There's a premise that this entire book is built around and the premise is that you are a product. If our price ever gets too high, where it exceeds our value, then you as a product will get discontinued or you will get put on a lower shelf because you are just not going to be delivering the value. You don't want to be like a carton of milk that has an expiration date. And so as a product, you think about how can I get better? How can I not be irrelevant?"
Daphne E. Jones: Win When They Say You Won't
Daphne E. Jones has 30 years of experience in general management and executive level roles at IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Hospira, and General Electric but began her career as a secretary. At GE, she served as Senior Vice President for Future of Work, Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer for Product Engineering, Imaging, and Ultrasound, and as Senior Executive & Chief Information Officer for Global Services, all of which composed a $13 billion segment of GE Healthcare.
She serves on the board of directors for AMN Healthcare, Inc., Barnes Group Inc., and Masonite International Corp. She is the recipient of numerous domestic and international awards and recently started a company that teaches leaders how to prepare to serve on boards. She is the author of Win When They Say You Won't: Break Through Barriers and Keep Leveling Up Your Success*.
In this conversation, Daphne invites us to look at ourselves through the lens of a product, just as others will view us. We discuss the three critical elements of how stakeholders view you. Plus, Daphne and I explore the steps you can take to improve how you’re perceived through the different lenses that stakeholders see us through.
Key Points
Stakeholders are crucial for your success and it’s helpful for you to view yourself in their eyes (and yours) as a product.
Three elements are key: performance is doing your job well, image is how people describe you, and exposure is who knows you.
When you get radio silence in the context of happenings inside of your organization, that’s an indicator you are underexposed. Caution: you can also be overexposed.
Map your stakeholders in the context of their influence in your work and their interest in how it supports their own objectives.
Mentors will make suggestions of things you should try. Find the part that will work for you and move on the advice.
Resources Mentioned
Win When They Say You Won't: Break Through Barriers and Keep Leveling Up Your Success* by Daphne E. Jones
To receive a free workbook, send receipt of your book purchase to daphne@daphneejones.com
Interview Notes
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