Motivational

Rule 91: Handle the opposition

December 20, 2016

Lagos Society Lady and CEO, Gold Rush Jewelry, Madam Joko Oni

If
there’s a promotion going with five possible candidates how do you identify
them? And then how do you make yourself
the obvious choice? Rule 90 teaches you how
to identify the competition – your competition. And then it teaches you how to
make yourself the favorite without being ruthless or underhand. In fact if you practice this rule really
well, you will get them to recommend you, and want you to be promoted ahead of
them.

So, identify the opposition

So,
there is a chance for promotion. You
want it. You want that next step up.
This promotion fits in with your long-term plan. This is the ideal time and opportunity for
you to make that step. Trouble is you
aren’t alone in the running. There are
other people to take into account – and eliminate of course. Obviously, for any appointment there are two
categories of candidates:

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·
The
internal candidate

·
The
external candidate.

“Candidates from
outside the company are very tricky. You
have no idea who will apply….use contacts to find out who is being called for
interview and what sort of competition you are up against”

The
internal ones are your immediate colleagues; staff from other departments,
staff from other branches, staff from other disciplines and if it’s your
immediate colleagues, chances are you know full well who is interested and who
isn’t. Staff from other departments
should be identified by checking your sources – you should have the ear of
every favorite in every department (see Rule 88). Staff from other branches present a bit of a
challenge but you should use your contacts for such information (Rule 57). Candidates from other disciplines within the
same organization are the real test.
Often you won’t know about them until they suddenly appear at interview
stage. When I worked for American Express way back in the early
1978s, I was in line for a promotion to Department
Supervisor. I had eliminated all the
potential competition from amongst my own colleagues, checked out the
opposition from other departments and branches – there wasn’t any – and felt
secure and relaxed when, hey presto, a new candidate appeared from a completely
separate but parallel discipline. I was
accounts and this person was from security.
Security, I ask you, what did they know about accounts supervision? The
senior management obviously thought they knew a great deal because they got the
job. I hadn’t had the chance to noble
them. I was taken unawares. Never again.

Candidates
from outside the company are very tricky.
You have no idea who will apply.
But you can:

·
See
the advert before it goes to press and have a pretty good idea of what is being
asked for.

·
Use
contacts to find out who is on the shortlist from outside.

·
Again
use contacts to find out who is being called for interview and what sort of
competition you are up against.

Remember
that knowledge is power. You may not
like what you find out, but at least you will know.

(Excerpts from THE
RULES OF WORK by Richard Templer Read “How to study Opposition closely” from The Rules tomorrow on Asabeafrika)

Rule-to-Work Series