Strategically, I am in the room next to the CEO’s and on a certain Friday, I found myself outside his room and then inside it to go through a few details on a new exciting project.
Reasons why the CEO is ignoring you
Reasons why your CEO ignored you
During lunchtime in the park however, I realized, it was a cool thing to happen (I was already happy but this was making me delirious-okay, I mean it’s nice). This was because the girl in the park said: it’s not common for him to discuss projects with random people (just like that). I was almost dying to find out why. And thinking through, many people in middle management suffer from never being able to make it through to the top, because at some point, the CEO, like she said, ignored them.
Here’s some reflection on why this may be happening to you. Other ideas and whys are of course very welcome (in comments).
- You are missing the big picture: Most of us love the details of our carefully crafted office days. In the larger scheme of things, and to someone with a view quite departed from our single functional view, it is boring. Imagine yourself going through detailed descriptions of the new tool your HR manager built (unless of course it’s about the fact that you may have no bonus this year). In your 30 sec elevator pitch, even for a detailed project, it’s nice to have a top level shareable perspective.
- You are not listening: It’s nice to be fully listening to get hints on the direction the CEO wants you to talk through. I know enough people so consumed with their ideas that they stop hearing others. This is not helping you, at all. Most of us need to know how to at times, lose our (own) agenda and be better listeners.
- You are just plain boring: Here’s an interesting piece on how hard it is for people to become CEOs. Point in question most is that it is a job very jealous of any ‘free time’. If you are boring (with or without a big picture view) it is indeed hard for the CEO to want to have a conversation. This isn’t any less true for any other co-workers. It’s helpful to prepare and find out what might be interesting for the other person. Also, try and fight for more interesting work projects!
- You are not assertive enough: Did you suffer from the Tiara syndrome as a person and expect to be spoken to and never make an effort to speak directly? There has to be a reason why you think limiting yourself like this is helpful. Pray, tell!
- You don’t care: This is a clear case of short sightedness, or the fact that your ambitions are to sit in the same office chair all your life or be fired. Perhaps you want see yourself on a beach and not in an office. Just that, research shows, richer, employed people are able to afford that lifestyle more. And if you were in a job you hate, it’s time to look around
Maybe you want to get these tips on how to improve?
Though, we think the solution starts from identifying the problem first. Which other syndromes did you identify? Do share!
