Your first job as senior manager is to have an extraordinary vision. Your second is to execute like crazy until that vision comes to life. Do not settle for less… have ‘drive’—have ‘passion’… If you crafted your vision big enough you won’t be able to do it all yourself. You will need a team – a network. Create supporting infrastructure—recall Collins – right bums on—wrong bums off –and the right bums in the right seats. Be prepared to think like eagles not ducks…when dealing with employees, contractors, supplies and ‘partners’.
But there is a problem… once you have the supporting infrastructure how do you harness their ‘energy’?
To answer this question – ask: “Does anyone do anything meaningful without someone asking him or her to, and without promising to do something in return?”
Yes! … You have up to this point made a number of ‘requests’ in your careers– making requests is the thing that causes people to get things done. Want something done? Just ask. Little requests are easy. People will say “yes”.
But as ‘eagles’ you have to make BIG requests… But big requests also present problem… Most of you hate rejection!
So as ducks you have to this date only asked for small things, easy-to-do things, wimpy things.
It’s rare that you ever asked for what you really want. You have up to this point cut back on your expectations. …. An old mental model after this post!
Our scaled-down requests make it easy for others to agree, but those requests get us results far below what we really want. After a while, we just accept the fact that we can’t ask too much from people, and our expectations drop without our realizing it. Wimps!
Here’s a little secret that can make things easier for you: A request is neither a demand nor an order.
When you are ‘asking’ (that’s what makes it a request) people are allowed to say “No”; or they can counter-propose something different. They can renegotiate. They can speak up… In each case, you’ll get something, and that something is always better than nothing. Often it’s a whole lot better.
So go ahead, be unreasonable. Ask for the moon…. Ask for whatever it is you need and want – no matter what. “Ask, and it shall be given you; . . . knock, and it shall be opened unto you…,” If you are going to knock … don’t be meek about it.
Knock on big doors. Knock loudly. Someone might just answer. Keep this strategic thinking concept close to you as you remember the 3 F’s (Fair, Firm and Friendly)…
With thanks to Penelope A Moyers.
