Personal Chemistry
Some people simply have an easier time of it than others. They are fun to deal with, pleasant to have around, attractive, and interesting to talk to. What is it about them that makes this so? When it defies concise description, we say that their chemistry is "good." In some cases, more than one person is involved. A particular manager, for instance, gets along especially well with a certain individual. Their personalities complement each other, or they have strong common interests. It may be difficult to pinpoint the exact reasons for their bond. Again, we say the chemistry between them is good.
Needless to say, good chemistry is quite an asset. Since some people have it and some do not, the important thing for sound career management is for each person to learn about himself with as much objectivity as possible. How do other people sec him? What are the advantages and limitations of his personal style? What kinds of people are likely to find his style more than merely passable or acceptable? Armed with this information, he may then set about to choose the kinds of associates and situations that will give him the best break for his personal progress.1
An example is in order to emphasize the point. John K. is a warm, sympathetic man, a good listener, and inclined toward a soft approach to associates. He finds it extremely difficult to make decisions affecting others adversely, even though the overall good of the organization sometimes dictates tough-minded actions. If John wants a leadership role, he needs to examine himself with the help of a professional counselor or perhaps in a laboratory training session. In what ways are his qualities-his concern for people, his good listening habits, his warmth-especially advantageous? And what kinds of people are most likely to accept him as a leader? Perhaps a position in manager development or as a consultant or running a hospital unit might capitalize on his strengths. Moreover, developing expertise of a high order in his chosen field and selecting a staff of competent professionals who can respect his authority of knowledge and welcome his supportive approach are both likely to help advance his leadership position and make it easier for John to move ahead.
Such decisions and actions are not insurance policies for success, of course. But by choosing the circumstances in which he is likely to appear at his best, a person is managing elements that can be influenced rather than trying to compete against very tough odds. There is no one ideal set of circumstances. The person has full outlet for releasing his creativity to find a combination of environmental factors that will most enhance his personal style.
Sometimes such factors are not chosen before accepting a position but can be deliberately contrived afterward. A newly appointed manager, for instance, should look at the organization structure supporting him to be sure it is manageable for him. He should examine the way reporting positions are designed, the people who report or might report to him, and even the arrangement of his office and work schedule. Often these matters can be adjusted or modified in a helpful way.
The Boss's Career Progress
"The man who gets ahead works for a man who's getting ahead." It's true that a man who moves up in the organization hierarchy tends to choose those men to staff in his department, who have been productive for him in the past. He often gives them preference over people who, on paper at least, seem more directly experienced in the work at hand. This leads to the frequent comment, "It's all politics. It's not what you know but who you know that counts." This is discouraging for people who find themselves working for a man who doesn't seem a likely prospect for promotion. "What's all this about managing my career?" they may ask. "I don't have a chance unless I change companies."
The key to managing this situation, like any other, is to face the facts realistically and then search for the factors that can be controlled or at least influenced. Those executives choose men they know they can work with effectively because they've done it before has a clear implication. 'If a man seeks advancement, he should look carefully at the man to whom he will report when he changes his job. Either this man should be promotable so that he is not blocking others' advancement and may actually help it along, or he should have a great deal to offer in the way of know-how and experience. If the latter is the case, check with others to be sure he is able to transmit his knowledge. Some men are not aware of how much they know or are incapable of communicating it to those around them. If your prospective boss has the reputation of being a good delegator and a good developer of men, this is to your advantage. Set a time range in which to learn all you can, and consciously plan to make a change at the end of that time. This means you must be familiar with benefits arrangements so that you will not be unduly penalized if the move is to a new company. You must also familiarize yourself with the promotion system of the firm so that you will be able to use correct administrative procedures to help yourself into a new job should you wish to transfer to another part of the same organization.
What if you're one of the fortunate ones working for a man on the way up? The situation is not all favorable. First, you must determine how desirable it is for your own career to follow your boss. Some opportunities for upward movement are satisfying and rewarding and in the right direction by the person's own standards. Others may not be so advantageous. So a careful decision needs to be made on whether the opportunity offered fits into your total career picture. Then, too, it's questionable how long one man should follow another. There are dangers as well as benefits. To become too closely associated with the career of another puts you at his mercy. If he fails, you're probably in trouble, too. In another sense, it puts the leader under too great an obligation. Each time he draws a former associate into his new sphere of influence, he takes on a responsibility that narrows his own career choices. If, for example, he should receive a once-in-a-lifetime offer to join another firm, he might find himself ethically bound to his present situation just because the livelihood and careers of others are dependent on him there. No one wants this to happen. So if you're in a favored position, the follow-along career strategy may seem to work for you. But there are limits to consider. Both the leader and the follower have the responsibility of keeping their relationship from reaching a state of total dependence on each other.
Sponsorship
Closely allied with the follow-along strategy is the practice of sponsorship. Most men who have made it to the top say that they owe it at least partly to a certain individual who strongly influenced their opportunities. Such a person may have been a boss at one time, a customer, or a helpful associate. Regardless of the original relationship, he takes an interest in a capable person, displays confidence in him, and by his attitude affects the accomplishment level of his protégé to a great extent. If such a man becomes successful in his own career, he sometimes assumes a role of sponsorship. Unlike the man who puts former associates on his own staff, the sponsor simply uses his executive influence to make sure that men he knows to be capable are considered for excellent, challenging assignments whenever and wherever they open. In this way, these men become known and are further able to display their capabilities and thus develop an even wider circle of support. They are automatically considered for new, higher-level assignments as a result. Obviously, their chances for career advancement are significantly better than those of a man without a sponsor.
What does sponsorship do to the concept of career management by the individual? If you are sponsored, it's a help. If not, you have one more variable with which to deal. What can be influenced in this situation? First of all, sponsorship is usually earned. By seeking out men who have maturity and experience, we can learn a great deal if we take the time and have the patience. Sponsorship is earned by asking their counsel, not waiting for it to be offered. It is earned by responding to their advice with interest and application when it is given. And it is especially earned by living up to their confidence so that the results produced justify the extra time and effort the counselor provided. Since capitalizing on the know-how of others is one of the marks of successful men, nothing is lost and much gained by this approach. At best, you'll learn a lot and gain a sponsor. At worst, you'll still have learned quite a bit. So one thing you can do is deliberately set out to earn sponsorship.
Sometimes, unfortunately, sponsors do not stay in the good graces of top management. For one reason or another, perhaps because they lose their own sponsor, their influence diminishes or disappears. For this reason, as in the follow-on strategy, it is unwise to become too closely linked to one individual. This advice is sensible in any event, since no one man has a corner on the knowledge of the world and it would be foolish to limit the resources of your broader education and understanding in this way. So strive to learn from the experience of many others and, in so doing, increase the possibility of multiple sponsorship.
Is this currying favor? Yes. But not in the sense of compromising your own values, conforming for conforming's sake, or even just polishing the old apple. It is earning favor, and that's quite different.
