We are often influenced by the people and work that surrounds us, at any level. So how can you better influence and impact your organization’s success? On today’s show, we’re pleased to welcome Bill Berman, executive coach, founder of Berman Leadership Development, and author of Influence and Impact: Discover and Excel at What Your Organization Needs From You The Most.
Transcription:
Jim Fitzpatrick:
Bill, welcome to the show. We’re so happy you could take the time out of your schedule to join us today.
Bill Berman:
I’m very excited to be here, Jim. Thanks for having me.
Jim Fitzpatrick:
Sure. I have got this wonderful book in my hand. Thank you so much for sending me an advanced copy. It is an absolute joy to read. I’m not completely done with it yet, but I love everything that I’m reading. So give us a little bit of context before we get started. What was the inspiration in writing the book?
Bill Berman:
I’ve been working as an executive coach for 15 years, and it became clear to me over time that one of the challenges that a lot of my clients had was that they weren’t doing exactly the right job that their managers or their colleagues wanted them to do, or they weren’t operating in the way the culture in that organization needed them to operate. So they were just off the mark a little bit, very capable people, lots of skills, but just not quite doing what they needed to do, were not doing it in the right way. And over time, that seemed to become a real clear pattern for me. So I felt like I needed to share that.
Jim Fitzpatrick:
And what is the importance to build… Why is it important to build influence in your organization?
Bill Berman:
So in today’s organizations, nothing happens through authority. Very little happens because somebody told you you have to do it. It happens because you get other people on your side, you get them to respect you, to trust you, to like you. And you do that by getting [inaudible 00:02:16], by doing the right job and doing it in the right way.
Jim Fitzpatrick:
Yeah, for sure. There’s no question. And how can you develop new skills to increase this influence?
Bill Berman:
Well, the first thing you have to know is what is the job they need you to do? So you’ve got to spend some time asking questions, talking to your boss, talking to your colleagues, to get them to tell you what they really want from you. And you’re going to find… Some people will find out that what they want is not what you thought the job was. Or you’ll find out that you’re doing a great job, but you’re doing it in a way that just doesn’t work. So the first thing you got to do is know what’s right. And then you can change. Then you can build new skills. And those come anywhere… It’s mostly around practice, but it’s learning, learning how to be more influential, learning how to listen to other people, learning how to take their needs into account, and building new habits. Sometimes it’s as simple as learning to walk down the hall and not have your face in your phone, but be looking at other people and smile at them and talk to them and say hello to them. It can be that simple.
Jim Fitzpatrick:
Sure, sure. All to often companies will give up on individuals and say, “Ah, we got the wrong person in the wrong seat and we need to get a different person in here.” When in reality, people can learn different skills and change the way that they conduct themselves as leaders in organizations or as middle managers and such. Right? I mean, we have a tendency to do that, where it’s just get somebody else in here, get somebody from either another department, or let’s post an ad and get some new blood in here, or let’s find somebody that shares the same vision and the same thought process that we do. When in reality, those people might be working with you currently, so long as they’re given the right guidance, right?
Bill Berman:
Absolutely. The key question is can the individual maximize their strengths and their preferences and their values in the job and in the organization that they’re working in. If they can, then changing minor behaviors and changing areas of focus and priority is a matter of just paying attention to it and making sure that you understand what other people are doing.
Jim Fitzpatrick:
Yeah, for sure. In your book, you discuss determining if you’re in the right place to have the greatest impact. Talk to us about that.
Bill Berman:
So everybody has their own strengths, their own values, their own preferences. And we are most successful when we maximize those. When we focus on things that aren’t in our areas of strength, we can build new skills, but we’re not going to enjoy it as much, and we’re not going to be challenged as much. So the real goal is to find out if your strengths match with the job that you’re in, and if they do, how to make that hundred percent fit. And if they don’t, to think about looking for another job, whether it’s in the organization or in a different place where you can optimize what you’re really good at.
Jim Fitzpatrick:
Right, right. Which is something everybody wants to do, right? They want to be rewarded in a challenging job, but at the same time, they really want to be valued. So if in the event that they they feel that they go home each night and they feel like, wow, I’m just not hitting the mark or maybe I’m missing something, that affects also their personal lives. And it seems as though those situations will get worse in the workplace rather than better if it’s not identified and fixed quickly, right?
Bill Berman:
Absolutely. We all want some kind of recognition from the people we work with. After all, we probably spend more time with people at work than we do with anybody outside our family. And we want other people to see what our value is and to see where we really contribute and to recognize us for that. And if you don’t do that, it does affect your mood. It affects how you interact with other people. It’s critical to our success.
Jim Fitzpatrick:
That’s right. That’s right. So in addition to some of the things that we’ve talked about here today, what do you want the reader to leave with? What are some of the big takeaways?
Bill Berman:
I think the takeaway… There are three takeaways. It’s absolutely critical in order to have influence and to impact your organization, you have to know who you are, know your strengths. You have to know what the organization needs from you. And you have to understand the organizational culture and adapt to that. And if you can do those three things, you’ll understand what you need to do. You can create what we call your working job description, and you can create your development plan to get it a hundred percent right. That’s all it takes.
Jim Fitzpatrick:
That’s it. And it is all in this phenomenal book. So Bill has made it very easy for you. Is the book out now, available for everybody? I know I got [crosstalk 00:07:15].
Bill Berman:
It’ll be out next Tuesday, June 22nd.
Jim Fitzpatrick:
Fantastic.
Bill Berman:
On Amazon, Barnes & Noble, wherever books are sold.
Jim Fitzpatrick:
That’s right. But we’ll make an available link to the book right here, so you have no excuses. You want to be more impactful and influential in your work organizations and such right now, get the book because it’s a good one and Bill outlines it, makes it very easy for you to follow along. And so Bill Berman, executive coach, author, founder of Berman Leadership Development, I want to thank you so much for joining us on today’s show. I know that our visitors and subscribers will get a lot out of your visit with us here today. So thank you.
Bill Berman:
Thank you, Jim. Appreciate you having me on.
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