People often ask me how I was able to make the first switch within my Company from one group to another. I had been in the IT group for about eight years at that point and then switched over into our Consumer Products Marketing group. Up until that time, going from IT to the Marketing group was not common and there might have only been one other person to do it before me, even though many talked about it.
While I’m sure my amazing abilities and born greatness for marketing had everything to do with it (sarcasm), one of the main factors was actually much simpler.
Shortly after starting to be the IT relationship leader for the Marketing group that I would eventually join, I went to an after-work happy hour event with the Marketing team. While I was there, one of the senior leaders in the Marketing group and I started talking. I mentioned to him that “I had always wanted to try a position in the Marketing group.”
A year later, that same person called me up, reminded me of our conversation at the bar, and asked if I wanted a Marketing role within his team.
Because of that, I always try to remember the power of small comments:
- never underestimate the power of a random / inconsequential conversation.
- always seize an out of office conversation opportunity.
- realize that the comments I make may have power, even if not immediately.
- understand that people do remember what you say.
- remember to communicate and tell people things that I want to happen.
So what can you tell someone about today?
