Hey there CTOs – Are you inadvertently wearing the Lycra Pants and the flash Trainers?
This week we are looking at approaches and communication.
That might create a strange image in your mind, but this metaphor really hit home for an amazing, intelligent, creative CTO, who was frustrated that his ideas and knowledge weren’t being taken on board by his non-tech board members.
When we spoke, we had an interesting conversation about his pretty impressive accomplishments, and his ambitions for the value he could bring to the company he was now working with.
BUT…
He was frustrated - because no one seemed to get it, and weren’t listening to those excellent ideas. Plus, the CEO kept saying we can’t spend that because it would hit the profit margins.
He was concerned – because he felt he was not in the “circle of trust”. And he knew that if that continued, then he was out in the cold.
He was worried about his mortgage payments – because it meant he couldn’t do the things he knew the business needed to do, in order to stay competitive, legal and compliant, and that he and/or the business was going to fail.
He was confused – because if the business invested in the new technology, they would make even more profit, even more easily, and he could see it. But why couldn’t they?
And as we spoke, I could see exactly what was wrong.
We laughed when I said he was the one in the Lycra pants and the flash trainers!
But it’s true!
Picture the scene, Bob tells you he is going to get you out running because you could do with getting fit.
He tees you up to meet at the running track and there you are, at 0800hrs on the dot. It’s cold & drizzly and you are in your scruffy trainers, feeling pretty out of place, squeezed into your 1990s tracksuit bottoms.
You don’t bloody like running anyway!!!
It’s one of those orange tracks with the gravel stuff and the white lines, and it looks pretty official.
And you feel uncomfortable, you feel silly, & you are nervous of what Bob is going to get you to do.
Then he struts up to you, doing high knee raises and fist pumps, in his stretchy running Lycra, barely covering his man parts (eek!), and his shiny HOKA trainers. (hmmmm… I’m not sure I am going to like this).
And he says “OK, let’s do a test run and see how fast you can go”.
And with that he dashes off the start line, and you see him fading into the distance, with his muscles bulging through the Lycra, and his breath making puffs behind, as it hits the cold air.
Great – OK, now I am not playing this game.
You decide that’s enough of that then and promptly turn round and head for the exit.
You didn’t want to be a runner anyway, and now that you feel even more insecure and out of place, you decide that Bob’s a bit of an enigma (I’m putting that nicely) and he should be avoided at all costs.
But why am I even telling you this story?
And, what went on there on that running track?
And what does it have to do with CTOs?
And is Bob really that bad? (Actually, he isn’t. He’s a pretty nice bloke really, but that doesn’t help him or you).
Let’s see…
What if Bob had changed his approach a little bit?
What if he had met you there and said, “how about just walking for a bit to get used to this track and being out here?”.
What if he then walked alongside you and encouraged you and explained the idea of how to run without injuring yourself.
What if he didn’t strut about in front of you with his technical trainers and flash kit?
What if he understood you, and your “slightly lower” fitness levels, and met you where you were at, before trying to drag you kicking and screaming into the brave new world of running?
What if he had some empathy for your concerns, your feelings, and adapted, and answered the questions, without making you feel daft.
What if he explained how to run in lay terms that we could grasp and adopt?
What if he told us about how he was before he started running so we could have a vision of how it is possible to change?
Would we feel different?
Of course we would.
We might still not see or believe that we can do it, but we would be more open to trying, to having a go.
It might even be fun. (Well, maybe 😊).
So, let’s go back to the CTO issue.
If Bob’s surrounded by intelligent, experienced business people, but they are not technological wizards when it comes to the modern tech world, then they are not going to “get him” unless he can explain things in a way that makes sense to them.
He is likely to alienate the team by popping on his metaphorical Lycra and making everyone feel inadequate at best, and not want to open up to his ideas.
Maybe they don’t see how it can help, but they are now not open to admitting that fact, because that over-excited CTO forgot that it’s very easy to make people feel scared, embarrassed, overwhelmed and bored when it is not their thing.
And that means that they do NOTHING.
They say NO!
They avoid you; they get annoyed at your approach, and they leave you on the racetrack wondering what happened.
So, once we accept that we may have over-faced our board and metaphorically ridiculed their shell suit or Adidas Green flash trainers (actually, they are in fashion again now), then we can change our approach and start building trust.
We can meet them where they are, communicate our ideas and enthusiasm in a way that brings them with us, makes them feel part of it and excites them because they can see the vision of how it will change THEIR business for the better.
So, if you would like to know how to get more buy-in for your ideas and build relationships and trust with your board and team, then give me a shout, because that’s what I do.
The CTO Impact Accelerator™ is our new programme that takes the best bits of communication, impact and influence from all our programmes and creates confident, compelling communicators, who bring people with them rather than being just the cleverest person in the room.
And, we are looking for 5 upcoming CTOs who want to be part of our Case Study Progamme. Would you like to join us?
Email me at [email protected] to find out how you can join the Impact Accelerator or you can always just tell me that you like the Lycra and you are not letting go 😉.
Julie "Chief Impact Engineer" Hutchison
Email: [email protected]
P.S. Whenever you are ready...here are 4 ways I can help you increase your impact as a leader:
1. Join The "Quiet Leaders Lab™ Facebook Group and connect with other leaders who want to grow
It's our Facebook community where those that are The Quiet Leaders can learn and share how to increase their impact, influence and outcomes -- Click here
2. Grab a free copy of my leadership impact report: The Team Performance Engine™
It’s the Road Map to your journey to increasing your impact as a leader -Click here
3. Join our Leaders Launchpad™ Mastermind Group Programme
This Mastermind is a selected group of like-minded leaders, in an online community, focused on growing your results.
With training, group coaching calls, guest speakers and more, supporting and challenging you to design and implement real team performance in your business.
Send me a message or email [email protected] with "IMPLEMENT" in the subject line and we can discuss how you can join us
4. Work with me and my team privately
If you or your team just need a little more one-to-one attention to make change happen in your business... just message and put "PRIVATE" in the subject line... tell me a little about your business and what you’d like to work on together, and I’ll get you all the details!