Sital Ruparelia

From my recent conversations with 6 figure earners within the banking sector, a key theme is appearing.

It goes something like this:-

“The financial markets are all over the place and the pressure to deliver is constant. But I am delivering – and having to work much harder and longer to do so…

…But I tell you what – I better get rewarded and acknowledged for it. If I don’t get that salary increase / bonus / that new role next year then I will be furious. I don’t want to change jobs – but I will if I’m not recognised and rewarded.”

Sound familiar?

My challenge back to you is this: – apart from working harder, what else are you doing to get what you want? How much influence do you really have about where you career is going? And how much is it in the lap of the gods?

The reality is that other people play a huge role on what happens to your career – and you should be proactive in the way you influence these people.

It’s no longer sufficient to do a good job and expect the results you want – you achieve your career goals by ensuring you are influencing the right people on a consistent basis:

Here are 4 steps that will help:

1. Decide what is it that you I actually want?
- What are your top 2-3 career and lifestyle objectives for the next 24 months?
- Be very precise (e.g If its promotion – what specific role do you want in 12 months time, if it’s a bonus, what’s the figure you are targeting? If it’s a more flexible work schedule – how much do you want to work and when?)

2. Decide who are the 3 or 4 individuals internally who will have the biggest influence on your career?
- These will typically be your boss, your boss’s boss and your most important internal client
- But equally could one another key stakeholder or someone in a large external client

3. Define how strong your relationship is with each of these
- Score your relationship with each of these from 1 – 10
- A “1″ being someone you hardly ever speak with. A “10″ is a relationship with someone who you have a strong personal as well as professional relationship with, someone with whome you have complete trust and openess. You socialise together, have met each other’s families and really understand each others goals and ambitions.

4. What can you do over the next 90 days to move these relationships “up” a level one?
- If your relationship with your boss is a 5/10, how do you get this to a 6 or a 7? What would a 6-7 relationship ‘look’ like? How would you know once once you wre there?
- Decide on some key activities to relationship build (more frequent update meetings and calls, meetings in more informal surroundings over breaksfast, lunch or drinks. And then ensure they are aware of your objectives (from point 1 above)

Working harder and delivering will, unfortunately, not always get you what you want.

So make sure you are strengthening your key relationships. Not only will these relationships increase your chances of achieving your objectives, but they will also be crucial in helping you weather any economic storms that may be heading your way.

There is currently a huge ammount of uncertainty in the financial markets. In times of change and uncertainty you need stronger relationships with key people who will fight your corner when you’re not in the room – people who you can lean on when the going gets tough.

So make sure you’re not simply focussed on delivering the business objectives – but also focus on strengthening the relationships that will enable you to achieve your personal objectives.