Imagine a senior level executive. She has a difficult challenge ahead of her. She’s been stuck in a messy company reorganization that’s left her smack dab in the middle of the ‘mess’ without any real position. She has been tasked with helping others to get settled into their new roles, but she hasn’t been assigned any inspiring duties of her own – nothing yet to settle into. For a goal-orientated, achievement driven professional, this can be a paralyzing place to be. Although she’s employed reached no-man’s land in terms of knowing her role.
She figures that it’s time to have a difficult conversation with the CEO…
- “Let’s get on with it!”
- “Give me a job for goodness sake!”
- “I am completely demotivated!”
Those were just some of the things that she wanted to say. But how could she share those sentiments without sounding selfish or needy? She knows her worth; she simply wants to put herself to work!
How about we reframe those statements she wanted to say… how can these statements land with the boss in a more impactful way?
- “Here’s an opportunity where I may be of service…”
- “Let me share with you what motivates me to do my best work”
- “I can be most effective and productive for the company when…”
We all avoid what needs to be said for one reason or another, but how do our Managers know what inspires us if we don’t tell them?
If we want our careers to go in a certain direction it may involve speaking up and being heard.
It all starts with a conversation; why not make it an inspiring one?
