All of us have been there. We have been working day in and day out, sometimes for years. We work hard, but we’re not included in the leadership. Why? Why?
The Five Principles
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Get Curious
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Lead data
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Add Value
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Be aware of yourself
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Build Relationships
It’s not because building relationships is less important. Earning strong relationships is an important part of earning your seat at the table. All of the information I will be covering is designed to help you build strong relationships, and to secure your seat at the leadership table.
Since 2008, I have worked in Talent Acquisition and led TA teams. Throughout my TA career, I have reported to HR leaders or executives who are not primarily focused in recruiting. It’s not uncommon for TA leaders to report directly to an HR leader or executive who isn’t primarily focused on recruiting.
Early on in my career as a leader, I had to struggle with earning my place at the table. I was regularly coached to be “more strategic” and “data-driven”. For years, I struggled to implement this feedback. I eventually moved to a different organisation where I did not have the same relationships or historical context. I used to rely on relationships for my success (and I actually relied more than I realized). I needed to quickly take a new approach.
What has worked for me?
1.Get curious
No matter how solid your relationships are or what you do, being curious is a great asset.
Start by asking yourself the following questions:
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What frustrates my cross-functional colleagues?
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What is my stakeholder not understanding?
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Why are my direct report motivated?
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What does my leadership team want to know better?
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What are the challenges that my customers face?
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Why do we do it this way?
Imagine some of your best conversations, whether they were personal or professional. Most of the time, these conversations were positive because they were a result of genuine curiosity and interest that other people had for you and your work. How do you think your favorite manager or coach would approach a conversation with you? I’d bet they ask questions first and are curious.
2. Lead with Data
It’s time now to put our curiosity to work. It can be a bit overwhelming and daunting. What do I look for?
I am a recovering perfectionist and getting started has been the most difficult part. Your curious mind will help you get started. Start looking at the data you have as an HR leader or practitioner – retention rates, completion of performance management, employee engagement, tenures, interview passthrough rate, time to fill and compa ratios. Consider yourself a detective. Look for patterns, anomalies or areas of improvement.
Before you make conclusions, I urge you to let data lead.
If you find patterns or areas of interest, dig deeper. Do the patterns persist over time? Do you notice any differences in the patterns based on functional areas, leaders or geographical area?
Bring the data to your conversation once you have explored and become familiarized with it. Keep it simple if this is a new area or one that you are less familiar with. Start by incorporating it into your regular updates (e.g. Weekly or monthly updates are a good place to start. Once you are more confident, begin to include data in your written communications. Include screenshots of graphs, tables and/or summaries. It is not necessary to formalise everything. This is about being data-informed. Which brings me to the next point.
3. Add Value
It is becoming more and more well documented, researched, as well as widely discussed, that adding value to your organization, boss, or those around you, will earn you a place at the table of leadership. This value-add should and can be for your organization, your boss and others around you.
Alison Fragale is a leading professor and expert in negotiations. She wrote Likeable Badass, How Women Get the Success They Deserve. Allison’s book, a “delightful blend of life hacks and behavioural science”, tells the story of an employee named Kate who rose quickly up the ranks in her company. How? Kate was always trying to improve the way other people saw her. She had a goal of making life easier for leaders. Kate was always on the lookout for ways to help and would step in without being asked. She earned the title of “problem-solver” and her seat at the top table.
Full disclosure: Alison was a brilliant prof of mine. I highly recommend reading her Likeable Badass Book!
One of the ways that HR professionals often overlook to add value is to lead with data. Being known as data-informed and a leader in data analytics can be a great way to do this. As you become more familiar with data, more colleagues and leaders will seek you out. This creates a positive feedback loop. You can still be a valuable contributor to conversations and larger decisions, even if you are not a data expert.
4. Be aware of yourself
It’s crucial to remain self-aware as you explore opportunities to be curious, to lead with data and to add value. Asking yourself these questions is crucial.
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How is the macro-environment or business environment in which I am involved?
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Now is the time to bring up these questions?
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Will this conversation help our business to succeed?
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What are the other priorities of my boss and my colleagues?
After reflecting on these questions, you may decide that it’s not the right time to present a creative idea. You can use these moments to introduce your idea and say that you will revisit it next week, next month, or next quarter. You acknowledge the importance of the work, but also show that you are aware of the priorities of others and the larger picture. You will be seen as a team-player who is also a leader.
5. Relationships are important
In our daily work, it is easy to forget about the relationships. We can get tunnel vision when we are working on a particular project, deadline or major initiative. We want to see it succeed. The relationships that we develop along the way will ultimately determine our success.
In recent years, the concept of a “sponsor” versus a “mentor” has gained more popularity. This is an important component of relationship-building. It is important to never stop learning, and we should always seek out mentors. Sponsors are people who hold positions of influence and power in our organization and have a place at the table.
Add value to your sponsorships and you will build relationships. They will be your advocates and help you get a seat at the top table. Kate Den Houter, a Gallup representative, said that “no one climbs up the corporate ladder by themselves.”
Final Thoughts
After we have worked through the five principles, our goal is to incorporate each of them into your daily life. These principles are not meant to be a check-list, but rather an attitude. This is also a reminder that gaining a place at the table of leadership does not necessarily mean a promotion or a change in title.
It’s about being present, contributing and learning. As you move from this position, your seat at the table becomes less about permission and more about presence. Here is where real leadership begins.
