1. ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN MEDICAL COLLEGES Hard Work and Talent Aren’t Enough: Developing Political Savvy and Managing Key Relationships 7/29/10 Janet Bickel Career and Leadership Development Coach

2. Diagnose Yourself: Am I comfortable attracting attention? How good am I at articulating my goals? Do I present ideas in a convincing and open manner? Do I contribute on multiple levels in meetings? Do I successfully negotiate for what I need? Do influential people know about my work? Am I expanding my circle of colleagues? Am I increasing my capacities for handling conflicts?

3. Speaking up about Your Goals and Accomplishments Problem/Opportunity What needs to be fixed? What are the opportunities and challenges? Action: What will you do? Result/Benefit: What difference will you make?

4. PRACTICE TIME u You are sharing a 30-story elevator with the new chair. She says “Please tell me about your work.” u Using a PAR, make a positive, memorable first impression. u Close with a bridging question

5. Managing “Up” means developing a pattern of interaction with your boss that produces the best results. Seek to understand her: “Big picture” ie, goals, priorities, pressures Limitations and blindspots Preferences re communications NB: You don’t need to like your boss

6. From your boss’s point of view: What will you do for me tomorrow? Do you communicate effectively? How do you show respect? Do you keep the boss informed? Use boss’s time well? Do you express appreciation? Solicit and use feedback? Bring solutions to problems? How do you handle disagreements?

7. Disagreements with your Boss Did conflict or tension arise from: Different measures of performance? Different goals? Your failure to produce? Your failure to negotiate? Your boss is a bully/ manipulator/passive-aggressive ??

8. Why is conflict ubiquitous? Conflict is a natural consequence of competition and diversity, bringing into the open different goals and ways of thinking. Identify what you have in common, shared aims and needs, and where you can achieve some progress, then work to build receptivity and allies. [Why do we expect others to change just because we can’t easily meet our goals with them?]

9. CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES RELATIONALCONCERNRELATIONALCONCERN Concern for self-interest Accommodate Collaborate Avoid Compete Source: Thomas-Kilman Conflict Mode Instrument Compromise

10. Core Skills for Effective Conversations Skillful Self-monitoring –Notice your reactions –Ask yourself “what ‘story’ am I telling myself?” Skillful Listening and Inquiry –Ask questions that encourage the other to go deeper –Let the other person talk without interruption Skilled Advocacy –Explain the structure of your thinking –Ask for help in understanding your thinking

11. Communication begins with Listening –Listening with curiosity increases chances of hearing what people are not saying –accurately attuning to others saves time and increases your impact –What tends to keep you from being fully present? ONE MOUTH TWO EARS

12. Automatic Listening Right/Wrong Win/Lose Agree/Disagree Good/Bad Either/Or Generative Listening What could make that possible? What could that allow us to do? What goals could that idea advance? What do you see that I don’t? Say more

13. Combine Advocacy with Inquiry Identify your assumptions and goals, and ask others to do so. Explain your reasoning and intent [“This is why I’m raising this and how I arrived at this conclusion…How about you?”] Ask for help in understanding your own thinking [“I appreciate that I may be missing something here…. How do you see it?”] Use and ask for specific examples

14. ‘PEARLS’: Relationship-building affirmations PartnershipI really want to work on this with you. EmpathyIt sounds like that was hard for you. AcknowledgmentYou put a lot of work into that. RespectI value your commitment. LegitimizationThis would be hard for anyone. SupportI want to see you succeed.

15. In Pairs *What changes are you willing to work toward to increase your communication and relationship skills? *Where will you start?

16. ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN MEDICAL COLLEGES *Learn about the systems you work in *Study people; get better at predicting behaviors *Lead “from the middle”--identify where you can achieve some progress, then build receptivity to shared goals *Recognize when you’re making snap judgments--ask more questions *Build communication and collaboration skills *Anticipate conflicts Increasing your Political Savvy

17. In Pairs *what changes are you willing to work toward to increase your organizational savvy?