By “people most critical to future success”, I don’t mean ten or twelve people, or five or six people – I mean one or two people.    These one or two people who are vital to your success are the people you want to have the right relationship with – the people you want to put your energy toward.  It’s the 80/20 rule.

Having said that, you still have to interact successfully with more than one or two people.  So the question becomes, where (in whom) do you invest your relationship energy for the highest return?  Now, in case you think this all sounds very calculating, well it is. 

Last time I looked, we all had the same number of hours in a day.  Some of us have more energy than others, but none of us has limitless good energy.   People and organizations will use all the energy you have and then some.  But not everyone gives back – some just use it up.   Not every person you work with nor project you work on, has the same impact on helping you get to the place where you can make your best contribution.  Have the impact you want to have.

Now, you may feel that the high you get from interacting with lots of people, helping people, being sought out for your expertise, never saying “no”, is reward enough.  Or, you succumb to the biggest energy hog of all – the “I can do it faster and better myself so I’ll just do it”.  “It” becomes you doing everything, all the time.

I suggest you look at your energy portfolio – where are your biggest investments?  Where do you allocate your energy?  Why?  Where are you not investing at all?  It may be time to re-balance.

Best career move?

Moving my family from California to Australia to work on the integration of two companies. It was very challenging and there were a lot of reasons not to do it – for example, my daughter was one month into high school. It turned out to be a fabulous experience. I got to look at the US and North America from the outside-in.

What is a good career move for a mid-career person today?

Go overseas. Take an opportunity where development and learning are by-products of the role. What you learn will be phenomenal. Sometimes it’s okay not to have a plan – to take a risk. Leaving your home country is a risk. There are certainly some ex-pats that lose their way, but when you go overseas you have to take responsibility for the outcome, along with the sponsoring company.

Another benefit of going overseas is that you may get more responsibility more quickly, because often you have fewer resources available to get the job done.

What is fun about you?

I don’t take things too seriously. Maybe it’s my Canadian roots. Sometimes Americans can be very serious – and there are times to be serious – but sometimes you need to take a step back.

Who or what company gets it right today?

Howard Schultz of Starbucks. He has been remarkably consistent in leading with values and implementing his values in the company. I admire the way he thinks and the way he encourages others to accomplishes things.

What’s the best place you’ve ever visited?

The surgical suite at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas. As a trustee, I was invited to spend the day observing brain in surgery. It gave me an amazing perspective and ultimately prompted me to become more patient, and establish priorities more effectively -probably gave me more patience.

When I was meeting later with my staff and we were discussing a problem that had come up, I said to them. “Look, this is not brain surgery. I actually know now what brain surgery looks like and this is way easier.”

What’s the most important trait someone needs to get into the C-suite?

Strong self-awareness. You need it to get there and it’s important once you get there.

What would you change in your career?

My career has not been about a plan. There has been an unconscious synchronicity. And if I could change anything I am afraid that today would be different – you know like in the movies when a character changes something in the past and messes up the future because of it? I haven’t had a job in decades that I applied for – some fantastic jobs fortunately found me.

What is your superpower?

Recognizing that I don’t have one – that I have what everyone has. If you think you have a superpower then you probably have a bad day coming somewhere down the road! I’m lucky; I am generally “others-oriented” and focus on the day to day.

I was once standing outside the office of the president of Citigroup, waiting for a meeting I had with him. I called my wife on my cell phone and said, “I am standing outside the office of the president of Citigroup, waiting for my meeting with him. Can you believe it, based on where we started together?”

She replied, “Well, make sure they don’t discover who you really are.”

At that time I had no idea that one day I would head a PR firm and regularly work with celebrities and professional athletes.  In fact, Kim Basinger and I crossed paths again.  But, that is a story for another time. 

In my executive coaching practice today, I am well of aware of a point the waitress was making back then.   People get dream jobs even when they are not the best candidate. 

Here are some reasons that are offered up by others when this happens –  for why the “not as deserving”  got the job.

• They are lucky – right place, right time
• They are very political 
• They know someone

Each of those is true, but the labels are wrong.   It’s a negative spin on what are usually powerful and positive attributes of the people who out-achieve other people with more talent and people who have delivered better results.   

• Luck –  sometimes it does just happen, but more often it’s the outcome of managing relationships
• Political –  is better thought of as influential   
• They know someone – is another name for never letting your network die (internal or external)

Your talent, your results are important, but they will not speak for themselves.

The other thing that happened regularly was strangers walking up to me in parking lots to ask me about the car – they just assumed I would be OK with that.  I have not noticed that other cars have this dynamic going on – I mean do Jaguar drivers gleefully greet each other as they pass? Chevrolet? Ford trucks? No. There is definitely a Mini culture going on that sends out signals about the people who drive these little cars.

What I have noticed is that companies send out signals too. As a consultant and coach, I have worked with dozens of companies in multiple industries over the past 20 years. Mostly Fortune 500 companies, but start-ups, small and mid-size companies too. Companies signal their culture in a myriad of observable ways like how people dress, how they reward people, and the behavior of their people in general. I have also used tools and surveys to formally analyze business culture and create employment brands for a number of clients.

A few years ago, I worked with EarthLink on several projects over the course of more than 3 years. At the very first leadership development session I held with 20 of their managers, we all filled out our names on those tent cards so commonly used in meetings. EarthLink’s tent cards were uncommon. The signals it sent have stayed with me ever since. I scanned the original tent card and inserted it below.

I still feel like waving when I drive past their headquarters.

I thought to myself, well, let’s open it up and see how bad it is. Inside was a letter which essentially said, “It’s not always bad news when you hear from us. Have a great birthday!” No summons, no nothing but a wish for me. It was clever and funny and completely surprising.  My view of the clerk of the court’s “brand” took a big upward turn.

It reminded me of a project that I once did for a CEO. He asked me to interview a dozen of his top customers. These top customers did not always do the same amount of business with him year in and year out and he was particularly interested in the kinds of “relationship activities” the customers would value and how this would affect the business flow.

Many of the customer executives said the same things to me in the interviews. They said that the annual conference and education the company provided were good. That going out to lunch now and then with their salesperson was fine. That knowing they could pick up the phone and reach the CEO personally was a good thing. But what would really set them apart, they said, would be if the salespeople called or came by now and then with absolutely no purpose but to say,”hello, how are you?” And with no attempt, no matter how subtle, to sell them something.

I don’t think many sales organizations factor this thinking into their productivity calculations. I have tried to put that feedback to work in my own consulting practice. I slip and backslide but I try.

This blog is generally about making work work for you.  The number one thing you can do to make work work for you is to find the work that fits you.  The number one thing that assures your sustained success is how you manage your relationships. Let the people who are crictical to your success or have been critical to your success in the past know you appreciate them – without asking them for something. It will surprise them because so few people do it.

1. Best career move you ever made?

Accepting the job offer from my company to relocate from Chicago to Washington DC and be responsible for running our Military & Government business.

2. What is fun about you?

Most would say I am a social butterfly, love interacting with people and making sure everyone is comfortable and laughing. 

3. Who, or what company do you think gets it right today?

As the biggest and best TMC in the world, I certainly believe that CWT gets it right – in the minds of our employees, customers and suppliers.  Outside of our industry I would say Google – the power  of information and innovation at everyone’s finger tips – extraordinary.  

4. What is the best place you have ever visited?

There are so many….but, if I have to choose one it’s the place I always want to go back to – the Amalfi Coast, Italy.  The people, the beaches, the coastline, the art, the love for life there is captivating.  And, my significant other is a photographer so we have captured it all on canvas! 

5. What is your superpower?

I have been told that I am very motivating to others, which is a huge compliment.  I see my ultimate goals, both personally and professionally very clearly and can motivate others to help us get there.

Vickie Singer

Does gender make a difference in leadership decision making?  Panel members were candid, insightful and humorous in their responses.  Excerpts:

• Women’s spending power exceeds the combined spending power of India and China
• A great leader inspires their followers to make the leader look good regardless of gender
• We overplay the male / female dynamic when we talk about leadership
• Do they have marketing programs targeting women?  No. 
• Travel decisions are influenced by fathers, mothers and increasingly by children