ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN MEDICAL COLLEGES

Hard Work and Talent Aren’t Enough: Developing Political

Savvy and Managing Key Relationships

7/29/10

Janet BickelCareer and Leadership Development Coach

Diagnose Yourself:•Am I comfortable attracting attention?•How good am I at articulating my goals?

•Do I present ideas in a convincing and open manner?

•Do I contribute on multiple levels in meetings?

•Do I successfully negotiate for what I need?

•Do influential people know about my work?

•Am I expanding my circle of colleagues?

•Am I increasing my capacities for handling conflicts?

Speaking up about Speaking up about Your Goals and Your Goals and

AccomplishmentsAccomplishmentsProblem/Opportunity

• What needs to be fixed?

• What are the opportunities and challenges?

Action: What will you do?

Result/Benefit: What difference will you make?

PRACTICE TIMEYou are sharing a 30-story elevator with the new chair. She says “Please tell me about your work.”

Using a PAR, make a positive, memorable first impression.

Close with a bridging question

Managing “Up” means developing a pattern of interaction

with your boss that produces the best results.

Seek to understand her:• “Big picture” ie, goals, priorities,

pressures• Limitations and blindspots• Preferences re communications

NB: You don’t need to like your boss

From your boss’s point of view:• What will you do for me

tomorrow?• Do you communicate effectively?• How do you show respect?• Do you keep the boss informed?• Use boss’s time well?• Do you express appreciation?

• Solicit and use feedback?

• Bring solutions to problems?• How do you handle

disagreements?

Disagreements with your Boss

Did conflict or tension arise from:• Different measures of

performance?• Different goals?• Your failure to produce? • Your failure to negotiate?• Your boss is a bully/

manipulator/passive-aggressive• ??

Why is conflict ubiquitous?

•Conflict is a natural consequence of competition and diversity, bringing into the open different goals and ways of thinking.

•Identify what you have in common, shared aims and needs, and where you can achieve some progress, then work to build receptivity and allies.

[Why do we expect others to change just because we can’t easily meet our goals with them?]

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLESCONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLESRELATIONAL

CONCERN

Concern for self-interest

Accommodate

Collaborate

Avoid Compete

Source: Thomas-Kilman Conflict Mode Instrument

Compromise

Core Skills for Effective Conversations• Skillful Self-monitoring– Notice your reactions– Ask yourself “what ‘story’ am I telling myself?”

• Skillful Listening and Inquiry – Ask questions that encourage the other to go

deeper– Let the other person talk without interruption

• Skilled Advocacy– Explain the structure of your thinking– Ask for help in understanding your thinking

Communication begins with Listening

– Listening with curiosity increases chances of hearing what people are not saying

– accurately attuning to

others saves time and increases your impact

– What tends to keep you from being fully present?

ONE MOUTH

TWO EARS

Automatic Listening

•Right/Wrong

•Win/Lose

•Agree/Disagree

•Good/Bad

•Either/Or

Generative Listening

•What could make that possible?

•What could that allow us to do?

•What goals could that idea advance?

•What do you see that I don’t?

•Say more

Combine Advocacy with Inquiry• Identify your assumptions and goals, and

ask others to do so.

• Explain your reasoning and intent [“This is why I’m raising this and how I arrived at this conclusion…How about you?”]

• Ask for help in understanding your own thinking [“I appreciate that I may be missing something here…. How do you see it?”]

• Use and ask for specific examples

‘PEARLS’: Relationship-building affirmations

• Partnership I really want to work on this with you.

• Empathy It sounds like that was hard for you.

• Acknowledgment You put a lot of work into that.

• Respect I value your commitment.

• Legitimization This would be hard for anyone.

• Support I want to see you succeed.

In Pairs

*What changes are you willing to work toward to increase your communication and relationship skills?

*Where will you start?

ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN MEDICAL COLLEGES

*Learn about the systems you work in

*Study people; get better at predicting behaviors

*Lead “from the middle”--identify where you can achieve some progress, then build receptivity to shared goals

*Recognize when you’re making snap judgments--ask more questions

*Build communication and collaboration skills

*Anticipate conflicts

Increasing your Political Savvy

In Pairs

*what changes are you willing to work toward to increase your organizational savvy?