E2W coach Kat - Make an impact - have an opinion

Katie.Dix / 10 Sep 2019

Kat is leading an E2W event on the 14th November 2019 on 'Leading through change with emotional intelligence.' In this event we’ll give you the opportunity to experiment with some coaching tools that will come in handy whatever your level of experience. This event is kindly hosted by our friends at IHS Markit.

Join this session with Kat to discuss:

the 3 emotional needs that drive us all
the steps that help you guide your team through the change curve
how to leverage your emotional intelligence and lead authentically
practical tips to update your vision, goals and plans to land your messaging
ways to reframe and remove blockers to successful change

Please register for your ticket here.

Make an impact – have an opinion

Oscar Wilde is quoted saying: “Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions.”

Pause and re-read. Harsh isn’t it?

Certainly made me sit back and question where I’m following or repeating others vs. challenging the status quo.

Unfortunately there’s plenty of examples of group think in corporate life. You know - the people who always agree with the boss, or make obvious generic statements like ‘make sure it’s futureproof’, or swerve decision making and make you do the work on another 3-4 scenarios before they’ll commit to action.

It can be easy to sleep walk into bland agreement when what your firm or client really needs is your opinion.

Your voice matters.

So how can we make sure you share it to best advantage? If you want to stand out and be heard, here are 4 points to consider.

Preparation is key to confidently creating an opinion. Read the briefing papers! I don’t mean quickly flick through them on your I-pad at the start of the meeting. If you’re looking to create impact it’s worth reading and checking a couple of facts in advance to form an opinion you can stand by.
If someone beats you to it and expresses your opinion before you do, that’s not a problem. Build on what they said. For example, ‘I agree with Sam - we also need to check the product fit against xyz market and check the cost impact of bringing forward the deadline’. Building shows you’re informed, thinking at pace and not simply repeating someone else. This is also a good recovery if you find people are repeating what you already said 5 minutes ago!
If you can’t get a word in edgeways, making a physical gesture can help (no, not that one!). The idea is to draw attention to yourself to make it easier to interrupt – raising your hand and making eye contact with who is speaking generally works. This isn’t about asking permission to speak - going for the polite interrupt can look powerful and confident.
If you don’t have an opinion, challenge yourself whether you should be there. Is there a technical specialist within your team that would be a better fit? Can you delegate to someone where this would be a stretch opportunity and bring renewed energy? Free up your time to spend on activities where you can add the most value.

I’d love to hear what other advice you’d share to support E2W members to form confident opinions and create an impact.

In the meantime, cheers to your unique perspective and the value this brings. Oscar Wilde – challenge accepted.

Speak soon

Kat

Kat Hutchings is a Leadership & Career Coach working with individuals like you to enhance personal & professional success and find perfect-fit next career moves. Her background in Financial Services leadership roles means she can identify with the challenges and opportunities you face. To enquire about Kat’s coaching programmes, please contact Katie for more information.

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