We can make a difference: Influence through Relationship Management

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We can make a differenceInfluence through
Relationship Management
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In some Settings,

• Relationship management comes naturally!
• Think how easily we got along with perfect
  strangers at university

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Now, it takes time and dedication to build
relationships at work

• But the rewards are immense when we do

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Good Relationships are no Accident

• Consider the size of the people managing
  industry
• Consider the number of books dealing with how to
  deal with difficult people
• Luckily, Ulla says the rules are simple!
• FOR EXAMPLE

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Meet My Friend David
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A flight attendant, he loved best the days when

• He felt appreciated by the pilots
• His suggestions were taken seriously by fellow
  attendants
• He felt part of a team
• He was free to do an excellent job, using his
  creativity and commitment to quality
• He was free to make exceptions when conditions
  warranted

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And he had many such days because

• He has excellent, and conscious, relationship
  management skills

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When David retired, he built a house. You can
bet ...

• He made all the trades people feel appreciated
• He grabbed the tools and pitched in
• He created a team environment
• He praised good work
• He asked for opinions
• In short, he was a natural leader and achieved
  results for that reason
• And yes, the following summer all the trades
  people were invited to a barbecue party in the
  back yard!

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Key Points

• Context Special Challenges for Information
  Professionals
• Where to Begin Understanding Culture
• Human Nature
• Helpful Practices

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Context Special Challenges for Information
Professionals

• Multiple stakeholder groups
• Direct users (multiple types), more distant
  funders, indirect beneficiaries, etc all have
  different priorities

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Our Positions are often Vulnerable

• Budget pressures
• Poor awareness of librarys capability and value
  among stakeholder groups
• Lack of powerful champion
• And all the other familiar challenges!

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At the very least, we live in times of change

• Clients have alternatives
• New technologies and tools
• Need to offer new services or be active in new
  areas (e.g. records management, archives)
• Need for outreach and client relations
• NEW SKILLS NEEDED
• Can be intimidating

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Grandiose or humble, Libraries are rarely a
bastion of prestige from which to wield influence

• No automatic leverage
• oh, if the Chief Librarian says so
• has this been OKd by the Library?

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So Libraries are often places where subtler forms
of influence must be practiced

• When organizational position doesnt provide it,
  we must build influence based on individual
  relationships across the enterprise

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2. Where to Begin Understanding Culture

• Overall Culture answers the question Whats it
  like to work here?
• What drives people?
• What behaviors are rewarded or tolerated?
• What values are supported in reality (regardless
  of official statements)?

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Information Culture

• Information Culture answers the question How do
  people find out about stuff around here?
• How is information obtained, protected, stored,
  found again?
• Who shares knowledge, and how?

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Once both are understood

• We can begin planning the relationship management
  efforts

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Key Questions

• Who are the de facto leaders?
• Whose projects have the greatest influence on
  enterprise success?
• Who has status apart from official position?
• and
• Do we enjoy their trust and respect?
• Are they the same people as our loyal clients?

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A Quick Pause Here

• How do we make things happen in our personal
  spheres (e.g. volunteer organizations)?
• How do we react when someone we respect
  personally calls for advice or offers a
  suggestion?

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And the Answer is TRUST

• On a foundation of mutual trust, things are
  easily accomplished
• Consider that respected co-committee members and
  friends were once strangers

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But, you say

• The workplace is not an interest driven social
  platform
• Exactly. Thats why relationships dont just
  emerge naturally they have to be managed

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Workplace Relationship Management 101

• Soup of human motivations converge on key
  desirables
• Environmental long term
• Respect acknowledgement
• Credibility
• Success advancement
• Immediate short term
• Meet deadlines
• Make annoying issue go away
• Reach quotas
• etc

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Which Means

• Identify the people to focus on
• Figure out where they are hurting or what drives
  them
• Translate into specific activities and
  initiatives relevant for them
• Examples?

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First Thing?

• Conduct an Assessment
• Who are the key constituencies and what are their
  priorities? (Ask them!)
• How have we served them in the past?
• Any difficulties / successes to learn from?
• What pointers are there for change?

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Two strategic initiatives are now possible

• The professional services plan becoming
  relevant and indispensable for the key
  stakeholders (for another day)
• The personal communications plan (our focus
  today)
• How can we build the trust that makes us
  top-of-mind?

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3. Human Nature

• A natural tendency toward modesty can be a
  significant inhibitor
• Dont want to interrupt
• Dont feel I have something important
• Concerned about approaching across organizational
  levels
• Etc

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Need to Move Relationship Management into the
Professional Domain

• It is in fact our job to communicate with
  stakeholders proactively
• In other words, our outreach is not an
  imposition, it is in support of stakeholder
  needs
• Couch everything in language echoing
  organizational goals

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Fashioning the Communications Plan

• What is the reason for getting in touch?
• What is the best method?
• Email
• Request for interview
• Casual conversations in any setting
• Presentation at a Committee meeting
• Etc culture dependent
• What is the appropriate spiel?
• Tip
• This is not a marketing exercise ask, dont
  tell or sell (yet)
• Then, react to the individual expressions of need
  by getting back in person

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Poise

• Dont allow concerns about position to stifle
  genuine personal energy and warmth
• Rely on inherent dignity
• Can be helpful to keep in mind that every
  individual is dealing with multiple challenges
  we may have no idea about

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4. Helpful Practices

• Of course, a friendly and welcoming demeanor is
  never out of place

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Practice Positivity

• Hm, what might explain this surprising
  development? (Instead of complaining)
• Every development and interaction is an
  opportunity to consider How might I help?
• Things may not be perfect but that is no excuse
  to forget about creativity

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Practice Authenticity

• Be Yourself! was the best advice I ever got
• Others respond positively when they sense we are
  genuine

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Can culturally accepted avenues for interaction
be leveraged?

• United Way (if its a corporate policy to support
  it, few will say no to our creative request)
• Disaster Relief (only if the culture approves)
• Lunch Events (with HR)
• Popular topics could include anything of general
  interest from work related Grow your Word
  skills to personal Retrofitting Your Home for
  Energy Savings
• Corporate Socials
• Picnics, holiday parties

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Of course

• Support for such avenues comes from grassroots
  relationships
• Which we, of course, have well in hand!

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Thank You feel free to be in
touch!www.destricker.com