When a new assignment, project or job carries the caveat – it’s a bit political – be very careful.
Costas came on our third call and immediately I could tell that he had news.
We had been doing some preliminary work to reposition him with the global IT leadership team, and to start thinking differently. To date, he has built his brand on hard delivery of tough/big projects, but lately has found this out of favour.
“Good news, I’ve been offered a new project based in Seoul. It’s will take 50% of my time and is a major challenge. The boss has said it’s a bit political, and I’ve been sold in to save it.”
“Fantastic, tell me more.” I’d love to say it was down to me but, I think that this had been brewing for a little while, and I just came along at the right time to help Costas land it.
Costas went on to say that he has been asked to go in and fix a massive project that is struggling. His boss in the US explained that it’s political because the delivery reputation of IT Global is haemorrhaging. The whole IT Leadership is sensitive to this, and the pressure from the business leaders is growing fast – annoyed by the delays and rapidly growing costs.
So, Costas was preparing to roll up his sleeves and get started, doing what he does best – fixing delivery projects. Just waiting for the communication and then he can start.
“But wait. Let’s consider what you are about to walk into.”
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Here are the main items we discussed, and would be useful for you to consider if you are about to walk into danger:
- What expectations have been set with key stakeholders about Costas’ role?
- What expectations does his boss have (and this boss’ boss/peers and other senior IT leaders)?
- How does the project impact the agendas/objectives of the most powerful stakeholders?
- What is the optimum role to best fit all of these different expectations?
- How will this fit with Costas’ career goals/medium-term objectives?
- What needs to be influenced about this assignment/role?
- How can he use this to leverage greater impact and influence across the business, and with the senior IT leadership team?
It didn’t take long to run through these, although there were plenty of unanswered questions. Costas now has to move fast to find the answers he needs to be able to get moving safely, and make a major contribution.
On our next call, we will be building his influencing strategy around some new goals focused on this “political” project.
So, if you are ever handed a new assignment that carries the “it’s a bit political” warning, proceed with extreme caution. Never, ever, just roll your sleeves up and get stuck in, fixing the obvious problems. Never!
Case Study Disclaimer
The purpose of this case study is to provide relevant inspiration to those in similar positions. Although this article is based on a real client, they have been completely disguised, and information has been changed to protect their anonymity. This has been done with the explicit approval of the individual concerned.
Colin Gautrey
Provocative Coach/Mentor | Specialism: Impact and Influence
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The Gautrey Unleashed Blog
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