Continued From Page 1Here are the five simple steps you can use to create your own Manager's
Universe map:
- At the center of a piece of paper, draw a circle representing you. (Yes, for the purposes of this exercise you are the center of the universe -- congrats!)
- Then draw a ring of six to ten circles on the paper orbiting the first circle. (Think of a planet and its moons.) Each circle represents an important stakeholder in your success -- individuals or groups of people on whom you rely and who help to determine your success. (Why six to ten? This is the number of key stakeholders to whom most managers relate. If you think you have only two or three, you are probably forgetting about some crucial connections. If you think you have 12 or 15, you are probably getting bogged down with some connections that are much less important; eliminate some of them so as to sharpen your focus.)
- Fill in the outer circles with the names of your key stakeholders. You'll see in the example shown in Figure 2-1 that one manager (we'll call him Joe) included his immediate boss, his boss's boss (the chief operating officer), several executives within his company (the director of operations, the director of information services, and the vice president of marketing), two direct reports (his product manager and his service manager), and two important outside groups -- his customers and a vital supplier (Owens Company). Why these nine? These are the people who make the greatest difference in Joe's everyday success -- the people who control access to key resources, who can provide or withhold the support needed to pursue crucial goals, who can help or hinder Joe's progress toward those goals.
- Next to each stakeholder, rate the importance of this stakeholder to you in terms of your business success on a scale from 1 (least important) to 10 (most important). This is the first number shown in each stakeholder circle. In Joe's case, his boss and his customers are most important (both rated at 10), while the folks at Owens Company are the least important of those shown in the map (rated at 3). If a particular stakeholder carries a score of 1 or 2, you might want to consider dropping them from the map altogether.
- Finally, next to the number indicating importance, rate the current quality of your working relationship with this stakeholder on the same 1-10 scale. As you can see, Joe has a great relationship with the service manager (a perfect 10) but a very troubled connection with the COO (rated just 2).
Now that Joe has his universe mapped, he can really begin thinking about where he needs to focus his energies and add more value. Here are some of the specific ways that Joe can use the Manager's Universe map as a self-diagnostic tool:
- Think about each of the relationships included in the Manager's Universe map. Are they built on trust? Do you understand each other? What was your last interaction like? What can you do to deliver value to this stakeholder and help him or her pursue success?
- Focus on the three relationships that are most crucial to you. (In Joe's case, they are his boss, his customers, and the company's director of operations.) How much time are you devoting to each of these connections? Have you been short-changing one or more of these key relationships (perhaps because of a personal aversion or a sense of anxiety)? Have you worked to understand the interests, goals, preferences, and motivations of these key stakeholders?
- Identify the three relationships that are weakest or most troubled. (For Joe, these are the COO, the director of operations, and, in a tie -- both rated 6 -- his boss and his product manager.) What reasons underlie the problems in these relationships? What can you do this week to begin strengthening the ties with each of these stakeholders? What change in behavior (either on their part or on your part) would indicate that the problems are solved and the relationship is on a solid footing?
As you see, you can use the Manager's Universe map to help you develop a plan for managing and improving your network of crucial relationships.
Later in this book, you'll explore the seven Ignition Points that will help you add significant value to your relationships with those around you. Then you can return to your Manager's Universe map and reevaluate your relationships. Over time, the numbers representing the strengths of those relationships should increase.
