Managing business relationships

YOU, WE, US.Tips to manage the boss, your peers, and other stakeholders

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What we’ll talk about

Handling your stakeholders Remote interaction with your peers Social capital Managing the boss

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Handling your stakeholders

At the beginning of a career we rely mostly on Technical competencies Individual expertise/actions Short-term goals

As we progress we start relying more on Human competencies Interpersonal work Relationships with key individuals Long-term goals

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Handling your stakeholders

Who might our stakeholders be? Boss Senior executives Coworkers Team Customers Suppliers

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Handling your stakeholders

We tend to deal with our relationships by instinct

We should be more analytical about our work relationships Who do I depend on? Who is dependent on me? What differences exist between us? How is my relationship developing?

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Handling your stakeholders

Identify Prioritize

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Handling your stakeholders

Understand key stakeholders What are their motivations? What information do they need from you? What is the best way to communicate with

them? What interest might they have on your work? What is their opinion on your work? Can their opinions be influenced by someone

else? Can they influence someone else? If there are negative towards you, can you

offer them something they want?

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Handling your stakeholders, opinion

What about your case? Do you manage your stakeholders?

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What we’ll talk next

Handling your stakeholders Remote interaction with your peers Social capital Managing the boss

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Remote interaction with your peers

Nowadays, technology allows companies to take advantage of geographically dispersed teams Cost reduction Sharing technical skills

However, some issues are magnified Conflicts Misunderstandings Erroneous assumptions Lack of trust

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Remote interaction with your peers

How to improve trust in non-collocated teams? Create face time Set clear goals and expectations Make the work visible Provide ongoing feedback Showcase team members’ competence Foster cultural understanding

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What we’ll talk next

Handling your stakeholders Remote interaction with your peers Social capital Managing the boss

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Social capital, promoting it

What is social capital? Consists in strong relationships among the

employees of an organization

Close ties and mutual trust lead to Gains in productivity Quicker learning speed More creativity Faster deals

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Social capital, measures to promote it

Make connections Enable trust Foster cooperation

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Social capital, make connections

Commitment to retention Promoting from within Give people time Facilitate personal conversations Foster durable networks

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Social capital, enable trust

Give employees no reason to distrust Show trust yourself Promote trustworthy people

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Social capital, foster cooperation

Common sense of purpose Reward cooperation with cash Establish rules for cooperation Hire for social capital

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Social capital, what wrecks it

Hoteling Reengineering The leader as superstar Hypocrisy

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Managing your boss – why?

Get resources to do the best job Maintain a healthy relationship based on

mutual respect and understanding Increase both yours and your boss’

productivity

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Managing your boss – the theory

Compatible work styles Mutual expectations Information flow Dependability and honesty Good use of time and resources

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Managing your boss – the movie

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Managing your boss – the movie

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The end

Any thoughts or remarks?