THE CASE OF ENOUGH EXPERIENCE

THE CASE OF ENOUGH EXPERIENCE

Dale Carnegie's coaches respond to a real world scenario from the Philadelphia region’s commercial construction industry. Remember: There is always more than one pathway to success.

Jerry walked into the meeting feeling excited. The project team for a new proposal was being announced, and he was hopeful that he’d be named to the team. He had joined the company right out of university, and five years later, even though he was still the newest member of the team, he had worked hard and was no longer the lowest ranking member. He felt good: his peers, like Mark, who he now shared rank with, had been great sources of support and they worked well together. His boss, Tony, also knew that he wanted to pursue more responsibility, and was putting him onto more challenging projects, which had helped him prove himself and get promoted faster.

As Tony handed out the project assignments, he got to the one proposal and said that two members of Jerry’s team would be listed as part of the overall project team, and that Jerry and Mark would be leading their department on the project. For Jerry, this was great news; this was an opportunity to do more in the department.

When the meeting ended, Mark turned to Jerry, “Hey, looks like we’ll be working together closely.” Jerry nodded. “Well, I’ll get started on creating a work plan and establish our responsibilities,” Mark continued, “but just to let you know, I’ll be taking the lead and you’ll be helping me.”

“Sure,” said Jerry. It hadn’t sounded like Tony wanted him to only assist, but he didn’t want to pick a fight either, especially not so soon after the meeting and while they were still in the conference room.

“Hey, Mark, Jerry.” Tony cut in, apparently having overheard Mark’s comment. “Actually, I meant that Jerry was going to be the lead and that you, Mark, will be helping him.”

“Oh, okay,” said Mark. Tony left the room. Mark turned again to Jerry, “Well, I guess that clears things up.”

“Yeah,” Jerry said.

“Cool,” Mark said. He started gathering up his things. “Listen, I’ll check back in with you later. I need to talk to Tony for a minute.” He stepped out of the conference room and headed down the hall towards Tony’s office.

Jerry headed back to his desk. He was looking forward to working on the project and hoped that this wasn’t anything to worry about.

The next morning, Jerry was pulled into Tony’s office, along with Mark.

“Look,” Mark started, “I don’t think that Jerry is the right person to lead this project. He doesn’t have enough experience yet to deserve being named the lead. The lead should be me.”

Tony sat up and leaned forward. “I want to reiterate that for this project, I am putting Jerry in the lead. I want Jerry to get more formal experience taking the lead and managing other people. I think that this project would be a good one, since you two are at the same level in the company and as for managing, well, this is a team that gets along, so it’s an ideal one for him to manage.”

After the meeting, Jerry took a walk to clear his head. As they left the room, Mark didn’t seem upset with him, per se, but he had said that Jerry didn’t deserve to be in the lead position. Mark had been someone who he related to at this point, since they were doing a lot of the same tasks and had a similar workload. In fact, Jerry thought of Mark as one of his mentors, so it stung a bit to hear Mark say what he said, especially in front of Tony. Did Mark not take him seriously as a colleague?

I guess I’ll just have to prove myself, thought Jerry. At least Tony believed in him. I can’t let Tony down, and I’ll just have to figure out how to keep things good with Mark.

A few days later, Tony also let Jerry know that he was including Jerry’s name in the project proposal. He wasn’t the overall project lead, but his name would be included as one of the team.

Jerry’s phone rang. It was Cheryl from Business Development and Marketing. She needed to verify some points on his resume, including his overall number of years of experience.

He told her five, and there was a pause: “Huh. I’m really surprised that someone with that little experience is allowed to be named onto this project,” she said.

“Um, well, what do you mean?” Jerry asked. The comment was a bit pointed. Maybe Cheryl didn’t mean to come off so bluntly.

“I just don’t think that it will look good to the client when we propose someone with that little experience.”

“Oh, okay. Well, if you need any other information from me, give me a call.” Jerry hung up the phone.

Jerry let out a sigh. He knew that Tony put him onto this project for a reason, but did others in the company see him as a liability for this proposal before it’s even submitted? He thought that he had a pretty good track record so far, one that included good quality projects and working well with team members, and this record got him promoted. He also wasn’t burning out.

But even though he knew that his work was good, a nagging question stayed with him: What number of years of good work would finally count as enough experience for him to be deserving of respect from others within the company, let alone the industry?

What should Jerry do?

Three Dale Carnegie trainers offer expert analysis and advice.

Robert’s Advice

I’m sure that many of us can relate to this scenario. We work hard, do our research and make good decisions based on the facts – yet someone still questions our conclusions. How frequently this occurs may decrease over time, but it will probably never disappear completely.

TagueLumber.com

The question, “What number of years of good work would finally count as enough experience for him to be deserving of respect from others within the company, let alone the industry?” is the wrong question. The question we should be asking ourselves is, “what can I do differently to increase the level of trust, credibility, and respect in this relationship?” The answer is going to vary depending on the other person, the relationship and the specific topic.

We know:

• Trust is built by keeping our promises and destroyed by letting people down,

• Credibility comes from supporting our views and opinions with evidence, and

• Respect comes to us when it flows from us.

So while there is no specific timeline for earning someone’s trust, there is one specific action we can take to accelerate the process – be trustworthy!

Ellen’s Advice

It’s unlikely that Jerry can say anything that will change the minds of his colleagues who question his managers decision to assign him with the lead role on this project. He should avoid directly defending himself or his manager’s decision. Dale Carnegie says, “Evidence defeats doubt.” As Jerry focuses his time and mental energy on managing this project as successfully as possible, rather than on the opinions of those who disagree with his role, he will make positive and constructive strides toward a successful project and building up his credibility. Effectively leading the project to completion is the best kind of evidence and doubts will fade into the background.

Jerry also has an opportunity to reframe how he views the situation, and that will impact what happens as well. His manager clearly believes in his capabilities and is offering this opportunity for Jerry to grow as a leader! Jerry should trust the experience of his manager and seize the opportunity with enthusiasm.

A key contributor to his success will be to focus on open communication and collaboration. Mark may feel overlooked or possibly resentful about not being selected as the lead. Jerry should focus on strengthening his relationship with Mark by acknowledging the value Mark’s expertise and insights bring to the project team. Dale Carnegie says, “Make the other person feel important and do it sincerely.” This is not a manipulative tactic: Rather, Jerry would genuinely recognize Mark’s strengths, respect Mark’s important role on the team, and foster a spirit of collaboration on the team. It takes confidence and leadership to do this and this approach can result in a win-win scenario!

Mike’s Advice

Actions speak louder than words!

Jerry has worked hard for the last five years to prove himself. He was able to build his credibility, enhance relationships, and achieve results. He has clearly been working toward taking the next step in his career and this opportunity is evidence of that! Jerry should keep believing in himself!

There always will be some level of conflict or miscommunication in business. Jerry should address the issue with Mark and ask him to be his coach/mentor for this project. This can both help Jerry succeed with the project as well as present Mark with a leadership development opportunity that will show Tony Mark’s ability to successfully mentor another. This move also will help clear the air and create purpose for everybody's role. This could create a win-win for Jerry and Mark and when they do well on this project together, they will continue to build their respective brands.

The only way to get experience is time. Now the real question is what you are doing with your time? Five years go by quickly, and some people do not accomplish a lot, yet expect to get promoted. Others, like Jerry, worked their tails off to develop the right skill sets and to position themselves for that next step in their careers. Embrace the opportunity, be confident in yourself and the decisions that you will make, and this experience will make you a better leader.