Rachel Esterline, blogging gurette at A Step Ahead, picked up on the like-ability factor in Are You Focused on The Right Thing? 

Rachel notes that she catches flak from some people who just don't "get" the time she spends blogging. Yet, her blog has opened doors to her and she loves to write and connect in this way.

Does that mean that she should do something differently to silence her critics?

I hope not.

Like-ability, Integrity, and Relational Longevity

The idea of expecting everyone to like you is unreasonable, somewhat narcissistic, and will cause you to make yourself into something you are not. It’s sort of like “Who do I have to be at this moment so ____will find me likeable?” That’s pretty darned ingenuine and would, therefore, make one totally unlikeable once people catch on to the scam.

The issue is this: We all enjoy connecting with people who listen to us, acknowledge us, and honor the fact that our viewpoint on a given issue may be different. Those who can hold fast to their values without dragging someone else into the mud in order to “make their point” appear to achieve two things:

1. A wide range of friendships and connections

2. Longevity with those in #1

Note: I didn’t... read more >>

Smart managers and employees know that influence involves knowing one's self and understanding how to navigate the "how to" of the organization. That means paying attention to the corporate culture and learning how to get things done according to the often-unspoken rules.

I try to practice what we preach in our consulting work by offering as many ways as possible to look at--and learn about--a certain dynamic. Influence and Culture Part I showed one useful cultural model; here's another model that I hope will add to your understanding.

Charles Handy’s Take on Culture

Charles Handy has created a typology of organizational cultureswith respect to their priorities and modes of operation. Here is his contribution:

Power Culture:  'Zeus' (could be likened to a spider web)

There is only one source of power and influence (a group of leaders)striving to maintain absolute control over the organization along threads diverging from the center to the outside of the organization... 

What? No cell phones? No laptops? No tablet computer to take notes? That's crazy!

Last week we had a two-day off-site strategy meeting. Ten people, two days, lots of SWOTs, bullet points, and discussions. It was a good meeting.

I was amazed at the "no devices" rule.  "No cell phones, no laptops, no tablet computers, no other similar devices."

This caused two surprises...

Every company downsizing right now is factoring in the legal and financial benefits of some kind of "package" for employees nearing retirement age. While that approach offers some much-appreciated relief in the decision process, it may not turn out to be the best over the long run.

Older Workers More Engaged. Really.

It's easy to make assumptions based on any type of demographic. And it's certainly easy to figure that the longer someone has been working, the more likely they are to want out. However, a Hewitt Associates study showed that:

1. Older employees were more likely to be engaged in their work thanyounger ones, with 74% indicating their engagement on the job. That contradicts the belief that many older workers simplywant to coast to retirement.

2. The least engaged group was generation X (26 to 40 years old) at 61 per cent.

I'm not suggesting that layoff/retention decisions be made on such statistics alone. I am suggesting that using  "age" or "years of service" as overarching drivers for these decisions might come back to haunt employers later.

These choices are difficult under any circumstances. Use the range of information available to make the best-balanced ones.