Rebel with a Cause, A Rebel’s Guide to Affecting Change
You love your job, but you’re not in love with it. You don’t necessarily want to leave, but it’s time that you elevate yourself. To where, though? This roadmap can get you started.
IDENTIFY A PROBLEM YOU CAN TACKLE
Look around you. There is no shortage of issues that, with just a bit of attention, can increase revenue, reduce risk, and retain clients. Don’t look above you - leadership isn’t interested in solving the little problems…at least, not yet.
What is a problem that you consistently have to deal with? That causes a bottleneck in your organization? That pisses your clients off? That you know can be resolved if it weren’t for the rope around your hands? Here’s a hint: it’s not huge and it’s not new. It’s a bubble along the process flowchart inside of a bigger process flowchart. It’s a zit. Let’s get to poppin’.
SHOW ME THE MONEY
This problem has to cost the company money, and it doesn’t have to be millions (but if it is, you’ll get more glory). The expense of fixing it has to either cost the same or less as doing nothing at all, and the fix itself has to be easy. It shouldn't add dots to the process inside of a process, it should replace one or more of those dots. And the tools to fix it? Those need to be already in hand. No one is going to give you a budget to fix a problem that keeps you from your primary responsibilities while adding more “stuff” to the mix.
Take a look at the people and tools used every day in your organization, then take a look at the process-zit. This is the puzzle you need to deconstruct and rebuild. As far as the company is concerned, it’s already a complete puzzle, but you know better. You’re going to take that puzzle and move pieces around until you find how they fit together differently - and much better than before.
FIND YOUR CONSPIRATOR
Your Conspirator is someone who has the attention of the C-Suite or is in it. They can call or email any executive at any time and get a response quickly because their opinion matters. You’ve worked beside this person on numerous occasions. They are the person you reach out to when the problem arises (again), and once that’s over you usually commiserate together about it a bit. But this person is not in the “field”. They are most likely in finance, general counsel, or operations. This is who you need to start with.
Should you start the conversation by pitching your solution? No. The conversation is a pulse check and should start with a question. Something like, “You know, XXX keeps coming up for us and it’s not going away. How can we try to make this easier?”. Listen to their response - this is actually guidance for you to check against that new puzzle you created. Does your idea align with the insight they have given (or can it with minor tweaks)? If not, go back to the drawing board and try again. If yes, wait a week, call them back, and tell them you have an idea and need their help.
GET AN EXECUTIVE SPONSOR
If your fix meets the criteria above: it can increase revenue, it can reduce risk, it will retain clients, it’s easy and can be done with existing resources, then your Conspirator should be on board. Don’t assume that they are putting any effort in because they like you so much and have nothing else to do. They want a piece of the reward - they want (or need) more professional equity to cash in later.
Your Conspirator is the link to the next person you need to persuade (if they’re not already this person): the Executive Sponsor. This is the Executive who is going to vouch for your idea and see that it comes to life. You don’t need to have a perfect solution ready to present here. You need the story of why the problem needs addressing, the bones of your solution, and, most importantly, you have to prove the outcome. The outcome has to be real - not what you hope will happen, not what you think might happen, but what will happen. Ideally, you’re able to summarize all of this on one page. It’s not as hard as it sounds: here is current state, here is future state, here is what we financially realize by doing it.
LET’S ROLL
From here one of two things will happen: your concept is accepted or rejected. If it’s the latter, that’s okay. We don’t always win on the first try. Just like with any “failure” reflect on what you learned and what you would do differently if you could do it again. You've earned more visibility and professional equity just by doing the exercise.
If your concept is accepted, you, your Conspirator and Executive Sponsor now make up the head of your new tribe. This is where the journey of both your professional elevation and your first go at popping corporate zits will actually begin. You’re going to learn a lot during these travels, so take note, make friends, and enjoy the ride.
