Today's Guest Blogger is Gina Flaig. These Ladies Have "IT" met Gina through the WOMEN UNLIMITED LEAD program that brought the four of us together. Gina was our external mentor through the program and made an impact on our leadership style. Mid-program, Gina challenged each of us to identify our advocates during the program. She was met with blank stares as we each thought about the question and racked our brains for who we could identify as our advocates. Clearly we had work to do in this area. We asked Gina to share with each of you today her position on advocates. She wants this to be interactive, so please respond via the comments section with your responses to her questions.
Think back to when someone spoke highly of you in the workplace when you weren’t there to do it yourself. What that person did for you is called advocating. Advocates are like the wind beneath our proverbial wings.
What I have learned is that many decisions in organizations are made quickly and with much less conversation than most people would expect. Say there was an opening due to a promotion. There are often short meetings or concise emails that bring up a name ie “It’s time for Jaime; let’s move her into a role.” And then, poof, the decision is made and Jaime is in. And some are left wondering, “Why wasn’t it me?”
Sometimes we think that our hard work should speak for itself. And while hard work and results are important, they often are not enough to provide momentum when it comes to your career trajectory. Your skills and performance coupled with others’ familiarity of you and their belief in you is how people make decisions about your future in the workplace. Others need to believe and be willing to stake a claim on your future success to be an advocate. If it was a betting game, they’d need to be placing bets on you.
If you are not sure about the web of advocacy you have spun in your workplace, think about a recent organizational decision, and learn about how the decision was made. When/if the next decision gets made that could benefit you; do the people making the decisions know enough about you? Do they know what they need to know about you? Are they familiar enough with you? Do you have advocates whom can directly or indirectly influence the decision? ASK.
Even a more basic question is identifying who your advocates are or could be. Think about who in your organization knows about you and has praised or complimented you; those who know your value. Spot people whom have organizational “clout” or influence. You might need to do some work here and create opportunities to work with and/or get appropriately noticed by these people. Again, think through your web and get connected. Find a trusted colleague to help you navigate through this process.
Talk with your advocates. Get clear on how they speak of you and with whom. Stay in contact and ask them to be barometers if your workplace currency is ever unstable. If an opportunity comes up and you know your name is in play, ask one or two key advocates to lean in and actively support you. Advocating is not a spectator sport. In the spirit of paying it forward, examine your own ability and willingness to advocate for others.
Please take a few minutes to respond to this blog by sharing one of two experiences: 1) share when you have successfully worked with your advocates to achieve a desired outcome; how did it/has it heightened your workplace “currency” and/or 2) looking back, when did you miss an opportunity to engage with an advocate(s). Share your reflections and how you can reset your connections going forwards. Please share! Can’t wait to hear.
Guest Blogger,
Gina Flaig
When I expressed to an advocate of mine last year that I was not challenged enough in my current role, he recommended me for a special assignment that called for one of my areas of strength. Through the course of the project I was required to connect with many other leaders in the organization and use some of my strongest skills. The opportunity to put my work product in a new arena and interact with colleagues I'd had limited exposure to in the past has increased the value of my currency exponentially. I am called on to consult in far more situations than I had been in the past, and becoming known as an expert in my area.
ReplyDeleteLet your advocates know you are willing to take on more. It's one of the best things you can do to move yourself forward.