| There are two streams of competitiveness | | | | between and among team members and others |
| running through every organization. The first goes | | | | in your organization who have a stake in the |
| outward: It's the organization's competitive | | | | results. If you lead an endeavor that causes hard |
| activities toward its competitors. The second goes | | | | feelings, it's better to have never started it in the |
| inward: It's the competitiveness of leaders inside | | | | first place. |
| the organization who are vying against one | | | | Moreover, the new team must be not only be |
| another for power, recognition, privilege and | | | | formed, it must be MARKETED. Both of these |
| promotion. | | | | efforts require communications tools and skills, |
| To be successful in the second, leaders must not | | | | which can take numerous forms. First, to describe |
| only do well in their jobs but they must also be | | | | the new team or service, communications must |
| able to have their bosses and colleagues perceive | | | | be employed to fully define its purpose and |
| they do well. | | | | operating principles, and the people who are |
| In other words, they must be able to publicize | | | | involved in it. These communications tools are |
| themselves -- or, to use the vernacular, blow their | | | | descriptive in nature and may include everything |
| own horns. | | | | from biographical back-grounders to product |
| I submit, however, that if one simply puts lips to | | | | descriptions and data sheets. |
| the horn of publicity and blows hard -- i.e., makes | | | | (3) Achieve the results. Execution and |
| an outward show of publicizing oneself -- such | | | | achievement of the targeted results is absolutely |
| efforts will turn out to be discordant and | | | | critical to this phase of horn blowing. Make sure |
| counterproductive. The result will be people turning | | | | you score a win even if it's only a partial win. The |
| their backs on you rather than having them hum | | | | idea is to get the low hanging fruit at the outset |
| your tune. | | | | to show others that your team is succeeding, and |
| Though it is necessary to blow one's own horn as | | | | then go for the bigger results later. |
| you climb your career ladder, it is also necessary | | | | (4) Publicize the results. This is one of the most |
| to know how to do it. After all, there is an art to | | | | important steps of all, and it is a step that few |
| the effort. Here are four steps that you can | | | | leaders follow. They might put together a team |
| follow. | | | | that gets a few wins, but they have no idea how |
| (1) Identify an area in your organization that | | | | to publicize their efforts. The first rule in this is: To |
| needs better results. The art involves not just | | | | blow your own horn most effectively, make sure |
| selecting the right results but doing so in | | | | YOU DON'T TAKE CREDIT FOR THE RESULTS |
| cooperation with others. Make sure that when | | | | -- YOUR TEAM MEMBERS TAKE CREDIT |
| you shine light on the lack of results, you do not | | | | INSTEAD! Your efforts will get torpedoed if they |
| embarrass somebody who has been tasked to | | | | look at all self-serving. |
| get those results. Instead of making beautiful | | | | To highlight the successful products and services |
| music, you could end up on somebody's enemies | | | | achieved by your team, you can put together |
| list! Get the responsible person's permission to | | | | white papers, data sheets, presentation papers |
| focus on the area. | | | | and case-history articles. |
| (2) Put together a team whose task it is to | | | | Don't make this a one-time effort. You must be |
| achieve those results. Blowing your own horn | | | | continually looking for results that are flagging, |
| means that you want to be seen, not as the | | | | putting together teams to achieve the results, |
| Lone Ranger, but as a team player. Ensure the | | | | then marketing and publicizing the achievements. |
| results can be achieved with a team. Enlist | | | | |
| members to join the team by giving leadership | | | | In this way, when you blow your horn in your |
| talks. (What's in it for them to be part of the | | | | organization, the music you'll be making can |
| team?) Be aware, as you form the team, of any | | | | accompany you on a fast-rising career-trajectory. |
| hard feelings or rough edges that might surface | | | | |