Building Alliances with Leaders in your Organization | Hacking HR's Expert Council

During this time, office work is not as what it was before. Chairs are still spread far apart. Some organizations have limited people coming into the office, or hybrid work setups. It may feel harder to form a connection with your coworkers and team leaders. 

But now, more than ever, is the right time to build new alliances. With this new working environment, there are plenty of opportunities for you to do so.  

Remember, the right allies and mentors can make or break careers. 

With that, we asked some of the members of Hacking HR’s Expert Council: How do you build alliances with the leaders in your organization? 

Understand the business and the role of the leaders in your organization. 

It is extremely important to know and understand what you’re working with. First understand the business, the market, the vision, and mission among others. 

Invest focus into understanding the role that the leader plays in the organization. What is the key purpose for their team or function? What vision do they have for their area(s)? What feels like a distraction or an obstacle? Share back your own story. You will inevitably find a Venn diagram emerge. In it, you not only see shared interests and challenges but also see opportunities to help the leader focus on what matters most to them. This creates the foundations of trust and collaboration that can grow into strong alliances. Alliances that can then tackle common challenges that may have been too large for a lone voice. - Gary Russo

Understanding the uniqueness of the business led by the leaders. What keeps them up wake at night? How can you collaborate? Regular check ins with the leadership team and frequent updates of the projects being conducted and ask for their opinions and building rapport. Supporting their projects and make peace with work rivals. - May Nyaga

Know the business, the market, the competition, the vision, the issues and challenges, etc. Align your work and your focus to that. Focus on enabling execution of strategy. Do what you say you will do. Minimize distractions. Drive integrity into the system. Live by your values. - Jen Compagni

Be authentic. 

One easy way of building alliances is by being authentic and showing the real you - all your strengths, and even your weaknesses. Authenticity inspires loyalty and engagement. 

Being authentic is important. Clearly stating why you are saying what you are saying. Marrying data and the story behind it to present your thoughts in a compelling manner is key. - Deepti Lewis

I tend to use levity in my interactions with leaders (and staff) as well as just being up-front and "real." I'm not one to sugar-coat things and leaders/staff never wonder what I'm thinking as I just say it as it is. I also use examples of my own personal experiences to build trust in letting people know I understand where they are coming from and me (Chief People Officer) and my staff are here to be "human and resourceful" at all times. I have given my team authority to freely interact without unnecessary delay, also building those alliances. - ILYSSA DeCASPERIS, CPO, Metrolink

Start with building trust. 

Relationships, no matter what type, are built on trust and credibility. If you can prove to be both trustworthy and credible, and show that you’ll do what you say you will, you'll be able to gain their trust. Humans by nature will align themselves to people they have a connection with, so build connections by getting to know your leadership. Not just professionally, but also personally. From there you can use the connections to advance work. If you have allies, you have a voice in the rooms they are and you aren't.

It starts with Trust. You need to constantly have a strong say/do ratio. Everything you say you're going to do, you need to execute on, and report on it. This way the leaders can trust and rely on you to do what you say. Having a steady and strong say/do ratio over time will reinforce the trust. - Stacey Richey

Invest in relationships to understand the needs of leaders. When other leaders feel that their needs are being heard and understood, trust is built. - Talie Schwager

Transparency + Business Value = Trust. Once you earn trust with your stakeholders and leaders you become influential. - Bejoy Mathew

Actively listening & establishing a common ground

Building alliances means establishing meaningful connections with your coworkers and ultimately the leaders in your organization. These connections are meaningless without active listening and proper communication. When we do this, it is easier to build trust and genuine relationships. 

Build a trusted partnership with the leaders in your organization. Listen to your leaders, gather their input, create awareness of how the People Team can partner with them, and be transparent about the impact and outcomes of their feedback. Be clear on your "Why." Create clear, prioritized People Team plans that align with the business drivers and show regular progress against committed actions. Be an advocate for your leaders. - Melinda Honcoop

I seek out common ground by first connecting as people, then as professionals. For example, if we both have kids, love animals, or watch the same TV show, I'll use this as an opportunity to foster a sense of shared interests then move forward to connecting on shared projects, objectives, or outputs. This allows them to see me as an ally and allows us to collaborate more openly and navigate disagreement or conflict with a well of empathy already at our disposal. - Jen Jonas

Be altruistic in mindset, intentional in action, and authentic in delivery. I offer insights without any expectations in return, I schedule recurring meetings with leaders or direct reports framing the title of meetings as catchup time and/or connection time with high level agendas to allow for open dialogue, and just listen to how I can help. Everyone has competing priorities, so a helping friend is needed at all levels. - Frank Gonzalez, Ph.D.

There are 3 key principles in building partnerships with leaders (at every level): 

1. Know your audience. 
2. Know your business. 
3. Know your value. 

Translated, that means observing communication practices, team power dynamics, and leadership styles. It means asking a lot of (tough!) questions and deep diving into the business, their strategies, their successes and opportunities, blockers, and what the leaders I partner with are looking to accomplish (from near-term to long-term). I set clear expectations (and boundaries!) with my leaders in terms of scope, how we partner and ensure we are aligned on deliverables and how to get there as a team. Sometimes that means reframing/reinforcing how the People function adds strategic value. And I use data to inform, influence and inspire the leaders I partner with. - Pamelyn Eichelberger

Ultimately, building alliances can be simpler than you may realize. It’s about articulating your value and being helpful to others. 

You may also check out the other articles from Hacking HR’s Expert Council:

• Best Advice for First Time People’s Leader
• Timeline of Sucess as a First Time People’s Leader
• Critical Skills for First Time People’s Leader
• Leading in times of Uncertainty as a First-time People’s Leader

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