How to Play the “Who?” Game
Amanda Setili
I help leaders agree on what needs to change (and how). Author, "The Agility Advantage" and "Fearless Growth?". Member, Marshall Goldsmith's 100 Coaches.
Let’s talk about who.
Two companies merge, and before long everyone starts to engage in the process of discovering how the players from the “other” side will impact their lives.
They’re asking: Who will be my allies? Who am I competing with? Who might get in the way of my plans? Who can I safely ignore?
Meanwhile, leaders are evaluating their new resources and trying to decide…who will tackle which project, who might be a challenge to manage, and who is versatile and dependable.
In circumstances like this one—and many other common business scenarios—people make big judgments based on very short encounters. A leader sees you once, perhaps for 15 or 20 minutes, and begins to form an opinion about who you are and what you can do.
There are two sides to the question of “who”.
The first side of the “who” question relates to your ability to create the first impressions you wish to create. This is dependent on your self-awareness regarding how others perceive you.
It’s also dependent on you being clear about what outcomes you want. What do you want to be known for? What types of problems would you like people to come to you with? What types of responsibility would you love to take on, and what would you prefer to avoid?
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When you’re clear about what you want, you can act in a manner that’s congruent with your desired outcomes, and people are more likely to see you the way you wish to be seen.
The second side of the “who” question is your ability to accurately judge others. Can you be objective and open-minded? Can you watch for—and interpret—clues about an individual’s true nature? Can you hold off on making lasting judgments until you have enough data and observations?
In our careers, we all play the “who” game. It’s how we embrace opportunities, avoid danger and steer our careers through an ever-changing landscape of challenges.
The more aware you are of this, the better you’ll be able to be who you really want to be.
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I help successful leaders and their teams agree on what needs to change and how to make it happen. I am the author of?Fearless?Growth and?The Agility Advantage.?
For more strategies, videos and free materials, please visit?www.setili.com. If you are curious, here are a few quick examples of the work we do. You might also enjoy my Fearless Growth Podcast.
Contact me anytime to discuss your situation and how I can support you.
Entrepreneur | Author | Keynote Speaker | Peak Performance Coach | Mountaineer | 100 Coaches Dr. Marshall Goldsmith | Chapter President - EO MEPA Bridge
4 个月Such a powerful question we must ask ourselves on who do we want to be Amanda Setili. Also important to understand who the other person is trying to be.
Adopting AI: Enabling organizations and their leadership teams to change
4 个月Good to know! Many thanks Amanda Setili for highlighting the two sides of “who”… very insightful and informative.
Director at EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS - EDP COACHING
4 个月Amanda Setili I love your post and how you describe the importance of stopping to reflect before we let "interpretations" be the change driver.
Executive Coach and Mentor | Trigger-Free Leadership | Mindset Mastery for Teams
4 个月So fascinating! And for leaders, there's a third side: what kind of environment do I want to create and nurture as these "others" come together? One of competition and suspicion or collaboration and trust?
Master Coach, Mentor, Supervisor to Smart Ambitious Execs & Boards?Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches?English & French?Neurodivergence
4 个月Great thought-provoking model, thank you for sharing Amanda Setili M&A offers the ideal conditions for leaders and managers to develop, by testing their ability to influence and read others. Such opportunities are not to be missed, I know this from experience too!