

So again, what do I mean by that? Well, when your simple question would be, or simple scenario would be if you're asked, what is it that you're working on, or what is it that you see for the business between now and the end of the year, they're not looking for you to run off a list of tasks that you're working on that are very tactical, technical, operational. They're looking for you to kind of share the bigger. Remember what you stand for the bigger vision, the bigger purpose, the bigger why of what it is that you and your team are responsible for, of what it is that you and your team are responsible for. So it's more about looking to transform the team by implementing processes and providing personal and leadership development, training and really ensuring that we have the right skills and the right staff and making sure that the right individuals are placed in the right roles in order for us to fill gaps but also to prepare for what's coming down the road we're working on. You know, so forth and so on. So they want, kind of, what is your end goal as far as the business is concerned, even if it's your function, not your laundry list of tasks and I happen to actually this triggers a memory.

Speaker 1: 14:25

Just that happened the other day. I happen to be talking to one of my clients and I use this example with him as well, and that is during my podcasts, when I have a guest, which is every other week. I will ask them to tell us a little bit about yourself, about you the person, not necessarily your business and I even prepare them beforehand and explain that what I'm looking for is for my audience, my listeners and my viewers to get to know you as a person, as an individual, as a human, not your resume. So you know you don't need to read off your resume, we'll get to that. So just share with us a little bit about you, like what are some passions or goals or hobbies? Do you have a family, do you have dogs, cats, where do you live? Just so someone can kind of lean in if they connect with that individual or can relate with that individual. And yet when we get into it and I ask them that question, they start reading off their resume. Well, I'm a, you know, a coach, trainer, speaker, and I, you know, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah and no fail. It happens nine and a half times out of 10. And so think bigger is very aligned to that.

Speaker 1: 15:48

Same example is that when you are being asked to share what it is you're working on what it is that you're working to accomplish. They're looking for the big picture. They're not looking for the line items. They're not looking for the line items. They're not looking for the how. They're looking for the why, the how. They know you're gonna get it done. They know you know how to get it done. They're looking for why are you working on this? What is the purpose? What is the value? How is it gonna change the business? How is it going to transform what it is that we do? How is it going to add to the value and the worth of our business? That's what they're looking for. All right.

Speaker 1: 16:29

Then, at the same time and leading out from that would be a subset of that example would be that they want storytelling. They don't want a project plan read to them, and so storytelling would be they want you to kind of paint the picture, let them, you know, kind of live in what it is that you're trying to do and what you're trying to accomplish. Just don't go into the process of it as the way that you're going to present, go into the process of it as the way that you're going to present. So an example of this would be that I see a great deal and I was a partner in it when I was in corporate was if you were to go and you have to give your monthly business readout maybe it's a quarterly, maybe it's a yearly type of readout to the leadership team, to the board, whomever it might be. Oftentimes what I'll see my clients put together and do is kind of all the business metrics, slide after slide of just data, data, data, data, data. That again, high level strategic thinking.

Speaker 1: 17:40

The big picture is not necessarily what they're looking for. I won't even say not necessarily. It's not what they're looking for. Now, I'm not saying that they're not going to ask you to fill out these tablets and follow this guideline. As far as the data that they're looking for, you know, half the time they can't even see it when you're presenting it. They can't even read it because it's so small, because there's so much data. Can you relate to that? What they're looking for is okay. So, yes, you know we see that the business is up or down and you know the margins are not where we want them to be, or they are. We see that. You know the headcount is fluctuating and we have some holes and gaps. All of that information is great, but what they want is the story around it.

Speaker 1: 18:25

They want you to paint the picture of what does this mean to the business, to the daily or weekly, monthly operations of the business. What does it do to the people? What does it do to the ultimate ability for us as a company to accomplish our goals? So you kind of want to work on being a storyteller, not just a PowerPoint bullet reader. Figure a way to paint the picture as to what it is that you're working on and what it is that you're working toward achieving, and what does it mean to the business, what does it mean to the team? What does it mean to the business, what does it mean to the team, what does it mean to the overall operations? And if you can get them, if you can look at it more of a business case so, for instance, a business case you're gonna give them the problem, you're gonna give them the impact that that problem's causing and then you're gonna give them the solution and, ultimately, how that solution is going to be different. And it's going to give them the solution and ultimately, you know how that solution is going to be different and it's going to change or transform. And that's a story, you know. So when people put together business cases, they're looking at it from a story perspective, almost like a movie. You know you have the drama at the beginning and then you have the drama at the beginning, and then you have the fight and the struggle to transform and then you have where there's an aha moment of transformation. Then you have that change happening. It's called the arc of a story, and you can look at any movie or TV show well, not TV show necessarily, but you can look at any type of movie and see that approach, and that's what they're looking for as well. So storytelling.

Speaker 1: 20:05

The next one would be and I mentioned it briefly is they want you to become powerhouses at delegating Because, again, not only they need you to be because you shouldn't be doing certain work that you're doing and don't sit there and shake your head and go no, I'm not Bernadette. No, I'm not. Yes, you are. I see it every day. Every day I see it from clients when I talk to them about their workload and what they're working on and what's causing them stress and overwhelm and burnout.

Speaker 1: 20:34

And we will sometimes we will get into actually looking over their to-do list and they'll acknowledge that, yes, they're working on certain things, right before they say all the reasons or excuses as to why. And so what instead I would want you to work on is certainly there's a why. There you might be understaffed, you might just need to get it done because there's a tight deadline, so forth, and so on. But you have to ask yourself another why? Why can't I just let someone else get that done. Why can I not ask for a delay? Why can I not say no? Why can I not do a lot of other things in order for you to still be able to open up white space so you could be doing that big picture thinking and strategizing and creating that we talked about earlier?

Speaker 1: 21:24

You definitely need to ensure that every time you're looking at your to-do list, you're also, you know, having conversations with your team about their to-do lists and you're supporting each other in identifying what's most critical and what's not, supporting each other in identifying what's most critical and what's not. You know what can be delayed, what can be deleted, what can be delegated or done, and so, if you can really become a master delegator, prioritizer, open up white space is the ultimate goal of this. Open up white space to where you can work with your people to develop your people you can work to, you know, look at the big picture and strategize and create and propose new ideas. That is what your people are looking for, your decision makers are looking for. Another one would be when it comes to delegating that I had mentioned. You know we could look at it one way, two ways, I'm sorry. Set boundaries or say learn to say no. So let's go with, become a master of saying no, which means that you're setting boundaries Too often.

Speaker 1: 22:31

Someone's throwing tasks at you and it could be your boss and you automatically take it without questioning you know the deadline, without questioning the priority, without questioning your workload, without even asking them. All right, I understand, you need this by tomorrow. I have these three other things that I also need to have done by tomorrow. Where should yours fall? Or which items you recommend get removed from my to-do list in order for me to now finish this new task. And again you might be sitting there going yeah, that wouldn't work with my boss. I would challenge you, as your coach, to say have you even tried? Because I have found, not only for myself but for my clients, that once they start asking for priority, for the objective of the task that is, driving the priority or the due date, that oftentimes someone will all of a sudden say you know what? You're right, I don't need it till the end of the week or I can't remove any of these other things on your plate. So therefore, let's figure out another way that we can get it done, even if it has to be on the deadline, original deadline that was given.

Speaker 1: 23:49

So you really want to work on becoming a powerhouse delegator and a master individual saying no. That goes also your personal life as well. You need to not say yes to everything. No is a two-letter word and it's a beautiful word, it's a powerful word, and if you're everyone working with me and you share with me that you're burned out, you don't have any work-life balance. That's where we're going to go. We're going to get into your prioritization, your ability to say no, you're delegating, and why exactly aren't you able to do any one of those three things, or all three?

Speaker 1: 24:31

I would want you and your decision makers want you to be a feedback seeker, and this comes in not two forms, but there's two elements of this. One is you need to be seeking feedback. You don't wait for your performance reviews to seek feedback. You seek feedback on a regular basis. If you all of a sudden were presenting at a meeting and you leave, you seek feedback If you all of a sudden went into a conference or a summit, or maybe it's a company-wide type of social engagement. You seek feedback as far as how you showed up, how you presented, how you engaged, how you were effective with your team members, so forth and so on. You're always wanting to seek feedback. Now, the second element of that that I mentioned is you need to take it. I mentioned this at the very beginning. You need to own it and take it.

Speaker 1: 25:29

So, again, people will be given feedback, whether it is ad hoc, you know, when they really want to understand how they performed or how they presented or showed up, as well as very structured in your performance reviews, 360s, so forth, and so on. And they get this feedback and it specifically says what they're really strong at and what needs to be worked on. And, as their coach, I will sit there and work with them to really ensure that they're leveraging those strengths. But they're also coming up with action plans as far as what they're going to do about the areas of improvement, and we'll lay it out and then I'll work with them to track how they're doing against them. And even in the very next session, it kind of like went in one ear and out the other and it wasn't sticky for them. So then you have to look at okay, so what's going to make it sticky for them? Meaning they looked at it, they came up with the plan, they own it and they act on it.

Speaker 1: 26:32

I mean, I have some clients that are extremely strong action oriented individuals and they'll often be that, those individuals that will take feedback and just go with it. And then there's others the vast majority who will get those feedback even through formal 360 self-assessments, performance reviews, surveys, whatever the case might be, and they kind of never own it, they never kind of take accountability for it. And therefore the next six month review or the next set of feedback that they're given kind of is even more harsh because there hasn't been any shift, any change, any transformation, any recognition, acknowledgement, accountability toward what it is that they've been given as feedback. And nothing is more frustrating for the giver of that feedback when someone doesn't respect it and they don't hear it and they don't take accountability for it. Nothing's more frustrating for them than that. And then it's detrimental to the individual who received the feedback. Because, trust me, when I say you start adding ticks of the fact that, okay, I've told you this before, I've told you this before, nothing's changed, I told you this before and you pretty much can take belief that that's working against you.

Speaker 1: 28:05

You might have just pulled yourself off a list for an opportunity for an advocate, for a sponsor, whatever the case might be feedback seeker and seek out feedback good, bad or indifferent from all levels and all areas of the business, not only your team, but your peers, bosses, senior bosses, other functions. You work with other businesses, you work with even your vendors 360 and get that feedback. And it doesn't have to be formal meaning you don't have to be given a formal 360 to go out and get that feedback. And it doesn't have to be formal, meaning you don't have to be given a formal 360 to go out and get 360 feedback. You could take it upon yourself to seek it out. And then that second element is don't waste anybody's time if you're not going to own it and say, hmm, I may not believe this feedback. However, perception someone's perception is the reality of you and therefore the reality is they need you to do X, y and Z and they feel that you are really strong in one, two and three. So you have to seek it and then act on it.

Speaker 1: 29:14

Okay, and the last one would be you need to be a people developer. And I can't say this enough to my audiences, to my clients, to the teams that I work with you have to develop your people, you have to make a concerted effort and again think big picture. You have to make a concerted effort and again think big picture. You know those strategies and ideas and recommendations and business cases that we talked about you need to be presenting and you need to be acting on how you're going to develop your people. This isn't about you getting developed and you getting advanced and you, especially, if you want to be tagged as a high potential, new projects, opportunities, advancements, advocates, sponsors and mentors you need to demonstrate and to actually act on being a people developer. You need to acknowledge and recognize the skills and the gaps that are on your team. What's needed today? What's needed down the road? Therefore, how do we fill the gaps? What are your plan for training? How are you going to give them coaching and mentoring? You individually need to do that.

Speaker 1: 30:36

Now I will mention I'm often told well, isn't that HR's job for them to come up with that? Well, first off, hr needs to kind of live on your hip. Your HR representative, your team, need to be strategic partners with you, so you're both always looking at the people side of the business, because that's what business is. It's about the people. It's not about the processes. It's not about the operations, it's not about the processes, not about the operations, not about the policies and rules. It is about the people. And so one become really good friends with your HR partner, like partner with them, and then even work with them to always be putting and thinking about how you're going to up-level, fill gaps, operationalize your team to where they're you know, high-performing productivity, efficiency, effectiveness, so forth and so on, because that will ultimately make you and develop you into the powerhouse leader that you are meant to be and your decision makers want.

Speaker 1: 31:41

All right, so those are some insights, coaches' insights in regards to what decision makers are looking for. So what I would recommend you do as a last tip is I would recommend that you go through this list that I just gave you and I'll read them off really quick and I'm gonna glance over just because I won't remember all of them in the order. But so take the lead, know what you stand for, think big picture, be a storyteller, become a delegator powerhouse. A delegator powerhouse Okay, delegator powerhouse, master, saying no. Be a feedback seeker, and I'll call it an action taker when it comes to that feedback. We talked about those two elements.

Speaker 1: 32:30

And then be a people developer. So figure out. You know where you are. Rate yourself, do a self-assessment Scale one to ten, where am I? You know from weakest to strongest for each of those individual qualities and traits and expectations your decision makers have of you, and see where you can be improving and where you can be focused on and where you can start taking action on. So, three months down the road, six months down the road, a year down the road, you're a completely different individual and if you are in any way struggling to really understand how you can go about doing that, go and learn a little bit more about us at Ball of Fire Coaching and what we do to really support HR managers, individual professionals and executives, and with the coaching and the training that we provide.

Speaker 1: 33:19

And then, if you want to talk and allow me to help you specifically walk through those items and identify which ones you're really strong at and which ones need some work, and provide you some tips and strategies we can even work on, you know, that action plan that we discussed. Then also book some free time with me. Go to coachmebernadettecom. Forward slash discovery call. Let's talk for 30 minutes, and trust me when I say that 30 minutes will be powerful in getting you moving forward toward achieving the goals that you have for yourself. All right, I'm so happy that you are here for this week of Coach's Insights and I'll look forward to having you here for this week of Coach's Insights and I'll look forward to having you here for another episode of Shedding the Corporate Bitch. Thanks and bye.