Being a Tech Exec Archives

A Successful Tech Exec Takes Risks (well informed ones)

“All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger (it’s impossible) but calculating risk and acting decisively. Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer.“
Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince

Risk: Every individual encounters daily risks, particularly when veering away from the comfort of routine. Evaluating the repercussions entails a crucial assessment of your strengths and vulnerabilities. As a tech exec, you will inevitably face challenging circumstances where your experience becomes indispensable in navigating tumultuous waters. Capitalizing on the wisdom of a mentor can significantly enhance your risk management capabilities. When a leader requests your trust and urges you to embrace a risky situation, even if it lies outside your comfort zone, have faith in their judgment. They have chosen you for your immense potential.

Here are a few key points to consider in order to overcome risks:

Acclimatize to the new environment:

Before diving into new situations, it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with the environment and the people. Build relationships regardless of their roles and seek to understand processes, best practices, and leverage others’ experiences for success.

Be comfortable in your shoes:

For success, be confident in your decisions. Recognize the empowerment to make choices you believe in. The support of your leadership and team fosters confidence in making tough calls.

Leverage experience and support of your mentor:

Smart decision makers value and harness the wisdom of experienced individuals. Trust in supportive leadership reduces fear of taking risks.

Be fearless and prepared for the unknown:

Every risk carries smaller unknown risks. Fear of repercussions hinders exploring all available options, resulting in self-imposed limitations and narrow operations.

Take bold moves. Risks are part of our daily lives, some consciously taken, others unbeknownst. Embrace career risks and watch yourself soar with smart choices and the right support. Progress awaits!

Avoiding Unconscious Bias as a Tech Exec

Unconscious bias is when a person unknowingly makes judgements based on their unconscious mind. A tech exec needs to understand and avoid making decisions based on unconscious bias.

Often, individuals are unaware of their own biases, which often stem from their upbringing. For instance, a parent may frequently express disdain for a particular race or creed in the privacy of their home, with their impressionable child as an audience. These encounters leave a lasting impact on the person’s psyche.

Human nature plays a role in our inclination to gravitate towards those who resemble us. In the realm of business, however, it’s crucial to acknowledge that not everyone shares our similarities. Consequently, surrounding ourselves solely with individuals who mirror our own traits can inadvertently reflect a bias, excluding others in the process.

Be aware that your leaders may have these biases and work to help yourself avoid being impacted.

Allow me to provide an illustration of being ensnared by bias:

You are on a team where everyone is a football lover. They talk about it every day, and the manager has started a fantasy football league.
You are not a fan and don’t participate in the discussions about the league. So, you are kind of on the outside.
The team manager establishes a strong bond with each member, sharing their love for football and regularly enjoying lunch together. Although you are not usually included, the camaraderie among them is evident.
Due to the manager’s substantial interactions with individuals who share a common interest, which often intertwines work discussions and football banter, he also entrusts the most captivating tasks to these individuals.
You are assigned mostly admirative tasks.
You articulate your dissatisfaction with the job to your counselor, pondering whether this organization might not be the ideal fit for you.
Your counselor, as expected, communicates with the manager to inform them about your concern. The manager, however, expresses their own concern that you haven’t directly addressed the issue with them. Furthermore, they mention to your counselor that you appear to be disconnected from the team and lacking motivation.
Because of the “football connection” you have not felt overly comfortable confiding in the manager.
Naturally, with the administrative work, and the lack of connection with your manager you are down. Mentally this is just not what you want to be doing.
The annual appraisals have commenced, and the feedback from your manager and counselor to the management team has been less than satisfactory. Despite your anticipation for a promotion this year, unfortunately, it will not be happening.

Unconscious bias affected your progress, but it’s not your fault for not getting promoted. Your manager favored individuals with similar qualities, lacking inclusivity. Hopefully, your company educates leaders about unconscious bias; but often, they don’t. If not, you’ll need to navigate this situation independently.

It’s tough, but don’t let isolation hold you back. Share your concerns with your manager about feeling excluded and request tasks that promote your growth in the company.

Click here for a post on dealing with the situation of your boss hating you.

Market Yourself

This subject deserves an entire category dedicated to it on this blog. It is a crucial aspect of brand building, regardless of one’s tenure in a company or career. Even tech execs must refine their personal brand to succeed.

As you navigate through your office, always be prepared for unexpected encounters with senior leaders. So, what should you do when you meet them in the elevator? Embrace the moment! Craft a concise self-introduction, commonly referred to as an “elevator pitch,” that highlights your background, role, and identity. Strive for brevity, ensuring it can be delivered within the duration of an elevator ride – perhaps just five floors. Let your words radiate confidence and eloquence, making a lasting impression.

I believe that the elevator pitch serves as the foundation for establishing your brand identity.

However, it is an imperative initial stride. Being comfortable with self-expression is essential. Practice it. Admittedly, sharing personal anecdotes with unfamiliar individuals can be daunting, but wise leaders appreciate your endeavors to forge connections and are typically encouraging (well, at least most esteemed leaders within the organization).

Here’s the elevator pitch…

Hello Mr. Jones! It’s wonderful to see you. I’m Jean Smith from the Technology Department. May I take a moment to introduce myself? I specialize in supporting finance department applications and possess exceptional communication skills. My long-term aspiration is to become a valued member of the leadership team at ABC Company. I am truly grateful for this opportunity to connect with you.

Feel free to add and enhance but avoid any oddities. Keep it concise and straightforward. Be warm and welcoming, as if meeting a friend on the street.

Please remember that you have a limited time to make a lasting impression on the leader. Our focus for now will be on ensuring that they remember you. We will discuss additional personal marketing activities at a later point.

Understanding Corporate Culture

As a tech exec, effectively selling your services to clients requires a deep understanding and alignment of their culture. By doing so, you significantly enhance your ability to close deals and successfully deliver your services. This strategic approach enables you to not only meet client expectations but also create a positive and lasting impact.

Understanding the culture of an organization requires effort, as it is intricately tied to its leadership. By familiarizing oneself with the values and priorities of the leaders, one can begin unraveling the complex tapestry that defines a company’s culture.

Culture encompasses the values and beliefs that shape an organization’s operations and decision-making. It is influenced by leaders and influencers at all levels and reflected in the behaviors of individuals within the organization. Over time, leadership actions can solidify culture, creating an enduring legacy environment.

When guiding clients in cultural change, there’s a golden opportunity to shape their path. Active involvement is crucial in assimilating new beliefs and behaviors aligned with the vision. In larger matrix organizations, isolated teams can result in a culture misaligned with the strategic direction.

Effective cultural change fuels bottom line results and cultivates a fulfilling work environment. As a trusted advisor, you’ll play a vital role in this transformative atmosphere. Stay tuned for upcoming blog posts where we delve into strategies for achieving success.

Leading vs. Managing

Leadership and management are interchangeable, yet they require very different skills.

As a tech exec and mentor, we sometimes groom people for management roles without developing their key leadership skills. New managers struggle to be effective leaders, resorting to micro-plans, metrics, and negative pressure, resulting in low morale and a lack of respect.

Certain organizations aggressively promote individuals into management roles without adequately supporting their development as effective people leaders. In the long run, this approach can hinder the career growth of these managers. Additionally, it can create a detrimental impact on the leadership hierarchy of an organization, fostering a culture that prioritizes metrics over the well-being and needs of their workforce.

Consider this: Can we acquire leadership skills prior to assuming managerial roles? Or is leadership primarily an art form rather than a science? The qualities that define successful leaders are truly remarkable.

Successful leaders demonstrate the following:

They listen and have empathy.
They communicate openly and honestly.
They EMPOWER.

It’s important to remember: Exceptional leaders also aspire to become exceptional managers. Leadership alone might garner adoration from the team, but without management elements, progress may be hindered.

You can consciously acquire leadership traits and apply them to your situation. Reflect on your management style. Do you dictate and set unrealistic timelines? Do you expect automatic respect? Instead, foster respect and trust by mentoring, not losing your cool when deadlines are missed. To effectively apply leadership traits, break bad practices and negotiate with your manager for a rewarding team environment.

Cultivate maturity, maintain humility, and practice empathy. As a result, you can assemble an exceptional team that will support and contribute to your journey of becoming a successful leader.

See more on Leading vs. Managing at this post.