Know-How Exchange : Customer Behavior

I hear this stuff all the time. It's a classic case where newboss doesn't quite feel comfortable with the advice he's getting (in this case from macpaddy) so he feels it is helpful to seek input from the oldboss who is now a consultant.

Question is, why is he uncomfortable?

Personally, I find it hard to "buy" the "generational difference in marketing technique" argument, because I don't believe there is one. Now, I'm closer to the new boss in age than macpaddy is, but I deal with marketers of all ages and the fundamental differences I see are in experience and quality of preparation and execution.

So if I was in macpaddy's shoes, rather than putting my foot down to firmly with newboss, I would be sitting down with him for a doors-closed conversation about what he perceives my skills and experience to be, versus his perceptions of oldboss, on the basis that where his perceptions of oldboss are favourable, that represents areas I need to either improve my own skills, or improve his perceptions of my existing skills.

Conversely, macpaddy, if you feel the oldboss has something to offer in a particular area where you are about to take a position with new boss, then why not sound him out first so you can prepare a pre-determined argument that includes everyone's inputs so all newboss has to do is sign off?

Newboss should respect you for checking with this de-facto stakeholder whose input he evidently values, and you have covered all your bases and developed a relationship of your own with oldboss which confirms his value while not emphasising it above your own.

And if the inputs you get from oldboss seem to be useless or irrelevant, bring them here and we can dissect them for you and give you an even wider perspective to take back in your presentations to newboss.

Long-term, you need to replace oldboss's position in newboss's constellation of influence. You need to be the person he wants everything and everybody else to go through.

This sounds like just a hiccup. Maybe it's caused by some employment contractual matter where the company has had to retain oldboss in a consulting capacity for an agreed period, and they just want to make sure they are extracting some value from that requirement by making him do some work for the money. Eventually, if he's not adding value, the company will not want to keep paying his fees, so the problem will resolve itself.

Until then, you need to understand the political landscape and play it carefully so you remain at its focus and in control, not off to one side as a spectator.

When you have time, polish your political skills by reading a book called "Survival of the Savvy" by Rick Brandon and Marty Seldman. Should find it on Amazon.

Hope this helps.

ChrisB