The Art of Being a Valuable Colleague Up and Down the Org Chart

I recently had the opportunity to attend a conference that had over 200 senior finance leaders in attendance. All the sessions focused on effective leadership drew the largest crowd. Attending those sessions and conversations I had with CFOs have inspired me to share what I believe it takes to be a valuable colleague to those above you and below you on the corporate org chart.

Adding value to those below you on the organization chart:

1. Engage them with a smile when you see them whenever possible so they are never afraid to ask you a question or seek you advice. Everyone has a bad day or two, but keep that to yourself especially those who look to you to help set the tone of their work environment
2. Ask them the biggest challenge they face in their job, listen, and figure out a way that you and/or your colleagues can eliminate or mitigate this challenge.
3. Find a way to praise them at least one every few months even if it is just recognizing how hard they work.
4. Get to know them, and let them teach you something. Learning is best done on a two way street. I have learned just as much if not more than those who were not at my level of the org chart when I worked with (or just spoke) with them.
5. Show that you care beyond the walls of the office. If a person looks “down” ask if he or she is doing OK. Let them know you notice they may be off their game and care.
6. When you perceive them making a mistake first make sure it is actually a mistake. Find out if they can help you understand the nature of the mistake. I.E, do not yell “What the heck is this number”, try “Hmm, this number looks a bit off, what do you think?” Colleagues are adults, but all have feelings and being berated can derail productivity and leave scars.

Adding value to those above you on the organization chart:

1. Capitalize on every opportunity you have to speak and/or work with them.

• Find out what sports they follow and what hobbies they have
• Find out if they have kids and where their kids excel, i.e., sports, academics
• Know as much about where you work as possible so you can offer color when asked and they can tell

2. Understand expectations and figure out to meet and exceed them each and every time
3. Be ready to answer these questions

• Do you enjoy working here? Why?
• How can I help you out?
• Where do you see yourself here in five years?

4. Find out ways to educate them. For example, when social media was taking off I made sure I knew as much as possible about LinkedIn, and everyone knew I was a LinkedIn guru. One more, when cloud computing was much less popular I learned as much as I could about it and that helped me become a resource for company leaders across departments.
5. Show confidence and energy. These attributes will inspire others to engage you whether just to have a casual conversations or bend you ear on the golf course.
6. Be known as an innovator who owns mistakes. People above you one the org chart recognize leadership and want to help mentor those they see as valuable to the company.

In summary, I endeavor to improve each of these skills in my quest to build mutually beneficial relationships with all business colleagues: listening, learning, caring, mentoring, being positive,and innovating.