Page 77 - Just Promoted A 12 Month Road Map for Success in Your New Leadership Role

62 Just Promoted!

BUILD STRONG INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL
STAKEHOLDER RELATIONSHIPS
Throughout this book we emphasize the importance of building and sustain-
ing critical stakeholder relationships throughout the organization. As much
as any other single factor, trusting, empowering interpersonal behaviors deter-
mine success and failure. Be conscious of establishing solid relationships at all
levels in the organization. Work at building trust and rapport with those who
are under your leadership; with your boss and others at his or her level; and,
importantly, with your peers and colleagues.
Make sure you begin spending meaningful time with your peers during
your first two or three days. Think about others in the organization. Any
administrative assistant, for example, can help or hurt you depending on how
he or she has been treated. Genuine concern and consideration for others, even
small things like saying please and thank you, go a long way toward building
strong relationships. Extend yourself and others will reciprocate and will tend
to do the same. Ask yourself the following:

■ What can I do to build stronger relationships at all levels?
■ Do I go out of my way for others?
■ Do I ask for what I want, or do I demand things from others?
■ What can I do to help people trust me?
■ Am I straight with people? Do I minimize conflicts?
■ Do I listen well to needs and feelings?
■ Do I show warmth and concern and extend myself to others?
■ Do I make people come to me, or do I reach out to them?

A stakeholder is any individual who has an investment in your success or
failure. Clearly your new boss is a stakeholder as are your direct reports
because their success depends on your success. In addition, peers may be crit-
ical stakeholders as well. Your department or team’s work may interface or
directly impact other functions. In addition to internal staff, some stakeholder
relationships are external to your organization. Key clients, vendors, consult-
ants, key opinion leaders, and others may all be critical stakeholders. The third
Just Promoted Leader Tool, Building Stakeholder Partnerships, will help you
identify your critical stakeholders and the steps necessary for building strong
relationships with them.