By Kaitlin Madden,
Whether you work for a large corporation or a small business,
you probably feel at least a little intimidated by your company's executive
team. After all, they not only call the shots, but they essentially
hold your job security and the future of your career in their hands.
As
daunted as you may feel at the prospect of networking with your
organization's higher-ups, getting to know them could be one of the best
things you do for your career.
"It is quite worthwhile to get to know senior leaders [at your company]," says John Millikin, clinical professor of management at Arizona State University's W.P. Carey School of Business and former vice president of human resources
at Motorola. "From the leader's standpoint, by getting to know you as
more than a name on a roster, he or she can have a face and personality
in mind when making decisions that might affect you and your job. You,
conversely, begin to have a clearer understanding of who this leader is
and how she or he thinks. This can be very helpful in better aligning
your actions with the goals of the firm. The leader may also gain from a
connection with you, because he or she is getting an unfiltered view
from the 'floor,' which can be very helpful."
So how do you form relationships with the upper management at your company? Consider the do's and don'ts of networking up.
Do find a mentor: Having
a mentor in a management position at your company is helpful, because
he can introduce you to other executives with whom you may not have a
chance to interact.
"From my experience, working in a corporate
position as a banker for many years, networking with higher-ups works,"
says Alexandra Figueredo, motivation and success coach and author
of "Sculpt Your Life From Sketch to Masterpiece." "I was mentored by a
senior officer, and she pushed me to meet periodically with every one of
the senior executives at my company. I was scared to death at first.
But within a few months, I was meeting with the top five executives of
my company, including the CEO and [chief financial officer]. Eventually,
I used their insight and guidance to get promoted within the company."
Don't be a brown-noser: Though
networking up is a good career strategy, trying to get an "in" with
management shouldn't monopolize your workday. You don't want to develop a
reputation as the office politico -- that won't sit well with
colleagues or executives.
"Building relationships and networking
within an organization can be quite important in a career," Millikin
says. "But that doesn't mean that you should spend all your time playing
politics in the negative sense of the word. Good working relationships
facilitate communication
and understanding in an organization, enhancing efficiency. Carried to
an extreme, of course, it can become counterproductive. Relationships
need to be sincere and transparent. Nobody likes someone who is
obviously ingratiating and always agreeing with the boss."
Do create opportunities to network: If
you don't have a chance to interact with your CEO on a daily basis,
look for ways to do so outside of work. "Employees can network with
executives in their own companies by joining and/or heading up
committees that are companywide that will have to report to upper
management," says Cheryl Palmer, owner of career-coaching firm Call to
Career. "This will give employees visibility with the higher-ups as well
as networking opportunities."
Other places to "run into" executives? The company gym, office-sponsored happy hours and corporate charity events.
Don't flaunt your connections: "It
might make colleagues uncomfortable if you are chummy with the CEO or
other senior people, so you want to make sure you're not gloating about
the relationship, or you're not using it as an excuse to not pull your
own weight," says Carolina Ceniza-Levine, co-founder of career-coaching
firm SixFigureStart.
Do prepare for meetings with executives: If
you have the opportunity to meet with a company executive, make the
most of it. "It's important to think strategically about the meeting,"
says Bobbie LaPorte, founder of leadership development firm RAL &
Associates and former executive at GE and IBM. "In order to prepare,
define your goal in meeting with them and assess what expertise, insight
[and] connections you can potentially offer them -- we all have
something to offer. Bring an agenda or plan to the meeting."
LaPorte also suggests researching
the executive you're meeting with through LinkedIn or company
information, so you can find out who the person is, what she likes to do
and what goals she has for the company.
Adds Ceniza-Levine,
"Keep abreast of what's happening in your company and industry, so you
will have something to talk about when you do inevitably meet senior
people."