Why didn't Sarah Palin take the advice of a smart, savvy political maven?
Politics aside, this raises the issue of senior executives casting aside the counsel of seasoned experts. Perhaps they feel that they are smarter, or are in control, or have a personal point to make that drives them to ignore fair warnings.
My dad used to tell me, "lead, follow or get out of the way". But he left out the value of good advice. A leader can lead better with the right strategists around him or her to help pave the way.
Strategists and advisors have the ability to see the bigger picture, away from the limelight they can keep a finger on the pulse of the audience sentiment. They can evaluate the impact of decisions, using objectivity and experience. But yet, time after time, senior executives ignore good counsel, with a devastating effect on both the advisor and advisee.
Being ignored is bad enough, but being marginalised is worse and getting sacked is the ultimate sacrifice for doing the right thing.
As a trusted strategic communications advisor for the past 15+ years, I get satisfaction out of helping companies and their senior executives make the right business and public relations decisions.
Influencing the senior executive requires:
Trust – mutual, two-way trust between advisor and advisee overtime becomes loyalty
Rapport – a relationship built on mutual respect
Honesty – for any advisory relationship to work both parties must brutally honest – no detail, no matter how seemingly "classified" should be left off the table
Credibility – bring to the table real life experiences, the decisions that were made and the outcomes that resulted
Expertise – impeccable skill in bringing your advice to action
Have you had a leader take your advice, or not? What could advisors do better to get the attention of CEOs?
Well considered post, Christine.
ReplyDeleteIf I were to add one thing to your list, it would be frequency of contact. I've seen a lot of consultant/advisors fall into the pattern of relying on an email or a virtual conversation to get their perspectives across. Truth is you just have to be "there", building consensus not just with the CEO but also with the rest of the C-suite and management staff. Without availing yourself to that level of presence (and budgeting accordingly) the advisory voice becomes part of the din of options andgets diffused quickly. The trust and rapport can be there, but without the presence, trust and rapport can lose resonance. The most unfortunate thing we can do as advisors is to look back with our clients and wince at the aftermath of advice that wasn't taken.