That's the worst applause I've gotten anywhere in the world! So, I'm gonna go offstage, reintroduce myself, and you better clap for me.
Ladies and gentlemen, all the way from Seattle, Washington—Stephen Krempl!
Much better.
I'm going to be talking about the human presence in the new world of work. I was going to change the title to "The Strategic Human Presence for the Fourth Industrial Revolution," but I thought—maybe not.
Why Visibility Matters
This is going to be a slightly different presentation. I'm going to share some ideas about why you—or some of the people in your organization—need to be more visible, particularly to senior management.
Why is this important? Because you need to be agile communicatively within your organization. You may have a great agile strategy, a great agile project, and a great agile plan. However, if you can't excite, persuade, or even get the interest of your senior management, I'm very sorry to say—you are wasting your time.
Here’s what happens in most corporations. Let's say Shahid here is presenting his agile strategy. I'm senior management. He does his job, and I say:
"Great job, Shahid! We need more people like you in our organization!"
Shahid smiles, leaves the room, and we turn to each other and say:
"We're not doing that crap."
I know this doesn't happen in your organization, but I guarantee you this is what happens in many. Everybody is corporate nice.
Who You Know vs. Who Knows You
Who you know and who knows you—these are crucial concepts. The people you know in an organization matter, but more important is whether senior management knows you. If your name comes up and they say, "Steven who?"—you're dead.
If they don’t recognize your name, you’re dead.
I’ve been in Fortune 500 companies, and I’ve seen many people get bypassed for promotions or miss out on big projects—not because they aren’t smart or hardworking, but because they couldn't connect, communicate confidently, and stand out.
What Gets You Noticed?
Let me ask you three questions. It’s a yes or no answer, and I need participation.
- Does the smartest person always get noticed or promoted in an organization?
- Does the hardest-working person always get noticed or promoted?
- Does the most loyal person always get noticed or promoted?
Unbelievable.
Now, turn to the person sitting next to you and tell them what actually gets a person noticed or promoted in your organization. You have 15 seconds. Go!
Five... four... three... two... one.
Anybody want to share what their partner said?
Time out. In a large organization, if senior management asks a question and it takes you longer than three seconds to answer, you are too slow.
Let's try that again—anyone want to share what their partner said?
Yes? Thank you. Corporate dynamics—meaning politics. Yes, office politics play a role.
Anyone else? "It depends if you get along with senior ranks." Yes, networking with leadership can get you noticed.
One more. "Tall blondes." Ha! I assume that means if you fit a certain mold, you have an advantage. Is it fair? No. But it is what it is.
Making Yourself Known
Let me share a story. A gentleman named Jim asked me to help him prepare for a presentation to his CEO. It was a 10-minute presentation, and I spent four and a half hours working with him.
At the end, I asked, "Jim, how many vice presidents do you know outside of your product group?"
He hesitated. I said, "So you don’t know anybody outside your group, right? Who knows you exist?"
Most senior management works like this:
"Hey, you heard of Jim Smith?"
"Yeah, he's a pretty good guy."
"Wasn’t he on that cross-functional team?"
"Yeah, we know him."
That’s how you get a checkmark next to your name.
What Does Your Boss’s Boss Think of You?
If I went to your boss’s boss right now and asked about you, what would they say?
Tell your partner what you think your boss’s boss would say.
Four... three... two... one.
Here’s the reality—who is more important, your boss or your boss’s boss?
Who signs off on your promotion?
I've fought for my right-hand person before. I told my boss, "She’s really good." My boss said, "Yeah, but she’s so quiet in meetings." And then, "Let’s consider her next round." That’s 12 months!
The Five Ways Senior Management Sees You
Senior management evaluates you based on five interactions:
- One-on-one meetings.
- Team or all-hands meetings.
- Conference calls.
- Business presentations.
- Company social events.
They don’t know if you come in at 7:30 AM or leave at 10:30 PM. They assess you based on these five moments.
Are You Negative, Neutral, or Positive?
If you have an opportunity to speak in a meeting, avoid being negative. Everything can be reworded positively.
For example:
Negative: "Why is this strategy so stupid?"
Neutral: "How do we gain support for this strategy?"
Same answer, totally different impression.
95/5 Rule
95% of the time, be yourself. But in the 5% of moments when you're in front of senior management, you need to elevate how you communicate. Change your language:
- "We have all these problems." → "We have a few opportunities to resolve."
- "This sucks." → "With a few tweaks, we can improve this."
That’s not sucking up—that’s adapting your communication to the audience.
Understanding the Rules of the Game
Every organization has unwritten rules. If you think the rules should be different, good luck. The people running the meeting make the rules.
Creating Green X’s
What positive contributions have you made that senior leadership remembers? If you don’t have a recent one, they will only remember the negatives.
Tell your partner—how many Green X’s would your boss’s boss remember about you?
Final Thoughts
If you are not visible, you are invisible. And if you are invisible, you will not get the key projects or promotions.
If your senior management doesn’t think highly of you, your agile initiatives and strategies may not succeed.
Thank you very much.