What do you think?
Rate this book
Influence and Impact: Discover and Excel at What Your Organization Needs From You The Most
Many people are unhappy in their jobs, feel frustrated, or limited for reasons they cannot identify. A lot of them think they are doing a great job. But they are not getting raises, recognition and promotions. However, most of the time they are not doing the job others need and expect. They do not clearly understand all aspects of their job, and unintentionally end up doing the wrong job or doing it in the wrong way.
This book will help leaders and employees clearly analyze their current situation and figure out if they are doing the job that the company and the culture want them to do. The goal of this book is to help individuals understand their real job - the one that everyone wants them to do - and deliver the results they expect, regardless of what they were told when they were hired or what is in their job description. Sometimes the next step is to find another job - not because they are failing but because they do not want to do the job they are expected to do. More often, they are able to work with their manager and their team to shift gears, and everyone then experiences better results and more satisfaction in their jobs.
This book will help leaders and employees clearly analyze their current situation and figure out if they are doing the job that the company and the culture want them to do. The goal of this book is to help individuals understand their real job - the one that everyone wants them to do - and deliver the results they expect, regardless of what they were told when they were hired or what is in their job description. Sometimes the next step is to find another job - not because they are failing but because they do not want to do the job they are expected to do. More often, they are able to work with their manager and their team to shift gears, and everyone then experiences better results and more satisfaction in their jobs.
- GenresBusinessLeadership
224 pages, Hardcover
Published June 4, 2021
12 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 4, 2023
This book feels a little bit like a solution in search a problem. It’s a melting pot of sound advice but it feels disjointed and unorganized at times. The real life stories that the authors use are interesting but often feel irrelevant to the topic being discussed.
To be clear there are good methodologies in this book and it will be helpful for some professionals. It would have benefited from more structure.
To be clear there are good methodologies in this book and it will be helpful for some professionals. It would have benefited from more structure.
March 17, 2024
I liked this read but it wasn’t anything groundbreaking.
November 18, 2023
"Influence and Impact: Discover and Excel at What Your Organization Needs From You The Most" by Bill Berman and George Bradt provides professionals with insights on how to enhance their career success and satisfaction by aligning themselves with their organization's priorities. The book addresses the common challenge of professionals experiencing a gap between their talents and career progression due to a lack of understanding of their organization's implicit expectations.
The authors begin by highlighting the professional alignment gap, where talented individuals may struggle to gain influence and recognition despite their capabilities. This misalignment often arises from a lack of understanding of the organization's unspoken expectations and priorities. The book emphasizes the importance of professionals orienting themselves around their company's core goals and cultural norms to maximize their impact. The authors identify three common workplace traps that hinder professionals from aligning with organizational needs. First is the tendency to perform tasks independently rather than delegating to the team, hindering team development. Second is relying on familiar tasks rather than acquiring new skills, limiting growth and strategic thinking. The third trap involves strictly adhering to job descriptions, preventing individuals from contributing beyond their defined roles.
To overcome these pitfalls, the book introduces a three-step process to maximize impact through organizational alignment. The first step is to accept the current situation and recognize that job responsibilities are shaped by multiple stakeholders. The second step involves relearning one's value through self-assessment, including technical and leadership skills, values, and motivations. The final step is to focus on doing the job most needed by the organization, even if it requires developing new skills or taking on unfamiliar roles. The book emphasizes the importance of flexibility and adaptability in aligning with organizational needs. Professionals are encouraged to accept their imperfections, identify growth areas, and commit to personal development. By understanding the organization's goals and priorities, individuals can strategically contribute to what is most needed, demonstrating commitment and building credibility within the organization. The authors illustrate these concepts with real-world examples, such as the story of Ian, whose unconventional dressing style affected his credibility in a traditional banking environment. Another example is Tommy, a business unit leader who learned to delegate tasks and focus on strategic challenges, leading to improved team dynamics.
The book concludes by highlighting the necessity of continual evolution in a professional's career. While natural talent and motivation may suffice early on, sustained success requires ongoing alignment with organizational goals, self-awareness, and a willingness to grow. The authors stress that understanding the true nature of one's job and adapting to organizational needs are essential for overcoming career stagnation and achieving greater influence and impact.
The authors begin by highlighting the professional alignment gap, where talented individuals may struggle to gain influence and recognition despite their capabilities. This misalignment often arises from a lack of understanding of the organization's unspoken expectations and priorities. The book emphasizes the importance of professionals orienting themselves around their company's core goals and cultural norms to maximize their impact. The authors identify three common workplace traps that hinder professionals from aligning with organizational needs. First is the tendency to perform tasks independently rather than delegating to the team, hindering team development. Second is relying on familiar tasks rather than acquiring new skills, limiting growth and strategic thinking. The third trap involves strictly adhering to job descriptions, preventing individuals from contributing beyond their defined roles.
To overcome these pitfalls, the book introduces a three-step process to maximize impact through organizational alignment. The first step is to accept the current situation and recognize that job responsibilities are shaped by multiple stakeholders. The second step involves relearning one's value through self-assessment, including technical and leadership skills, values, and motivations. The final step is to focus on doing the job most needed by the organization, even if it requires developing new skills or taking on unfamiliar roles. The book emphasizes the importance of flexibility and adaptability in aligning with organizational needs. Professionals are encouraged to accept their imperfections, identify growth areas, and commit to personal development. By understanding the organization's goals and priorities, individuals can strategically contribute to what is most needed, demonstrating commitment and building credibility within the organization. The authors illustrate these concepts with real-world examples, such as the story of Ian, whose unconventional dressing style affected his credibility in a traditional banking environment. Another example is Tommy, a business unit leader who learned to delegate tasks and focus on strategic challenges, leading to improved team dynamics.
The book concludes by highlighting the necessity of continual evolution in a professional's career. While natural talent and motivation may suffice early on, sustained success requires ongoing alignment with organizational goals, self-awareness, and a willingness to grow. The authors stress that understanding the true nature of one's job and adapting to organizational needs are essential for overcoming career stagnation and achieving greater influence and impact.
November 19, 2023
BOOK OF THE DAY
To progress and truly influence stakeholders, professionals must orient themselves around their company’s core priorities and cultural norms. They must contribute to strategic goals and maximize their potential, by grasping the organization’s unwritten rules.
Unfortunately, many organizations fail to explicitly communicate these crucial elements. Employees are left to divine the most important parts of their roles from vague job descriptions, and to understand the organization’s cultural mores gradually through observation.
But if you take the initiative to identify these implicit expectations, a world of influence and impact opens up for you.
Consider this simple example: Ian was a promising executive in a buttoned-up banking environment where business suits were the norm. While Ian did excellent work, he insisted on dressing casually. Unbeknownst to him, his maverick style was undermining his credibility with his more traditional-minded colleagues. Fortunately, a mentor intervened, directing Ian to align his wardrobe with the bank’s cultural norms. This small but crucial adaptation helped Ian’s influence catch up with his abilities.
We all want to contribute meaningful value to our workplaces. But despite our best intentions, many of us inadvertently act in ways – small or large – that reduce our influence and undermine our goals, just like Ian’s wardrobe did.
ALL IN ALL
To succeed, professionals must continually evolve. Early in your career, your natural talent and motivation might have been enough. But to keep moving forward, you’ll need greater alignment – both with the organization, and with your own strengths and passions.
This alignment doesn't happen by accident. It requires intention, self-awareness, and a willingness to grow. The job you thought you had may not be the job you’ve actually got. If so, it’s your job to discover its true nature!
Once you have, assess your abilities and clarify your core motivations. If you still think the job is for you, focus hard on doing what’s most needed, even if that means building new skills or taking on unfamiliar roles.
Adaptability is key to your continued relevance. By remaining flexible and committing to your ongoing development, you can shift a stalled career into high gear.
To progress and truly influence stakeholders, professionals must orient themselves around their company’s core priorities and cultural norms. They must contribute to strategic goals and maximize their potential, by grasping the organization’s unwritten rules.
Unfortunately, many organizations fail to explicitly communicate these crucial elements. Employees are left to divine the most important parts of their roles from vague job descriptions, and to understand the organization’s cultural mores gradually through observation.
But if you take the initiative to identify these implicit expectations, a world of influence and impact opens up for you.
Consider this simple example: Ian was a promising executive in a buttoned-up banking environment where business suits were the norm. While Ian did excellent work, he insisted on dressing casually. Unbeknownst to him, his maverick style was undermining his credibility with his more traditional-minded colleagues. Fortunately, a mentor intervened, directing Ian to align his wardrobe with the bank’s cultural norms. This small but crucial adaptation helped Ian’s influence catch up with his abilities.
We all want to contribute meaningful value to our workplaces. But despite our best intentions, many of us inadvertently act in ways – small or large – that reduce our influence and undermine our goals, just like Ian’s wardrobe did.
ALL IN ALL
To succeed, professionals must continually evolve. Early in your career, your natural talent and motivation might have been enough. But to keep moving forward, you’ll need greater alignment – both with the organization, and with your own strengths and passions.
This alignment doesn't happen by accident. It requires intention, self-awareness, and a willingness to grow. The job you thought you had may not be the job you’ve actually got. If so, it’s your job to discover its true nature!
Once you have, assess your abilities and clarify your core motivations. If you still think the job is for you, focus hard on doing what’s most needed, even if that means building new skills or taking on unfamiliar roles.
Adaptability is key to your continued relevance. By remaining flexible and committing to your ongoing development, you can shift a stalled career into high gear.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2021
Happiness at one’s job is certainly one of the most important aspects of life. Indeed, well-being alone can be a gateway to fantastic success, and lack thereof, a recipe for disaster. In this book, job coaches Berman and Bradt analyze how to find the right interface between you and your job – and if necessary, to change jobs in the process.
Many people look to a job description as the way to find out what they should be doing. Berman and Bradt rightly counsel to instead look at the relational interactions and needs around the job to find out the real expectations. While a given employee is rarely a perfect fit, the job should be changed if things aren’t going right. This book attempts to coach people through this entire process – from analyzing what the organization most needs from you to analyzing your passions to figuring out the best next steps.
My biggest concern for this book is that it appears to be mistitled. It is not primarily about influence and impact in themselves but more about the subtitle – finding an organizational fit. They contend that the right organizational fit will lead to increased influence and impact. Centrally, finding the right organizational needs fulfills both a worker and a firm.
This book is heavy on psychological language. Clearly, the authors have spent much time counseling others through this life event and share this expertise through this writing. This book is lighter on the business part of it – again, a flip from what I was expecting from the title. It does have a final section on helping others find their passions’ outlet in their job, but this section is relatively short (less than ten pages). It would have been helpful to expand this section because I sense that most senior leaders (and potential readers) could benefit here.
Overall, this book provides interesting material to interact with while someone evaluates their professional position in life. It mainly meets the needs of more junior people rather than more senior people. Comprehensive and well-researched, it contains pages upon pages of citations to support its sage advice. Very good for focusing evermore acutely on how to meet your group’s needs.
Many people look to a job description as the way to find out what they should be doing. Berman and Bradt rightly counsel to instead look at the relational interactions and needs around the job to find out the real expectations. While a given employee is rarely a perfect fit, the job should be changed if things aren’t going right. This book attempts to coach people through this entire process – from analyzing what the organization most needs from you to analyzing your passions to figuring out the best next steps.
My biggest concern for this book is that it appears to be mistitled. It is not primarily about influence and impact in themselves but more about the subtitle – finding an organizational fit. They contend that the right organizational fit will lead to increased influence and impact. Centrally, finding the right organizational needs fulfills both a worker and a firm.
This book is heavy on psychological language. Clearly, the authors have spent much time counseling others through this life event and share this expertise through this writing. This book is lighter on the business part of it – again, a flip from what I was expecting from the title. It does have a final section on helping others find their passions’ outlet in their job, but this section is relatively short (less than ten pages). It would have been helpful to expand this section because I sense that most senior leaders (and potential readers) could benefit here.
Overall, this book provides interesting material to interact with while someone evaluates their professional position in life. It mainly meets the needs of more junior people rather than more senior people. Comprehensive and well-researched, it contains pages upon pages of citations to support its sage advice. Very good for focusing evermore acutely on how to meet your group’s needs.
June 4, 2022
Very informative book about job satisfaction and business solutions.
My Review
My Review
November 7, 2023
A good book. Useful questions to ask yourself if your current job isn’t what you expected or if you’ve plateaued in your career
December 12, 2024
Some interesting info.
The book jacket makes it sound like it's for everyone, but most of the examples are C-suite executives or middle management, not individual contributors.
The book jacket makes it sound like it's for everyone, but most of the examples are C-suite executives or middle management, not individual contributors.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews