Beverly Flaxington is a practice management consultant. She answers questions from advisors facing human resource issues. To submit yours, email us here.
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Dear Bev,
What do I do to raise my profile during this time of isolation? I work in a large team within a big company; there are 45 of us under my boss’ umbrella. There are three team leads, but my boss makes all of the decisions about who gets an increase, promotions, recognition and so on.
He is completely overwhelmed. If I ask him for any time, even after I have worked with the team leader to address something, he will give me five minutes at most. I am doing more than I ever have and am learning a lot on my own time. I am close to obtaining a certification he had asked me to get a couple of years ago. When I told him I am “close,” he said, “Good – that’s what this down time for you at home can do.” I thought that was a slap in the face. I am also working very long hours and the certification has been my nights and weekend project.
He’s not a bad guy. In fact, when we were in the office, he was always one of those people with a “come in anytime” attitude and he honored it. I know his wife has been sick and he has three youngish kids who have started a new private school this year. He often seems distracted and not focusing. I have empathy for his situation, but I care about my career. I’m not shy about bringing things up. But I realize if I do it when he isn’t open to it, then I look like the insensitive jerk.
S.N.
Dear S.N.,
You are not alone. I am hearing this question over and over when I speak to large groups and people who are working in larger institutions where they can’t meet in person and show clearly what they are doing to contribute. Interrupting someone’s day via phone or email seems less appealing and less productive, so many are hesitant to do it. Add in your sensitivity that your boss might have his own issues and distractions, and you don’t want to be a lightning rod for him. I can definitely see your reluctance to be pushier than you have been.
However, I am a strong believer in internal self-promotion and improving your personal brand. It’s easy to get lost in any company, but especially in a larger one where there is a lot going on and many people doing different things. The concept of keeping your head down, doing your job and hoping someone notices is a risky one. Yes, it can work, but it’s better if you help your boss to see what you are doing and recognize it for what it is, going above and beyond at times.
Let your boss know you recognize he might have a lot on his plate, but, despite this, you are able to update him and let him know what you are doing. You can tell him you care about his opinion and about your career, so you will be providing him with an update email at the end of each week outlining your accomplishments for the week. If, given your role, once per week is too much, then suggest this for once every other week. I have found once per month is not sufficient and allows too much time to elapse between communications.
Then, create a template for the document you will send. This could be something like the following:
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Accomplishment
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Date Started/Date Completed
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Important Information
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Other
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Of course you can choose whatever headers are appropriate for your job. But this should give you an idea. Then, once you send this, the next time you speak with your boss – even if for only five minutes –ask him if he received it and if he has any questions. Seeing this document might raise ideas in his mind and you might find he becomes more engaged and willing to talk about specifics.
If you are accountable to a team lead, cc that person on the communication to not appear as though you are skipping over that person’s authority.
Dear Bev,
Do you think it is the right thing for me, as owner of the firm, to facilitate a conversation between two angry employees? These two men have broken into fights on our recent Zoom meetings making it very uncomfortable for everyone on the team. Several of my staff members have come to me to say that I have to do something. But I don’t believe I am the right person to do it.
I am not a qualified social worker. I agree with one of the people involved much more than the other. I don’t see how I gain anything by getting in the middle. Doesn’t a difficult conversation always result in the facilitator being the one blamed?
A.H.
Dear A.H.,
Having been that facilitator many times in my career, I often tell clients they are paying me to be the bad guy and if their teammates end up getting along better, but they don’t like me during the process, so be it. I’d rather see the team collaborating and becoming more cohesive than have new friends.
I say this a bit tongue-in-cheek, of course. It’s hard to be a good facilitator if you aren’t trusted and valued. I often recommend against the person in charge taking on this role. If you aren’t skilled at it, and it goes sideways, it can do lasting damage to your relationship with either or both of the team members. Nothing is gained and there is a great deal to lose.
Bring in an outsider to help you with this issue. Sometimes the sensitivities are so high that having an objective third party is your only option. If you favor one person over the other, then you can assume others on your team do too. In fact when there is angst like you are describing, it’s pretty natural people start to take sides and are no longer able to see both viewpoints.
Some firms will choose a social worker who doesn’t know the business, others might choose a coach who has worked with advisory firms like yours. You should interview two or three people and find someone who is the best fit for your needs. If they are fighting over business-related issues, I would probably lean toward a seasoned coach. But if it has become personal and accusatory and nasty, you could be better off with a licensed social worker or psychologist to do this.
There are often business issues that either trigger the personal attacks or are at the root of the differences even though it comes across as personal. I don’t know the specifics of your situation, so I cannot opine effectively on what direction to take. What I can say, and I often say to my clients who find themselves in similar situations to this, is that you need to get out of the middle, and the sooner the better!
Beverly Flaxington co-founded The Collaborative, a consulting firm devoted to business building for the financial services industry in 1995. The firm also founded and manages the Advisors Sales Academy. She is currently an adjunct professor at Suffolk University teaching undergraduate and graduate students Entrepreneurship and Leading Teams. Beverly is a Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst (CPBA) and Certified Professional Values Analyst (CPVA).
She has spent over 25 years in the investment industry and has been featured in Selling Power Magazine and quoted in hundreds of media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, MSNBC.com, Investment News and Solutions Magazine for the FPA. She speaks frequently at investment industry conferences and is a speaker for the CFA Institute.
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Beverly Flaxington is a practice management consultant. She answers questions from advisors facing human resource issues. To submit yours, email us here. 