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December 18, 2009
An Influential Model to Follow
Employees can increase their influence when
promotion seems far away
By Nora Tong
Originally published December 18, 2009 by South China
Morning Post
Read the post here: http://www.classifiedpost.com.hk/jsarticledetail.php?articleid=3000025243&arttype=MARKN&communitycode=&message=INVALID-134
It can be demoralising for mid-career professionals to be
passed over for promotion despite years of service with the
same company.
Nonetheless, it may be time to realise that getting a
promotion is not the only way to be rewarded. Instead of
going up the career ladder, there are alternative ways to
contribute that are just as valuable and important to the
company.
One way is to influence more people and achieve broader
results. After all, there is something inherently
satisfying in helping others grow and develop. The question
is, how should one build and expand influence? The
answer may be in the Four Stages of Contribution model, a
framework for increasing one's impact and influence in
an organisation.
The model was developed by Gene Dalton and Paul Thompson,
the founding partners of global talent development
consulting firm Novations Group. They believe that
employees move through four stages in their careers as they
make different contributions. An employee who has
languished in a position for some time probably falls into
the second category of the model. This employee works
independently and has developed technical know-how. But
frustration can develop when the employee may not be able
to share the experience with others because he or she is
not in a management position.
Nevertheless, one can work towards stage three without
being a manager by reaching out and sharing knowledge with
others through informal channels. This can be done by
having lunch with colleagues, or a drink or two with new
hires after work or volunteer to help organise a workshop.
These informal methods may help the employee become happier
at work.
In Asia, the model has been applied to organisations
ranging from financial institutions to manufacturing
companies on the mainland, Singapore and India. It has
helped employees understand their contribution and
establish credible personal development initiatives to
enhance their contribution.
Paul Terry, vice-president for global partnerships at
Novations, says stage one of the model is about managing
assigned tasks effectively and recognising that you have to
learn from others to be successful. "The key is to
learn and meet the expectations of your boss, peers and
organisation quickly," he says. "To move on to
the second stage, which is about working independently, you
have to gain the trust of your boss to make some decisions
on your own and follow through with assignments without
close supervision."
He says employees who cannot make it to the second stage
risk becoming redundant or may stagnate in their jobs.
"They should have an in-depth dialogue with their
manager to get the necessary feedback and help to build
trust and capability." Terry suggests managers
use existing job assignments as development opportunities
while giving staff clear expectations, objectives and
regular specific feedback.
Individuals in the third stage recognise that their success
hinges on whether and how they can help others get their
work done. They are likely to influence people with whom
they interact regularly and are expected to stimulate
others through ideas and knowledge. "If you are
targeting development towards stage three, you might ask
yourself: what do my networks look like today? How can I
continue to expand my personal network of
relationships?" Terry says. "Next, set up a
meeting with your direct manager, get his or her
perspective on your contribution and share your ideas. Then
determine the actions to be taken to further your
development."
Terry says managers who want to help their staff transition
to stage three should share their network contacts and help
them develop visibility and breadth in technical knowledge.
From the organisation's perspective, reward systems
should be put in place to recognise stage three
contributors who are not managers.
A system of internal coaching should be introduced to
promote transitions to stage three. The difference between
stages three and four lies in the scope of influence.
Individuals in phase four define and drive critical
business opportunities and needs, influence a broader
population and make long-term strategic decisions.
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