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What They're Saying About You When You're Not In The Room -- And What You Can Do To Influence It

by Davia Temin4 Apr 2016

The biggest decisions about your career are often made when you’re not in the room.

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  • The biggest decisions about your career are often made when you’re not in the room. Whether it’s a decision about if you’ll be hired, promoted or fired
  • First, compelling research has pointed out that both women and men leaders are judged primarily on two criteria – warmth (likability, trust) and competence – in almost every situation.
  • when does too much warmth mean that a leader cannot be strong enough to fire a subordinate – an ability critical to competence?
  • create a plan to distinguish yourself in their eyes in the appropriate ways: Connect with them on a substantive issue, help them in their own jobs, promote them in general and on social media, publish high-quality thinking in their areas of interest that shows you to be a subject matter expert, demonstrate leadership qualities, etc.
  • Assemble Your Advocates; Enhance Your “Sphere Of Influence”
  • the more generous you are to your superiors, peers and contacts – the more you care about them – the more generous and caring they will be to you, when it really matters.
  • Vision is often highly underrated by those who are in the midst of doing a particular job.
  • But to those who are looking for real leadership potential, and the ability to inspire others and not just command them, vision is key.
  • trifecta of leadership traits – vision, strategy, and execution
  • Being known as the one who is always ready for a new assignment or a new challenge is a powerful career enhancer.
  • Everyone is on guard these days for signs of the stereotypical millennial ego – someone who cares more about his or her position on the career ladder than the best interests of the company. So, it becomes important to make sure your ego is balanced in just the right way.
  • Every organization has an unwritten rule book that is far more robust than its employee handbook
  • Emotionally intelligent leaders can pick up norms and nuances quickly upon entering a new situation, and intuit correctly what kind of behavior is prized, and what kind of behavior is discounted.
  • Sometimes decision makers do see your worth, and the value of your contributions, all on their own and promote you accordingly. Meritocracy certainly used to be the model, and we all fervently hope it still is. But today, as everyone is busier and more distracted than ever before, as career progression is a higher priority for more workers, and as competition grows fiercer, that model cannot be counted upon consistently. You have to remind them in just the right ways.
  • Not only are management committees evaluating candidates on their art of communication and dialogue, they are looking for individuals who can position themselves as leaders and winners effortlessly, and walk into any room and be crisply and clearly articulate about that positioning
  • Assurance, mastery, and a sense of authentic and unforced authority are all critical to success as a leader.

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In summary, the most compelling insight is that professional advancement relies less on objective meritocracy and more on strategically curating your perceived warmth and competence while actively managing how decision-makers evaluate you behind closed doors.

  • Career decisions like promotions and board appointments are frequently determined in closed-door evaluations based on intuition, reputation, and cultural fit rather than strict metrics.
  • Leaders must intentionally cultivate a balance of warmth (trust and likability) and competence to shape the intuitive "gut feel" that drives promotion committees.
  • Strategic career growth requires building a robust network of advocates, volunteering for high-visibility challenges, and seamlessly adapting to an organization's unwritten cultural norms.
  • Professionals should actively manage their personal brand by articulating clear value, demonstrating visionary execution, and balancing ambition with collaborative humility.

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