Gautrey Unleashed

Exercise: Protecting Integrity

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Take a blank piece of paper and quickly brainstorm all of the things which you think are important values/beliefs when dealing with other people (e.g. “tell the truth even if it hurts”; “treat people as humans not numbers”; “you’ve got to be cruel to be kind”; “people should want to do what you want them to do”). Try to fill the side. Now turn over and Read More

Are You a Bully? Are You Sure You Aren’t?

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Hmmm, what are you doing here ― reading this? If you’ve been attracted by the title of this, there is a fair chance you may have a nagging feeling that something may be wrong. I’d also guess that you are generally a caring sort of person too, full of great intentions ― but perhaps, shall we say, a little on the determined side? Yes, I know, you’re misunderstood. To be frank, if you are a bully and don’t care, you probably will not have got this far. At the opposite end of the scale, if you are here because you are being bullied, make sure and read to the end. The problem for ambitious people is Read More

Consorting with the Enemy

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If you want to reduce your stress when managing stakeholders, realise that you do not necessarily have to go into battle with your enemies and adversaries. Many diligent and capable people spend an unnecessary amount of time and energy engaging with these people, which can be soul destroying. They are hard work because they are opposed to you, and your relationship with them is poor. Rather than automatically focus your stakeholder management effort on engaging with these troublesome characters, step back and first understand them. Gain a measure of what they are about, what they are capable of ― and then make clear decisions about your strategy. Ignoring them is not an option. To challenge your understanding, use these questions and find the gaps in your knowledge which need to be filled before you take action. So, with a particular adversary Read More

Are You an Ethical Influencer? 21 Questions

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It is very rare that I meet an unethical influencer ― thankfully! However, there are many I meet whom I wonder about. They operate on the fringes of integrity, in my view. Trouble is, as I have explained elsewhere, integrity means different things to different people. Right and wrong quickly descend into “it depends”. And this is a growing dilemma given the global diversity so many of us now live with. When I am training people about influence, perhaps conveniently, I often dodge the ethical question. Partly due to the wide divergence of opinion, but mainly because I want people to take responsibility for their own actions ― at the end of the day people on my training workshops have to live with their own conscience. Yet, I do have an increasingly clear personal notion of Read More

Group, Organisational, Formal and Informal Power

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You will probably have noticed that much of the phrasing above suggests personal ownership of assets or skills. This is true; however, the same also applies to groups of individuals or even entire organisations. The combined effect of their individual assets and skills can become far more than the sum of their parts. This is what we usually refer to as group or organisational power. Common statements we hear about power include:
  • “Marketing has the power to push that one through.”
  • “How come Sales always seem to get what they want?”
Although much of this is related to the combined Read More

Exercise: Informal Groups in Your Organisation

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Without doubt, if you aspire to a senior or influential position in any organisation, you will need to open your eyes and see the social structures within it. This exercise will help you to apply your learning to the setting where you wish to be successful. It assumes that you have already read other articles, such as Navigating Informal Group Dynamics and Power and Informal Groups (see below). As with most exercises, it helps if you can get together and discuss this with one or more colleagues. What informal groups exist around Read More

Navigating Informal Group Dynamics

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In order to maximise your success, you need to be able to understand and influence decisions made by informal groups which exist in your organisation, particularly those with power.

Formal Groups

The formal structure of your organisation is often based on the primary functions. Additionally, you can get cross-functional groups. This is the way in which power is officially distributed around Read More

Power and Informal Groups

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You can imagine that the level of power owned by an informal group consists of the sum of the personal power of each individual member. As with other ideas, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. However, this power is often latent or impotent. A group will only be able to benefit from its combined power assets if:
  1. The group has an identity recognised by the members.
  2. The key members have some form of organisational agenda or purpose.
  3. They are mobilised to act.

Development Stages

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Exercise: How Power Works in Your Organisation

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It is not sufficient to just read about power, you need to think about it too. How does what you are reading relate to the environment where you work, or you wish to be successful? That is the purpose of this exercise. Naturally, we are assuming that you have already read the references below which provide the background concepts and ideas. Take around 30 minutes and consider the following questions... Read More

Are You Too Nice to Get Ahead?

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Many people rising through the ranks gain their success and promotion by getting the best out of others. Motivating, encouraging and, well, being nice. They consider the goals and dreams of others and find ways of harmonising their own goals with others' so they can get a great result for everyone. However, it is not unusual at elevated levels for them to be told by their boss, "You're too nice". Many of the nice guys I've coached who have had this levelled at them (and there have been quite a few) find it hard to come to terms with this feedback. To accept Read More

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