AMA: Asana Head of Enterprise, North America, Mike Haylon on Influencing the C-Suite

Be clear on your goals and show progress against those week over week. Use that to show the quality of work being done and then be specific on where you're running up against challenges in achieving that plan where more resources can help. Important to show you've thought threw alternative options particularly where there are resource constraints.

* Demonstrate an absolute commitment to solving problems for your customers and do it even when it feels like no one is watching. People are always talking and sharing examples of great. * When you've done your research and put in the work, shine a light on it by asking execs to weigh in or get involved. Too many try to run and hide from this but there is no faster path forward than to have your work critiqued, making clear your commitment to solve problems especially when you didn't have it right the first time around. * Ask for the time. It's much harder to see what is not in front of you. If you want to be seen, ask.

Welcome to the C-Suite. The people in this position have gotten there because they have really valuable perspectives to share and are often right. The best thing you can do being stuck in the middle is to be really clear about the decision(s) being debated as part of the proposed strategy, what the most salient points are that bolster or refute each argument and bring clarity on the decision(s) that need to be made and by when. Putting this into a document and asking folks to weigh in ahead of any meeting or debate can be a really valuable way to bring clarity to what's being proposed and ensure the sides are accurately represented. This exercise can also give both sides a chance to be sure they understand the alternative argument clearly and that their side is being represented in a way they would. It also gives the added benefit of bringing more voices into the fold giving them a chance to add data points or solicit perspectives that are important but might not yet be represented.

Build relationships and solve problems. Politics will happen naturally and you can decide your comfortability or desire but I'm a firm believer that if you focus on solving problems, sharing your work, being authentically you and advocating for yourself when you've done those things then "aligning yourself" to "gain momentum" will happen naturally.

* A clear perspective backed by data and customer examples * Brevity while still ensuring substance * Creativity in finding solutions that may not align perfectly to only the thing you had in mind. I screwed up both these things on two separate occasions in highly visible roles where the cost to me (and my sanity on the days that followed) wasn't small. I didn't let the work nor my commitment to finding a suitable resolution fade into the background. Instead I doubled down my commitment to find creative solutions, digging more deeply into the data and customers and using 1:1s and quick actions to show my commitment to seeing solutions through.

Over-indexing on trying to look good by manipulating the narrative or masking challenges or flaws. Better to be honest and proactive where there are challenges, especially if it is you that has not done well enough to deliver against what is needed. Radical candor is/was talked about a lot but no matter how much practice you get the reality is it is hardest to deliver the truth when it is often most important to do so. My very first forecast call with a new CRO I was nearly certain would cost me my job. Instead, I think in part because of my honesty and directness (the news I was delivering was not good!) it turned into a pretty pivotal moment for me and my team as a result.