3 game plans to meet your match in 2021
Looking back on a busy year as an Agile and Performance Coach in large and small workplace environments, here’s my best moves based on experiences in the ring.
Type 1 — The New Guy
New in the gig, this aspirational leader is role modelling greatness. She or he is finding her management style and looking for opportunities to lean in and get outcomes and success for her Program of work.
For this scuffle between your style and theirs, try these moves:
- Bring her on the journey — don’t wait till it’s perfect
- Establish a proof of concept early, a working prototype that utilises practical examples
- Listen to understand and ensure this Stakeholder feels acknowledged and heard
- Be ready to tell the story in why the solution works, concisely and with your practical example.
An example of this is a tooling change that was happening.
Type 2— The Commander
A leader dedicated to empowered teams, an advocate for decentralised command and passionate about navigating environments, whether stormy or calm, meeting the needs and ventures of her teams to help them strive for greatness — as she knows the whole organisation will reap the collective reward.
The Commander is experienced in battle, so think and plan carefully — try this:
- build trust through authenticity
- demonstrate through story that your outcome moves towards an outward mindset, thinking of others before you think of yourself
- know that she is loyal to those that have been with her or an organisation for a long time, much more loyal than ever to you
- understand who has her ear, or trust, and manage them carefully
- tell your story through data that she is familiar with
- be there to support and back your team mates, whether you’re 100% there, or tired and not able to contribute
- be decisive and assertive in your work
Type 3 — The Artist
The Artist is passionate about his values, and although seems distracted and not present at meetings, he is in fact listening intently. He is intuitive and doesn’t get personal with anyone.
The Artist is playful, child like and loves a tussle, especially when you surprise them. Give this a go:
- surprise him — give him information he can’t get from others, that sets you apart as a resource, that nurtures his team
- endorse and validate his choices, and build onto them
- only speak when you have something that adds value to the context, or he’ll lose interest
- be absent, rather than not 100%
- carefully counter those that attempt to influence him — do this with authenticity and storytelling through pride in your work.
Carefully observe your stakeholder and note their behaviour, what they value and how they behave with others.
Decide, plan and act with intention — and the outcomes will carry you to a win.
