Stop Playing Small - how a BIT of CHANGE can make a BIG IMPACT

If there is one thing I learned over the course of my career to date, it’s that no-one will invite you to have an impact.

It’s not in your job spec, it’s never discussed in team meetings but it’s one of the big things that if you learn to do this it will have a disproportionate beneficial impact on your career.

As employees it’s what we desire most isn't it? To feel like we make a difference. A basic human need you might say. Ultimately it leads to a sense of being valued…….a sense of being needed and respected.

As a manager, it’s what we need most – individuals and teams that make a difference. Teams that have impact and can cut-through?

So if this is true - then why do so many of us sit small, quietly, sometimes feeling frustrated that we don’t have the opportunity to create more impact….to make more of a difference? Feeling frustrated that we’re not seen or noticed. That we don’t get the opportunities that perhaps others get. 

You might not know it…….frustrated or not, the truth is that yes, you have talent, but perhaps, just perhaps you’re playing too small?

You know you have much more to give…..but you believe you need to be given the chance!

If this is you, or even sometimes you, perhaps it’s time to change. C’mon, what the hell are you waiting for?

Guess what folks? Playing BIG or bigger is a choice, there’s no gatekeepers and it’s not a space reserved for a select few. It’s free to enter, there is no exclusive club.

Let me take you back to an interesting point in my career.

It was 2:30 in the afternoon as I sat, not really knowing what to expect. 

I only waited a few minutes – despite his seniority, he didn’t keep me waiting [no apologies my friends, but keeping people waiting makes them feel like they don't matter!]. 

I recall the meeting distinctly. I couldn’t believe that I was sat in front of one of the most respected leaders in the industry in which I worked.  I’ll name no names but suffice to say, that whilst I felt it took every ounce of courage to decide I needed to meet him, personally, face to face, I'm so glad that [in the words of Susan Jeffers] I just "Felt the fear and did it anyway!!

At the time I was very driven, my career had really been motoring but I was, for the first time, starting to feel a sense of stagnation. I wasn't making the progress I was used to making. Things had just slowed down.

I’d not been back at work long after having my second child. Since having children, my husband and I decided both to work 4 days each so that we could strike a happier balance between work and parenting. But having reduced my hours down to 4 days I was really feeling it as far as my career was concerned. 

It was never said of course but I somehow felt I had to work hard for the privilege of being able to work 4 days [to the point where for years, I held down the same job with the same responsibility and just managed all the extra work in my own time].

I had felt that somehow I was perceived as “less committed”. Perhaps it was real, it sure felt real. Perhaps it was just my perception. 

Being less committed couldn’t have been further from the truth, in fact, I was definitely working more efficiently than ever but most definitely as hard as ever and still delivering great results. 

I was desperate to prove I was as good as I’d always been, that I could do it all and more. I was desperate to be noticed and recognised. I wanted to have an even bigger impact.

I’d just been headhunted internally to take on a brand new challenge, in a new part of the business. The timelines were tight. There were targets to be met.

Anyhow……..back to the meeting.  How did I wangle such a meeting?

Well I asked of course.  Not thinking I’d ever get a “yes”. But it worked. So lesson #1 that I have always taken with me since that day is never be scared to seek out and ask for time from anyone that I think might help me deliver in my role.

But why had I taken what felt to be such a bold move?

If I were to succeed with my latest “brief” then I wanted to ensure I was truly setting myself up to succeed. The brief was to deliver some substantial change across a large part of the business I was working for at the time, involving a significant number of stakeholders and requiring every existing process to be re-invented if we were to turn around business performance to the timelines that were required. 

I needed to be “on-it”. I needed to operate with impact for sure if I was to influence so many people across the business to achieve my objectives.

I wanted backing, support and advice from the very top.

It was one of the most valuable half hours I can say I’ve ever spent over the course of my not insubstantial career.

He was friendly with a relaxed style, somehow appreciating that I had bothered to take the time to seek his council. I wrote hurriedly as he spoke. Writing down every word. I was going to do everything, just as he had advised.

I left the room motivated and feeling empowered. How many managers leave you feeling like that??? There are some of course [you know who you are] but not many!

He'd given me time and advice and I wasn't going to let him, the business, or myself down. I did everything he suggested, and more and delivered everything asked of me and more.

I got lucky I suppose…..or is it that you make your own luck? You choose! I spent 18 months working for the most amazing leaders and teams, following the advice I was given to the letter and reaping the rewards.

It wasn’t that I wasn’t doing many of these things before hand but the lessons I learned over that time in terms of how to have an impact in order to deliver change were immense. The skills learnt over that time have stayed with me and that’s what I want to share with you today.

As I said, I got lucky perhaps…..working with the right people and at the right time, getting the right experience. It’s very rare over the course of a career that you come across individuals like the ones I worked with back then. 

Where I made my own luck was in seeking out the advice I needed to ensure I got the backing, ensure I got visibility at the highest level and to ensure that I got solid advice to help achieve my goals. 

But it was me who took action. I decided to stop worrying about what others thought, decided to stop playing small and to put myself out there. Really put myself out there!!

What was passed to me that day, in that 30 minute meeting, was like being handed a baton….one I needed to run with……even though at times it was challenging, at times it was uncomfortable, at times I doubted myself….but I was determined. It meant being brave, vulnerable and to push aside all self doubt!

For me, There was no option other than success.

From that day onwards I continued to live by many of the principles relating to the advice I was given that day. Through some trial, and the occasional error [don't get me wrong, there were times when I got it wrong, when I went too far.] I learned so much about what to do and not to do in order to have impact and get results. The lessons learned and the advice given have served me well and if there is one grain of help I can offer you then I will have done my job.

If you’re looking to increase your IMPACT here are my top 5 BITS of CHANGE that you can choose to make to have a BIG IMPACT in your career:

 1. Choose to Lead – don’t sit and wait for someone to tell you what to do.

We are all capable of leading. You might not think it, but it is a choice. No-one stops us leading, we only stop ourselves. Leading [just like it says on the tin] is about being at the front, being first, doing things without being asked, coming up with ideas and getting on and doing it.

It’s about having your own thoughts and ideas as to how to improve performance, to drive your business forward.

2. Find Your Voice – don’t be one of those people who sits in meeting saying nothing

I mean, what’s the point. How often do you go to meetings to find that it’s only a few people who ever talk? Or that you have something to say but don’t feel it’s your place to say it. Honestly, if this is you, then you should just take a deep breath and share your opinion. You’ll be amazed. The floor won’t open up and you may just start to earn more respect for being prepared to speak up, to add your opinion, comment, ideas or suggestions.

3. Be positive – no-one likes a moaning minny! 

I once heard that in life and work you can either be a radiator [someone who gives of warmth, energy and positive vibes] or a drain [one of those people who just sucks all of the life and energy away from everyone and everything around them]. Which one are you?

 No matter what the task is, how unhappy you are, my advice is to zip it, contain it, keep the lid on it and always move forward conveying a positive attitude. Of course, sometimes you will get given godforsaken tasks to do, things you don’t necessarily agree with, things you find below you, things you find above you and many jobs that are simply frustrating. When it comes to how you present yourself consider the impact you have on others and their motivation…… find a way to make it enjoyable, fun and rewarding. 

4. Go the extra mile – ditch the job description.

In fairness up until recently, in all of my career I never heard anyone say that they shouldn’t be doing something as it’s not in their job description. Perhaps it’s a recent phenomonem but one thing for sure it’s a sure fire way of stifling your professional progress.

For me a JD is a directional document that should not define exclusively what you need to do. It certainly should not restrict it. Of course you should always do what’s asked of you but fundamentally you are paid to do what is needed whether on your JD or not.

The great thing about the extra mile is that there simply isn’t a huge amount of competition in this space. The people who do this stand out from the crowd…….mainly because the crowd are somewhere else, too busy looking at their job descriptions wondering if they should be asked to do something or not!

It’s a place that can be found by not just ticking the boxes.

It’s a place that ‘s found when you do things without being asked.

It’s a place where you find something that needs doing and you just do it.

5. Be Visible - communication is key!

Over the years I’ve found this to be one of the most powerful ways to create impact. And the great thing is, there are so many ways you can do this…..here are just a few.

Communication makes us visible and is an essential part of progression so learn to like it. At worst, continue to dislike it but make sure you do it.

Some of the things you can do are:

• Share your plans far and wide with all involved stakeholders - hold regular progress reviews, use stand ups and make actions by stakeholder clear and visible
• Make results visible - build a scorecard for whatever it is you are trying to achieve and share regularly.
• Gather those involved and learn from successes and mistakes and share the outputs
• Get away from your email - be visible in person and go and speak to people

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jules is a dynamic, energetic & experienced business leader with a track record of transforming commercial performance.  With a portfolio of impressive financial results Jules has a hard to come-by skill set. Built on a strong foundation of delivering commercial success in large Blue Chip organisations she has extensive evidence of building both long term strategic solutions as well as developing and delivering short term tactical performance improvement plans. She believes however that the proof is always in successful delivery and Jules is known for rolling her sleeves up and inspiring others to support and successfully deliver change.

Jules has managed large numbers of teams and been responsible for the development of high performing teams and individuals alongside hands on experience of delivering large scale change across multi billion pound complex organisations.

Her impressive knowledge as to the nuts and bolts of how things work and how to get things done is reflective of having worked from grass roots level across a wide range of Commercial Head Office functions from buying, marketing, proposition development, retail store development, Ecommerce development and Ecommerce trading.  A strong believer in getting the most out of people alongside an impressive portfolio of roles as an employee and consultant Jules is also an Impact Coach & Mentor with her own signature programme "Unleash Your Intrapreneur" and her own book launch planned for 2020.

How to connect with Jules:

Linked in: https://bit.ly/julesonlinkedin

Facebook: https://bit.ly/julesonfacebook

Join my Facebook Group: “Unleash Your Intrapreneur" https://bit.ly/joinjulesfbgroup

Instagram: https://bit.ly/julesinstagram

How to work with Jules:

Jules works both directly with corporate clients and with individuals on a group or 1:1 basis and is available for speaking events. Alongside coaching & mentoring Jules continues to provide consulting services and is actively seeking and available to discuss NED roles. For more information contact Jules by email at: [email protected]

1:1 coaching & mentoring:

Power Hours: Jules is available for 1:1 coaching & mentoring. This is offered on an hourly basis. Block bookings are available.

Individual Group Training & Corporate Workshops:

Workshops are all about gaining the skills you need to "Unleash your Intrapreneur" in a collaborative and supportive environment. A group situation allows for shared learning and networking integrated with the benefit of having Jules [who provides the training directly] in the room to support with the development of your plans. Group workshops are usually attended by corporate employees looking to create more IMPACT, INFLUENCE and INCOME from their corporate career and are run over 2 days with maximum group size 10-12.

Corporate workshops are dynamic and punchy and action orientated. They challenge the corporate employee to consider not only where they are now but to walk through the actions needed to increase their impact within their organisation. Attendees build their plans as they go and come out of the day with a tangible plan to take back and implement in their day job.

Speaker

Jules is available for 60-90 minute keynotes in which she shares her own unique solution framework "Unleash Your Intrapreneur" which shares the downfalls and the benefits of taking the steps required in the corporate workspace in order to have more impact. Her solution challenges employees to up their game and assume the role of business leaders and encourages managers to encourage more freedom and flexibility and manage with different expectations in order to get better reuslts.

Consulting:

With an extensive Corporate Career behind her Jules is passionate about continuing to work directly with high profile clients in order to continue to spread her message and to remain current and relevant as an IMPACT coach & mentor. Jules specialises in customer facing transformation and can help not only define but also help deliver and embed change that operates as part of business as usual.