Ask the authorities.

• Jurisdiction: United States
• Date: 01 September 2013
• Author: Hirsch, Stewart

THE QUESTION

"I just left a meeting with my managing partner who told me that our department is viewed as overhead. We do a tremendous amount to help bring in business, but how can I prove it?"

Tara Weintritt

Proving you do a lot to bring in business may or may not address his concern. Finding out what he or she values most and how you and your team can specifically address this is more important than proving what you do or what you believe is valuable. Take a moment to go back to the individual and say you appreciated his or her candid feedback, and you would like to understand how he or she would define success for you and your team. For example, what specifically does he or she expect from your team, and what timeframe is realistic to accomplish the initiatives and projects? What is expected in the short and long term?

Being at the top can be incredibly challenging and isolating, if you are genuine in your approach and efforts, they will appreciate your communication.

Building an open...