Hilary Wilson

Tomorrow I am going for an interview at a top global pharmaceutical company with a view to joining their faculty as an executive coach. So I have been doing my research. A term that comes up a lot in relation to them and generally is “a matrix organisation”I had a feel for what it was and much experience of working in that environment however could I define it in words. With difficulty I discovered! Here is my best attempt

Defining a matrix organisation.

It’s an organizational structure that facilitates the horizontal flow of skills and information. It is used mainly in the management of large projects or product development processes, drawing employees from different functional disciplines for assignment to a team without removing them from their respective positions.

 
Employees in a matrix organization report on day-to-day performance to the project or product manager whose authority flows sideways (horizontally) across departmental boundaries. They also continue to report on their overall performance to the head of their department whose authority flows downwards (vertically) within his or her department. Matrix organizations are often set up to make organizations more flexible, to break down the old functions or geographic “silos” and encourage more cooperation across the business.

If you have read this and thought Oh! I have a much better definition please do get in touch I’ll be forever grateful and publish it with fully credits!

I’d define Charisma as “The ability to inspire action, loyalty and enthusiasm in another” and then I’d pose the question does being Charismatic help you to succeed in your career? I think most people would say yes to that. And I’d be one of them!

Another question I’d ask is have you ever inspired action, loyalty or enthusiasm in another? If you can say yes then I’d suggest you’ve been charismatic. It’s worth noticing when and how you’ve done that.

Another definition of Charisma is “It’s the external demonstration of something we feel emotionally certain or passionate about inside ourselves” So what are the things that really matter to you at work? Focus on those and you will truly know the meaning of “Charisma, Apply Within”

As a child growing up in a small village in the West of Scotland I remember the celebration of New Year going on for a week at the very least. Starting to think about what you might want to achieve in the following year often didn’t get any energy or attention until at least the second week of January. Given the date it is time to get on with it then!

In order to create what you want this year in your career I’d like to ask just one question.

If you could achieve just one thing this year in your career what would it be?

Get clear about that and then take 5 minutes of really focused action on your goal at least four times a week and you’ll get a great result.

Have your best year yet in 2012. Best wishes from Hilary

The one thing they are doing is understanding where and how they make a difference. They also recognize they are a brand – a personal brand. Let’s take corporate brands for a minute. What are your favorites? Apple? McDonalds? A small local store? Whatever your favorites my guess is that they deliver what you want and in a way that keeps you coming back.

Personal brands are similar. Employers want us as long as we deliver things they value

Accompanied by behaviour that is pleasant to be around!

So what makes up your personal brand? It is sum total of your skills, strengths, capabilities, values, contribution and personality that create an overall impression at work. I have also heard personal brand described as “what they say about you when you leave the room” and “your take on things”. Organisations have brands and each individual and team in the organisation has one too.

All brands that are successful and stand the test of time are based on being authentic and genuine. The most important thing to consider as you reflect on your offer is what comes naturally to you. Consider these questions:

What are you doing at work when you feel most alive?

What are you most proud of in the work you do?

What are you most frequently complimented on?

The answers to these questions will begin to provide some of the core elements of what is in your brand.

Knowing what you offer is critical to career success in the 21^st century. Consider this would you want to invest in a corporate brand that didn’t invest in itself? Well funnily enough corporate brands don’t want to invest in us if we haven’t.

Take action now and invest in the brand called MePlc.

Take time to think about your brand

“We are CEOs of our own company – Me Inc.  To be in business today our job is to be lead marketer for the brand called YOU.”

Tom Peters

Crucially, a charismatic leader is someone who manifestly inspires, motivates and sometimes mesmerizes the people they lead: Bill Clinton, Jack Welch, Nicola Horlick,  Anita Roddick, and Nelson Mandela come easily to mind. As well you know you don’t need to be senior or leading a team of people to be veiwed in business as a charismatic leader. Charisma is currency. In fact, anyone who depends on making an exceptional and lasting impression on others for their livelihood should consider the question of charisma.In the business world it has been proved time and again that effective human relationships are at the core of successful businesses.

In view of the recent rise in known executive misbehavior and correspondingly poor business results, perhaps it would be universally beneficial for medical research to concentrate on cloning not sheep, but charismatic leaders with integrity.

Your company needs chrisma as do you to succeed so show up and shine.