[MUSIC] After spending six months leading a company wide initiative for a major Fortune 50 company to save $5 million, nearly 10 million in today's dollars. I had earned the nickname, the Grim Reaper, I could get off the elevator to any division and hear people picking up their phones and whispering she's coming and she has her calculator. So you can imagine that although I was thrilled when I finished the initiative and can move into a division, starting up a new venture. Finally a place where I get to contribute to earning money, not being responsible to stop it from being spent. The team that got me was not thrilled. Who wants to be led by the grim reaper when you're trying to build a new venture? And I met all their expectations when within a couple of weeks I realized they had so over spent their budget, they would be unable to open without an infusion of at least $1 million. You'll hear more about how they over spent their budget in the project management lessons. What matters here, is that I needed to persuade leadership to hand back 1/5 of what I had spent a year saving. Once I figured out where the money had gone and what we still needed to buy. I called the team into a meeting. And said folks, we need about $1 million October, 1. The date our new venture was to open, the room erupted. One team member through his pencil in the air and said, well I guess I better go polish up my resume. I said, no, no, no, I think I can get it. Hold on, The CEO is on his way. When he arrived, I said, sir, we need a million dollars to turn on the lights. October, 1 here is documentation showing exactly what we need to purchase and why. Here is our plan for ensuring the money gets spent according to this list. Of course, this changes are projected profits. Here is a revised Proforma for the next five years. That includes the expenses and the depreciation for additional capital expenditures. The CEO glanced at the spreadsheet, took out his pen, signed his name, got up from the table, walked to the door where he turned and said over his shoulder. See to it, you don't spend a penny more. And we opened the doors on October 1, a mere $999,000 over the original budget. How did I get a company so focused on lowering costs to provide an additional million dollars? First, I talked to the right decision maker. I could have brought in the president, the CEO or the CFO. Any of the three of them had the authority to free up the extra million. But after spending quite a lot of time with these leaders while working on the cost saving program. I knew that only the CEO is interested in this venture in conversational asides. He would mention it to others as cool and the future. The other two leaders were not interested, find your allies. Every project needs a champion at high level. I had built a reputation for integrity and diligence. The Ceo knew when I said this is the plan that I would not spend a dollar on anything, not promise I had built goodwill and used facts to support my request. I showed the consequences of adding funds versus not doing so and I did one more thing not listed in the influence tactics. I provided the information in a way I knew he would understand immediately. Some bosses want to read a report. Others want to read the summary. Someone to hear the report and others want to hear a summary. Someone to read or hear a story and someone to read or hear the numbers. This CEO wanted to hear from me, not read reports, he wanted to see the most relevant numbers, but he also might want the supporting data available in case there was some detail, he needed to make his decision. I had available every number he possibly could want. But the key numbers were bold on the front page. Peter Drucker is credited with saying that part of the responsibility in the work relationship is to enable your boss to perform. Many managers who do a great job managing their direct reports, take a stance with their boss,that is unproductive. They see the boss as a parent and then feel resentful that they have to ask for permission or money to make something happen. They see the boss as an all knowing entity and failed to provide necessary information and advice. They see the boss as an enemy and actively undermine them by speaking ill of them to others failing to support them in meetings and in other ways act to bring about their failure. I admit that I did this and boy do. I wish I hadn't. Managing your boss does not mean kissing up. Nor does it mean playing politics. It means recognizing the interdependency you have with them, understanding their stressors, their weaknesses, their fears and communicating with them in the way that is best for them. We think our boss should behave a certain way or should believe a certain thing rather than working with them as they are. I once had a boss who wanted to be consulted on every major decision, even those that were within my span of accountability and control. I had a decision to make. That was urgent. My boss was out of town, so I took action and infuriated my boss in the process. For a while, I could not understand why he was so angry. It was my job to make such decisions and it had to be made quickly. He even agreed with the decision. So what was the problem. But because I knew he preferred to be consulted, I should have tried to reach him and given him at least a day to get back to me. We have to know ourselves to manage our boss as well. If you chafe under authority, try not to take a position working for a dictatorial boss. If you have no choice, remind yourself to focus on the content of their words and not their delivery. If you love to get into heated arguments, but your boss prefers to work harmoniously find other people to debate with. And when you disagree with your boss do so without vehemence and in a way that demonstrates your respect for them. I had a boss who would react swiftly strongly and negatively when disagreed with in public, but they'd be open to hearing disparate ideas in private. Over time I learned to note down anything I disagreed with in a meeting and then I'd visit their office afterward to share my ideas. In this way, I was able to influence numerous decisions. Finally, don't waste your boss's time. Write concise emails, avoid arguing over decisions already made and when you bring a problem to your boss, come prepared with several solutions. And while we're on the subject, teach your employees to manage you tell them how you prefer to get information, teach them the strategy. So they are alert to threats and opportunities. Be approachable so that they share those ideas with you. Listen to them, be confidently humble enough to let their ideas influence your decision making. Create a leading up culture and you will be the wiser for it.
