I interviewed and attended an assessment for a new role on this past Monday. It was a fairly senior role within a large organisation and it was a job that I would like to have got.
The outcome of the first round interview and assessments were: that I met the grade with respect to data analysis, verbal and numerical reasoning (all of the assessments were bench marked against other senior managers that had taken the same tests and I scored higher than 60% in the numerical and 70% in the verbal in comparison to the population of senior managers that had taken the same tests), presentation skills and ability to plan and apply reason to problems. The interviews and assessments covered far more than simply these but none of these were the issue.
On a Belbin analysis it appeared that I could comfortably take on any role although the one I was least likely to adopt was that of shaper.
However, all this aside I did not get selected for a final interview and the reasons were that I apparently lacked self confidence and did not have the ability to influence at the most senior levels which is obviously a requirement if you are attempting to implement change within a professional organisation.
So I am at a bit of a crossroads. I have applied for the same role within in other organisations within the same sector and believe that I will make it as far as the interview stage. In this instance where I failed to get to the final stage only 6 were picked to go for the first round and it was narrowed down to 2 for the final round. Of the 6 attending I was the youngest by 5-6 years, then there was one in his mid 30’s and the remaining 4 candidates were all in their mid 40’s to 50’s, so I was more than 20 years younger than the most senior.
Does anyone have any advice on how one can improve their ability to influence and affect change. I suppose that I am looking for reading material or other suggestions as to how I can learn more about this. I obviously need to do something and I am sure that there are people here in roles where they affect change so any help would be appreciated. Obviously no one can offer an opinion on whether I did something right or wrong but would it be likely that when applying for a senior role that my age will have had a significant amount of influence on their decision due to my comparative lack of experience?
I wouldn’t think the forum is likely the best place to ask this. This is lots of info on the web if you goggle.
I’m giving some thought to moving from private practice into a college teaching position. Found this web site to have a lot of info and good links.
http://www.quintcareers.com/career_change.html
Andrew me boy…
We all aren’t cut out to be CEO’s. You may be quite lucky that the vetting process for this position has weeded you out. It is very possible, as you have noted, that you may not yet be ready for this postion. It is also very possible that you may never be ready for this position.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1568491611/002-3968399-9590423
The Peter Principle: by Dr. Laurence J. Peter and Raymond Hull
William Morrow & Company, Inc. New York
1969, 179 pages in paperback.
"In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.
The author provides an insightful analysis of why so many positions in so many organizations seem to be populated by employees who exhibit signs of incompetence which is a most disturbing since we all tend to all rise to our own level of incompetence. This concept is likely to be ignored by most senior managers and consultants since to admit it is to admit that we may also be at our own level incompetence. Ignorance is bliss?
The end result is that non-growing companies are more likely to have incompetent employees at many levels of the organizational structure whereas growing companies add new positions and employees so fast that the inevitable results of the Peter Principle may be forestalled as long as growth continues.
According to Dr. Peter: Work is accomplished by those employees who have not reached their level of incompetence. Thus we can see why organizations still function even as the Peter Principle causes some employees to accept one too many promotions. Peter's Corollary: In time, every post tends to be occupied by an employee who is incompetent to carry out its duties.
Consider your own work experience and answer this question: "How many incompetent employees or managers have you encountered and how many were subsequently fired?" Fired, not relocated or bump upstairs so to speak. The Peter Principle maintains that to be promoted from one level of incompetence to another level of incompetence does not negate the principle, but Dr. Peter does call this a pseudo-promotion or percussive sublimation.
Another apparent exception to the Peter Principle is the Lateral Arabesque which means that the incompetent worker is moved laterally or to another location with possibly a longer title.
Management consultants who recognize that the Peter Principle is in full swing in their clients organization often recommend percussive sublimations and lateral arabesque for high ranking employees to make room for new employees, because new employees are not at their level of incompetence thus they can actually do the work they were hired to do which increases total output of the organization.
Employees, as the author points out, do not want to be incompetent, but when management offers promotions that put the employees into their level of incompetence, the employees have no way of knowing that ahead of time. After all, if the offer is made it is because management knows the employee can do the job competently. Many managers are at their level of incompetence thus they make these poor selections."
Andrew,
Congrats on your commitment to learn new things and develop your career. Best I can tell, your style in the interview failed to inspire confidence that you could influence that organization’s exec team. While each organization will have a slightly different culture, there are skills & behaviors that can be learned and applied to improve your chances. There are a number of leadership development & change management training programs that may be helpful to aid you in rounding out your demonstrated technical expertise.
Personally, I’m partial to the Emotional Intelligence genre of programs & literature. Here’s an excerpt from a book I’ve been reading lately called “Executive EQ: Emotional Intelligence in Leadership and Organizations” by Robert Cooper & Ayman Sawaf:
People who are intellectually the brightest are often not the most successful, either in business or personal lives…And emerging research suggests that a technically proficient executive or professional with a high EQ is someone who picks up–more readily, more deftly, and more quickly than others-- the budding conflicts that need resoltuion, the team and organizational vulnerabilities that need addressing, the gaps to be leaped or filled, the hidden connections that speed opportunity, and the murky, mysterious interactions that seem most likely to prove golden–and profitable.
There’s lots of tools out there to effect changes which result in increased ability to instill confidence and influence with or without authority. They aren’t easy changes to make, but with consistent application of certain principles, you can get there. Just like training for your first IM-- it all started with one step, one stroke & hopping on the bike. Consistency and faith that you’d reach your goal gets you there over time. These skills are no different.
Best wishes,
Alicia
Can’t anyone help a brother out with his question?