How to build influential relationships with movers and shakers.

Every organisation has movers and shakers. These are the people with goals and a game plan for achieving them. They're the executives to meet and build influential relationships with.

That's not always easy.

But, to win projects and influence outcomes it's vitally important. And to do it you must put their goals and objectives first, not yours. Which means understanding these at three levels:

1/ The Business Agenda.

Their company's goals and objectives. Stakeholder ambitions, external trends, and pressures will impact these.

Operating at board level an executive will have collective responsibility for achieving them.

What do you want to know about the Business Agenda?

2/ The Executive Agenda.

The executive's goals and objectives based on their role and responsibilities.

These are functional / operational and cascade down from the business agenda. The executive has a personal responsibility for delivering them. Often this is via a team and through collaboration with other executives.

What do you want to know about the Executive Agenda?

3/ The Personal Agenda.

Goals and objectives based on the executive as a person their personal ambitions and circumstances.

These are usually self-determined and often kept private.

What do you want to know about the Personal Agenda?

Mini-mission.

1. Think of an executive relationship you want to cultivate.
2. Write a list of 'want to knows' for this executive.
3. Score your current knowledge against the list you've written.
4. Note the insights you get from this exercise.