Being heard is part of the leader’s skills and generates tangible results… via intangible knowledge. The successful leader develops interpersonal skills and knowing how to act together. In this article, let’s discuss the skill of “knowing how to be heard”. This competence is linked to political sense and authentic relationships.
The leader doesn’t get anywhere alone. And if he wants to mobilize, he needs to be heard.
To be heard #1: Accept the policy
Politics often gets a bad press. In fact, politics is just the art of influence, and allows the leader to develop the art of being heard and creating satisfying relationships. It’s a great lever for learning and opening.
Yes, politics is positive.
If you choose to be outside the political network of the organization, you put yourself out of the loop to influence the course of events. You always have a choice: to be among those who complain about their environment, or among those who try to influence their environment. Politics has a bad reputation. As in many subjects, we remember the problematic or negative situations more than the good sides. Dig through your memories, look at the leaders who inspire you, and write down their political games. Those who serve to advance a cause greater than themselves!
The relationships established in political games make it possible to be heard.
I now invite you to make a reflection: what are you depriving yourself of by putting yourself out of the loop?
Let’s also talk about authenticity.
Can you be authentic by playing the political game? Certainly!! Above all, this is how you will make your marks. Not comfortable? Here are two tips for connecting with authenticity:
1. Get to know yourself better
To influence effectively, you must first be convinced. Articulating your beliefs around your authenticity means remembering who you are, what motivates you, and what’s important to you.
Then, following this introspective exercise, don’t hesitate to ask your colleagues, family or friends for their opinion, via feedback!
2. Get to know others better
The relationships you create with others will allow you to be heard. See what’s unique in others, develop empathy, and learn about the backgrounds, experiences, motivations, and interests of those around you.
How many contracts are negotiated outside of work (by practicing a sport for example)? How many conflicts are settled over coffee?
The great benefits of this approach are to have a coherent discourse on your issues and the challenges of your environment, and then to forge relationships that will allow you to be heard and also to develop as a leader.
Be heard #2: Influence without convincing
There is a nuance between wanting to convince and wanting to influence. It’s the difference between telling the other person what to do or rather making them see an opportunity (which they may or may not seize). For example, if I want to share my knowledge and experience with an employee and I say, “I’ll explain to you why my method is better than yours”… How do you think the employee will react? I’m willing to bet that he’ll still use or experiment with his own method. (And this, even if he nodded in agreement!)
Humans are looking for meaning.
And part of this meaning that we want is influenced by those with whom we have relationships of trust. So if I want my employee to open up to a new way of operating, I can simply say, “What if it were possible to help the organization deliver value more, what would you do differently?”
The role of the leader is to open the consciousness to new possibilities.
Also pay attention to negotiation: don’t negotiate excessively. Don’t lose the big picture or the long-term strategy. Is your case important to you? Take your time and be strategic!
Be heard #3: Be part of the decisions
One of the frequent challenges of managers is not to manage their team, but to manage their boss and/or senior management!
Your organization’s decisions are made by those with decision-making power: not necessarily the “right” people, nor the “most competent” or the “best.” That’s life. If you could influence key players, you could make a positive difference, right? For this you need to be heard! If you can’t influence, you don’t really make a difference. You do what you have to do, without advancing the cause, the organization or even… your career.
If you have become a manager or want to be, I invite you to make peace with your perception of the levels above you and how they work.
Here is the main tip that can help you be heard in decision-making:
(based on a piece by Marshall Goldsmith in the HBR).
When you present your ideas to your boss or superiors, it is your responsibility to sell the idea.
In other words, it is not up to “them” to “buy” the idea from you, but to you to sell it! It may seem obvious, but I often hear people complain that top management doesn’t listen to ideas. If you want to be heard, get ready!
- Express the benefits: what your idea will bring to the organization (not to you!).
- Talk to them about the impacts: with or without the idea, what the impacts are on the organization.
- Talk about money! All organizations have limits on time, budgets, and resources. Ignoring this takes away from the realism of your idea.
Preparation makes all the difference.
In conclusion
Most of the time when we want to be heard, it’s for something that is close to our hearts: an idea, a project, a career advancement. Never lose sight of your long-term goals, be prepared and:
- Accept the policy
Every organization is political. Don’t exclude yourself from the group if you want to be heard! Play the game with authenticity! DON’T: Avoid politics.
- Don’t convince or negotiate at all costs
No one likes to be convinced, or to be told what to do. Some are simply more polite than others 😉 But behind the curtain, everyone does a little as they please. So invite people to discover new possibilities and be comfortable with whether or not they get on board with your ideas. DON’T: Maintain your position at all costs
- Take action to be part of the decisions
Whether you like it or not, decisions are made, by people who are legitimate in your eyes or not. You have the choice to try to influence them or to suffer the consequences (positive or negative). You are invited to sell your ideas and be part of the decision-making process! DON’T: Assume that if it works once, it will always work.