back-to-fundamentals collaboration
The Peculiar Mathematics of Real Influence
How do you get things done in working relationships where there are no clear lines of authority? In today's interdependent matrixed organizations, most employees no longer answer only to their immediate boss. Rather, we are all fielding requests from—and relying upon—lateral and diagonal colleagues from all over the organization chart. No wonder we are all feeling so overcommitted. And no wonder things too often slip through the cracks, leading to unnecessary delays, errors, and relationship friction. In this environment, how do the most effective go-to people break through?
Bruce shares our decades of research: Learn how to build real influence, practice extreme alignment, get more of the right things done, and beat overcommitment syndrome.
Participants Will Learn:
- What The Authority Conundrum is, why it happens, and how it stalls productivity, damaging working relationships over time
- The importance of alignment in today’s workplace—whether working as part of a team or as an “independent” contributor
- Why establishing alignment helps build true accountability by turning it into a process, not a slogan
- How to “work things out at their own level” and “take charge” without bribing, coercing, bullying, or overstepping their role
Techniques and Best Practices for:
- Aligning vertically, before going sideways or diagonal
- “Going over your own head” at every step, through regular structured dialogue
- Putting more structure and substance into ad hoc, unstructured communication
- Dealing with interrupters and distractors
- Having better meetings and being a great meeting citizen
- Managing relationships in every direction on the organization chart: up, down, sideways, and diagonal
