Page 200 - kf fyi for your improvement license eng 3-4-15

face-to-face or will this have to be virtual? Do you know someone who has led similar groups? Ask
your peers about people they know and recommend. If you’re asking for people from someone else’s
team, consider whether you should ask permission to “borrow” resources.

8. Misplacing information? Use systems to organize. Ever meet someone helpful and forget their
name two days later? Get a business card and wonder why you had it? Promise to follow up and
forget to do it? Strong performers spend about 80% of their days in transactions. Making connections.
Accomplishing tasks. Getting things done. To stay on top of critical tasks, choose a few systems that
work for you and act immediately on new information. Use internal organizational systems, where
they exist, to find colleagues. Enter important to-dos on your calendar or other task-tracking system.
Store cell phone numbers on your own phone. Move information from business cards into your
contact database. When you’re out and about, set up next meetings immediately on your
smartphone—don’t wait until you get back to the office. Scan e-mail. Trash the ones you don’t need
to respond to. Respond to or file the rest for later action. Find small pockets of time to stay on top of
the detail. Take 15 minutes at the end of the day to tie up loose ends.

9. Reluctant to reach out to senior management? Ask for support. It is critical to include more
senior management people in your networks. They tend to have a broader range of relationships.
After all, they’ve had more time to meet others, gain influence, and drive decisions. By including
higher-level individuals in your network, you will build your own visibility. You will gain a higher-level
perspective and important information. And potential support for your initiatives. To network with
senior management, you can sometimes reach out to them directly. Especially if you have worked
with them in the past or if it is a fairly close relationship on the org chart. Maybe all you need to do is
ask an assistant to set up a meeting. If you are more comfortable being introduced, start with people
you already know. They will often be happy to broaden your networks, if you ask. Tell them what
you’d like to accomplish in your networking and ask for introductions. Outside the organization, send
a message through LinkedIn. Or plan to introduce yourself at conference meetings or other events. If
you worry about taking up someone’s time, remember that the best leaders like to share their
knowledge. They are valuable catalysts for making things happen. Talk with your boss and/or a
trusted mentor or legacy leader to start making these important connections.

Want to learn more? Take a deep dive…

Clark, D. (2014, January 9). How networking can become your competitive advantage. Forbes.
HBR IdeaCast. (2011, July 21). Getting networking right [Podcast]. Harvard Business Review Blog
Network.
Misner, I. (2012, September 6). 5 Ways to use your network to grow your business. Entrepreneur.

10. Hate “politics”? Think about it in a new way. Organizational politics can have a bad name. To
some, it denotes hidden agendas, turf battles, and decisions made for the “wrong” reasons. In this
view, politics is just another word for conflict. Painful conflict. But to ignore the political give-and-take
means giving up influence over decisions. To be part of the political landscape, recognize it for what it
is—a web of relationships, opinions, positions, and perspectives. A complex of discussions and
agreements that affects everyone in the organization. Including you. It’s to your advantage to observe
what’s happening. To understand the perspectives of groups and their leaders. To be aware of
© Korn Ferry 2014-2015. All rights reserved. WWW.KORNFERRY.COM

200