Do you Sometimes have to Step In with Stakeholders because your Senior Execs lack Gravitas?
Do you find yourself using your precious time having conversations and making points that your senior people should be able to make convincingly without you?
Many department heads find it frustrating to have to step in to do the job of others when they barely have time to do their own
Sometimes it's because that staff member doesn't have the strategic perspective, or they don't have the relationships, or maybe they don't have the presence and ability to communicate with authority to this audience.
Will you have to keep using your time and energy this way?
Are You Missing Out on Your Own Career Progression?
The more time you spend covering for senior staff who are not working at a high enough level, the less time you have to be raising the profile of the team and yourself.
If you had 3 days more a month, how could you use it to deliver more strategically, build stronger relationships and initiate high-profile projects?
The greatest rewards and satisfaction come when we are working at the top of our game. Covering for others can reduce the number of hours you spend doing really rewarding work. This is bad for your morale.
Are they Demotivated When You Need to Step In?
If conversations are difficult, staff are no doubt grateful for your support. But the more you step in for them, the weaker they are seen by stakeholders and the harder it is for them to be the one who is listened to next time.
As we all know, knowing the data and being able to present it doesn't make you the 'go-to person' for advice.
Most senior execs can present with authority, but how frequently is their advice specifically sought on commercial issues?
How does that make them feel?
By increasing the gravitas of senior staff, they have more job satisfaction, the stakeholders have more respected points of contact, you have time to work on more high-profile and important work and your team becomes more highly regarded.
How Much Gravitas do your Senior Execs have?
Where do they sit on the Gravitas Ladder?
Perhaps they are at LEVEL 1: Reticent. Their technical skills may be fine but they don't have much presence and you are needed at nearly all their important meetings.
Perhaps they are at LEVEL 2: Responding. Here they respond well to what information requests are made of them. But if you want to get a strategic point across, you have to attend yourself.
At LEVEL 3: Respected. They are listened to but must very much stick to their lane. When you need more commercial input/insight to make a real difference in the business, you need to deliver it yourself.
At LEVEL 4: Required The senior exec is now functioning at a strategic and influential level. Their opinion is sought on business/commercial matters. They have a strong presence in the room whether they are speaking or not. Important meetings don't happen without them. You don't need to step in.
So where are they now and how does it feel to be there? What are your frustrations? How does it affect your time and the reputation of the department?
How would it be if they were at LEVEL 4? What could you get done and how would it feel?
Take a look at this Venn diagram. This is how you're going to get there.
PERSUASION
To be effective we need to make a difference. And to do that, we need to 'sell' our ideas, not just present our information.
Persuasion happens through relationship building, introducing a vision, and engaging an audience formally and informally.
We will use communication and behavioural models to tailor our interactions with stakeholders and to create maximum engagement.
We'll be using rehearsal and role-playing for upcoming meetings and reviewing how it went.
PRESENCE
By identifying motivating role models we will work to alter large and micro-behaviours that deliver the impression of gravitas.
Without demanding attention or being egotistical, we learn how to develop a presence in a room - not just through presenting, but when we are not the 'speaker' at the meeting.
We will look at self-belief, role models, how we regard relationships with others and what our relationship should be.
STRATEGY
Part of gravitas is not just how you speak, relate and behave but what you choose to talk about.
We will work on taking a strategic view and how to express it.
We will work on commercial priorities and the bigger picture.
We will work together and alone to create and communicate strategic views to a stakeholder audience.
WAYDE BULL
FOUNDER AND STRATEGY DIRECTOR, PRINCIPALS
"I've had lots of feedback from the leadership team that they find the communication work and the follow-up that Sara does really useful."
Sara’s personal experience, solid frameworks, and really robust thinking is really helpful.
As the business continues to grow and evolve it requires many more people to be involved in the company and for us to harness those skillsets and talents Sara's frameworks and experience were really useful in helping us to understand each other much, much better and how we could better work with one another.
It's a confronting idea that business is not all just about managing performance and managing numbers. It's about managing people; which Sara's work demonstrates really ably. For this reason, I'd really recommend that management teams open themselves up to the training that Sara provides.
I've had lots of feedback from the leadership team that they find the communication work and the follow up that Sara does really useful.
Does Your Team Need More Gravitas?
Book Your SpotBIANCA DOYLE
GILBERT & TOBIN
I chose the program because I felt I needed to challenge my current working style and thoughts.
I struggled with self-belief and with the way I was perceiving situations that was not helpful.
At first, I felt nervous and confronted – especially coming to terms with being a people-pleaser and putting my worth in other people's hands. But now I feel confident in the change in direction of my thoughts and behaviours.
My constant need to people please has changed immensely.
I was on Level 2 of the Influence ladder, now I am at the top on Level 4. A lot has changed.
I love DISC and understanding how to communicate with the different behaviour styles.
I also liked talking with Sara about real-life scenarios at work and how to approach them differently and that usually involved challenging my perception of the situation.
I really embraced and enjoyed the program.
To anyone else considering doing this program I'd say absolutely do it if you want to expand yourself and become more self-aware.
It would be great for anyone who wants to be more valuable and have a voice at the table.
REBECCA HARRISON
FOUNDER: MOSAIK CONSULTING
"I could not recommend Sara’s coaching highly enough."
It has helped me enormously both to grow as a person, as well as build the necessary resilience and positivity for my new venture, with lots of great frameworks and tips and tricks to fall back on should I waiver!
It's a brilliant mix of carefully curated and thought-provoking sessions, combined with personal check-ins and the flexibility to ensure it is very much tailored to your individual needs and where you want to get to.
There is discipline to ensure you are always building on your learning and can constantly envision and monitor your end goal.
Yet, there is also the ability to spark off Sara’s own diverse career and life experiences.
And it is huge fun too, as Sara makes it all the more enriching with her fantastic sense of humour and making it feel ‘real’ and applicable rather than theoretical and pie in the sky!
Don’t miss out, there are golden nuggets to draw on for a lifetime. Thank you Sara!
How it Works
6 Week Program
- Live On-Line 1.5 hours on Friday at 12 noon
- Plus 2 half hour individual coaching sessions for each person, scheduled when needed (eg rehearsing for an upcoming meeting/conversation)
- 4-6 Senior Research Execs/Analysts (10 yr experience or more) from different client-side companies, different industries
- Chatham House Rules
- Individual Goal-Setting
- Part training, part coaching, tailored to the live needs of the participants within the 3 subject areas
- Minimal homework - usually just putting into practice what we have learned
This Coaching is Right for them if ....
- They are a senior executive/analyst in a consumer/market insights team with more than 10 years experience
- They are technically proficient
- They lack the required gravitas, especially in meetings when they are not presenting
- They are aware of needing to build these skills
- They are prepared to work on these skills and try new behaviours
- You get frustrated because stakeholders revert to you when they shouldn't have to
- You need more time in your week to pursue your leadership responsibilities
This Coaching is not Right for them if ...
- They are not senior and technically proficient
- They are likely to resist behaviour change/trying new things
- You cannot support them to release the time to do the program
- They are unlikely to participate with integrity and honesty.
- You feel uncomfortable about stepping away about letting them develop relationships with senior stakeholders without you (had you considered coaching :)?)
- You are not prepared to delegate responsibility to them (see above)
What They'll Walk Away With
- A refined definition of their role in the organisation putting influence front and centre
- An ability to create a persuasive vision beyond recommendations which others can engage with
- Tips and tricks for increasing your presence in meetings
- A framework for building influential relationships using DISC
- Techniques for managing imposter syndrome
- Energy and vocabulary which enable them to engage others
- A way to increase trust and rapport with others so they can build powerful relationships
- Increased strategic skills
Sara Garcia
Sara is a leadership coach and speaker specialising in empowering leaders and increasing their influence in organisations.
She has a 30 year background in insights and strategic planning.
She works one-to-one with leaders to increase influence, help them be more effective in their organisations and get the roles they want. She also works with teams to increase their impact on the business.
Sara lives to help others discover the fold-out page of their lives in which they discover how much more they have to offer and enjoy, and what they can achieve when they increase their courage and remove their blinkers.
Sara has a background in psychology, a government accreditation for management in the UK, she's built businesses in London and Sydney, influenced global brand strategy for companies including Coca-Cola and Nike and performed on the London stage.
She loves labradors and hates tinned tuna.
