Get The Right People Around The Table - Happy New Year!
Anupama Kinatukara
Certified DISC Trainer | Leadership Coach | Empowering Teams & Leaders to Connect, Communicate & Lead Effectively | Keynote Speaker & PMI Contributor
Brainstorming sessions are a commonly used term in the IT world. It was where I saw team members sharing ideas and thoughts without much hesitation. It was a "safe" environment to put your thoughts into words or mostly diagrams on a whiteboard.
Personally that was not one of my favorite places to be in my early journey as a software developer and a Systems Analyst. I dreaded these type of sessions since I was afraid to share my thoughts, I was a "shy introvert" and it was very uncomfortable in a room filled with guys who seemed to have better ideas than me. Many times, I volunteered to capture the notes since I could be in my comfort zone, just listening to everyone and allowing others to come up with the brilliant solutions to problems we were trying to solve. They did a great job and I used to give a sigh of relief when we were done.
Over the years working in leadership roles in the IT world, started as a Team Leader and then became a Project Manager - I gained more confidence and started speaking up in meetings, looking forward to sharing my thoughts and ideas but I guess I had already set a precedence.
I was no longer being invited to these "Brainstorming sessions" since Anupama had nothing to say :-(
During an interim period when projects slowed down, I was given the responsibility to define the roles and responsibility of a Divisional PMO and it gave me great joy to finally help make those strategic decisions in the company. Due to budget cut, this effort was discontinued but my hunger to be seated at a "decision making" TABLE remained.
It was a learning experience as I started seeking opportunities to be heard and to be part of the decisions that were being made at the Enterprise Level. I worked closely with the Enterprise PMO (Project Management Office), I joined the IT PMO Team at Horizon BCBSNJ (Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey). I was hired by IBM Global Services and continued to work as a consultant for 9 years 9 months. It was a great opportunity for me to be part of a bigger organization but I felt like I was missing out on the seat at the Leadership Table where critical decisions were being made since my work was strictly geared towards completing the work for my consulting services.
My desire to be part of something bigger than me grew over the years.
One of the reasons I decided to invest in myself and develop my communication skills was to lead better. Recently I was nominated by a team member for the Maxwell Culture Award "Willfully Grow" and here is the short clip on why I was recognized for this DNA.
I wanted to be be part of a Leadership Table where executive decisions were being made and strategic plans were being created, and joining the President's Advisory Council on the Maxwell Leadership Team has definitely given me that edge!
In one of the books that I was studying and helping others to think differently, it emphasized the Benefit Of Shared Thinking and the importance of having the right people around the table to get value of the time being spent there. Let me share with you what I have learnt and how I am applying it to my own Mastermind Groups and Transformation Tables that I have been facilitating for the past 3 years.
As you prepare to ask people to participate in shared thinking, use the following selection criteria:
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I want to elaborate a bit more on the last 2 points. Earlier in this article, I mentioned to you about how I felt like I was not being invited to the Leadership Table as much as I would have liked to be there.
Reflecting back I have come to the realization that I did not BELIEVE in myself and I lacked the CONFIDENCE to sit at the Table. I had to start ADDING VALUE TO MYSELF so I could be more VALUABLE TO OTHERS!
Currently I am serving on the Systems & Data Committee of the Calls Branch on the President's Advisory Council and it gives me great joy to be part of something bigger, better and brighter as we are able to provide valuable information supporting our Executive Leadership Team as we together serve the Maxwell Leadership Team members. We are 40,000 members strong and still growing.
As John Maxwell says in "How Successful People Think", too often we choose our brainstorming partners based on feelings of friendship or circumstances or convenience. But that doesn't help discover and create new ideas of the highest order.
Who we invite to the table makes all the difference!
I would like to INVITE YOU PERSONALLY to JOIN MY LEADERSHIP TABLE.
Next time I will be sharing from the latest book that I am studying "TODAY MATTERS" - we will start with the first practice to guarantee tomorrow's success. There are 12 Daily Practices, I intend to share all 12 of them in this new year so we can all learn and apply one each month. Stay Tuned and Invite others to Subscribe to this Newsletter, I can guarantee you that it will add value to their leadership journey.
In 2023, my Vision is to CREATE A GROWTH ENVIRONMENT for Women in IT, Project Managers, Leaders of Non-Profit Organizations.
My goal is to develop emerging leaders around us, we need to start with SELF-LEADERSHIP and revisit WHY we decided to be in a Leadership Position and how we can LEAD BETTER.
If you would like to learn more about our Certification Program or join one of my upcoming Leadership Table in the form of a Mastermind Group, Transformation Table, Beyond Success Table & more - block 15 minutes on my calendar for a Complimentary Discovery Call and allow me to add value to you in 2023!