Are you Ken Kec?
Many years ago I was consulting to HBO & Co., no, not that HBO, the healthcare software corporation.
Their National Sales V.P. was Ken Kec, a Czech with a great sense of humor. But more importantly,
in the middle of a debate he was the person in the room everyone listens to. And not because he was
the V.P. Ken would sit and listen himself. After he heard the diverse opinions of the issue, he would
lean forward and say, “so the net, net of this is …” And after he delivered his “net, net” proclamation, people
got on board quickly.
He had netted out the issue, done the math, knew which way the wind was blowing – all those mixed metaphors
together.
Are you the person in the room everyone listens to? When you speak do others listen?
The person in the room everyone listens to, whether an exec or a front line customer support is
the Influence Champ. This is more than simple persuasion techniques or position of power. It requires substance as well as sizzle.
If you are not the person everyone listens to you are limiting your career.
Ken’s ability to tactically shift to get to the essence of the issue and tactically influence others was key. Just a small adjustment could change the game.
You see, Ken knew how to shift the game and see what was really going on and be able to create viable options and solutions that others didn’t see. As an Advantage-Maker he shifted the odds in his favor.
In one consultation we collaborated on changing a $200,000 deal into a $2,000,000 deal in less than 24 hours.
Ken was undoubtedly intelligent. However, it was the nature of his intelligence, in particular his shift intelligence that matters to us. Shift intelligence is something we can change. The first task in Ken’s mind was creating a strategic framework to understand and solve the issue. He not only gathered the facts, he garnered the underlying forces at play, and questioned the givens. Ken was able to face obstacles and shift the question, that is, frame the question in a new light.
Do you know Ken Kec or Ken Kec’s?
Because if you do, get real close to them.
And pay even closer attention to how they frame issues.
Next time, you might be the one who everyone listens to.
