周五上午9點:
So I had my 30 min call with him and this is how it went:
After exchanging the usual greetings, I said (in a calm and relaxed tone):"So, this is it. I have half an hour with you, I better make every minute count."
Him (laughed):"Yes. I'm listening."
Me (take a deep breath):"OK. First let me give you a 5 min walk of my last 10 years in XXX...I started as...bla bla... then...bla bla..."
Him: (quiet, occasional "en hem", at least I didn't hear him typing.)
Me (4 min later):"So here I am, ready for some changes and this role popped up. Sounds like a chance to leverage my current role and take it to a new level. So I went for it." (pause). "do you have any question for me so far?"
Him:"No. Go on."
Me:"And here is my take on this new team. I was excited that, finally someone recognizes the importance of this function and wants to elevate it to a higher level within the organization, I think it's a strategic move, a necessary one if we want to implement the vision that SVP laid out. And here is why: 1,2,3... and I can do this job because: 1,2,3..."
"If you had a chance to look at the proposal I sent to you 3 weeks ago, the operational models I put together would plug right into the vision map you showed us at the re-org meeting yesterday. It fits almost seamlessly and I felt that we are already on the same page. This makes me feel that I can really make a difference and help drive the organization forward."
Him:"It sounds like you have a very good grasp on the role and what it takes to succeed. I have only 2 questions for you.
"Look, I only met you twice and don't know you personally. But part of this job will be to measure other teams' products and services, to keep everybody on their toes, and to make sure that people will do what they say, and say what they do.
"Now if you get the job, you will be the most junior person on my staff, and all of your peers will be more experienced, tougher and stronger than you, both in seniority and in their technical depth. How can you stand on your ground, earn their respect, convince them to change their ways, and not be a push-over?"
Me:"I understand that being measured is not always fun, especially if the measurements do not make sense. Unfortunately in a large organization like ours, that's often what happened and that's why people hate scorecards and metrics in the past.
"But being on the ground for so long, I know where the frustration comes from, and know what it takes to change that. Look, we measure people not to punish them or to make anyone look bad, but to drive behavior so that we can get things done. If we can implement an effective, not overbearing, measurement system with smart design and convincing data, people will recognize the value and play by the rules.
"I think you have built a strong team and everybody is thriving to win, and there is no better way to motivate them than a measurement system that's fair, transparent, and effective. I'm confident that, my peers will see me as part of the team, seamlessly keeping the score and creating a stage for them to run, my influence will come from the value I bring to the team."
--- to be continued ---
