Convincing Others / Influencing Others 4

[CARF]

Dear all,

For a year I joined a new project team. With all kind of different (engineering) backgrounds. Nice people. But ...
Every time a make a proposal or have an idea in my own area of skills it takes me months to convince the others. They just won't accept my "authority" (in other words I have no authority at all).

This is new for me in 10 years of different and succesful projects in control engineering. Most of the time my work was accepted without "any" discussion.

Altough the athmosphere in the team is exellent I'm losing time and it frustates me.

Any suggestions?

MVD

P.S. I have an MSc. Control Systems Engineering

 

[jmw]

The purpose of meetings is not to get everyones agreement but to get everyones views properly expressed, to consider all and for the team leader to make a decision. It does not require that everyone agrees with the decision merely that they assent to it and co-operate in achieving the most successful outcome.
The old adage "there's a right way, a wrong way and the Navy way" (or My way or any other way!)is true. It would be nice to be perfect but it is better to get results that deliver.
Talk to anyone and you will find that many projecst only ever get 95% completed. The remaining 5% may not be achieved but they'd better not be critical.
George Patton mayn not have been in marketing but the marketing adage is "I don't want it right, i want it tommorow." Too many projects seek perfection first time out of the box and get nowhere.
Expecting everyone to agree is impossible, that is why decsisions are taken by the team leader. He carries the responsibility. No leader, no decisions.

 

[Iskit4iam]

Team leaders are not always appointed or anointed. The leaders are the people that will have the skills to bring concensus. It isn't unusual for one member to the team to be apointed leader by management but another member actually lead.

Someone said management expects the team leader to make the final decision. That may or may not be true. If the appoiinted team leader is the decision maker and makes a decision that isn't the team concensus odds of a successful implimentation of the decision are reduced. Those team members not in agreement will not give their whole hearted support. You use teams for two reasons-to get a wider scope of knowledge and to get buy in of stake holders. If you fail to take advantage of either then there is no use to forming a team. Management that expects the leader to make the decision may not understand this.

It is possible for some team members to reject data and science if they fail to understand it or don't trust it. Even though Detroit has spent billions trying to raise CAFE there are still people that think magnets on their fuel line will boost mileage 20% and the manufacturers don't use them because of a conspiracy. I had a team that worked hard to deliver specific safety training and pointed with pride to the decrease in incidents in the target group but ignored the greater decrease in a group that didn'r receive training. Can you say "Hawthorne."

 

[EngineerDave]

This is so critical for new engineers.

My verbal communication skills have always lagged my written communication skills by a mile. I used to get flustered in meetings and still get nervous meeting with the bosses.

This is the #1 thing that has held me back in my career progress.

My answer. We all need to reinvent ourselves from time to time.

It is almost more important to be assertive than correct in todays businesses.

 

[toolmantwo]

EngineerDave
To re-invent myself I still want to be careful not to toss out any good aspects. I have been told I should check out one course that is from Dale Carnegie, or one like that style, did you have any input? I do not know if you read my reply above or not. The people with the suggestion about the Dale Carnegie course may not have had only "Good intentions" with the suggestion.

I have read some books about how to be better at being more assertive. One I still own. (Do not have the title handy) I think you need to keep some of the assertiveness in check because you could assert yourself right out of a job. The book had pointers on just how to say the same thing, yet to be with better impact. I use this sometimes, but with caution.

 

[jmw]

Nervousness when meeting the bosses might just be a good survival instinct; they may like to see nervous people, it tells them they are powerful beings! Not being nervous tend s to mean you can inulge in familiarity and humour aand anyone can tell you management has no sense of humour. It also means you might believe they want to hear the truth. I have tried this and it doesn't work. (which is why i now have my own company). Being right is not a recipe for success.
Still, one thing that might help put you in control is to try public speaking.... or working on your presentation skills. A book i read and stole some good ideas from was "I can see you naked" by Ron Hoff.("Americas best book on making presentations" says the cover blurb). Borrow from the library and use the bits you like. Treat managment (i.e. all levels of management in positions superior to your own position in management) as simple minded spiteful children brought up in isolation from the real world and you can't go far wrong.... unless they demonstrate to you infallable evidence that they know what they are doing and are good at it... a very rare breed, I've met about one in 25 years.