Dr Rob Yeung is a director at leadership consulting firm Talentspace (www.talentspace.co.uk), Dr Rob Yeung specialises in the assessment and development of leaders at organisations ranging from HSBC and KPMG to small, often venture-backed start-ups. He is the author of over 20 management books which have been translated into dozens of languages worldwide, including the current bestseller How To Win: The Argument, the Pitch, the Job, the Race (Capstone). Rob shared findings at thefuturestory from a decade of research that has identified ‘organisational savvy’ as a skill related to success in the workplace and demonstrate how we can develop that skill in ourselves to increase influence and personal impact.

1. Wifi @ RADA
Password: a1b2c3d4e5
@theblueballroom
#thefuturestory

2. Organizational savvy
The science of winning friends
and influencing people
Dr Rob Yeung
Talentspace Limited
Armstrong House
11a Chancellors Street
London W6 9RN, U.K.
Tel: + 44 (0)20 8748 4764
www.talentspace.co.uk 15th October 2014

3. Feel free to abuse me as I speak

@robyeung
 Leadership, hiring, the
psychology of pitching
and business
development
www.talentspace.co.uk © 2014 3

4. What do people do that helps
them to succeed at work?
www.talentspace.co.uk © 2014 4

5. Agenda
 The science of organizational savvy
 Boosting Social Astuteness
 Flexing through ‘push’ and ‘pull’
www.talentspace.co.uk © 2014 5

6. Agenda
 The science of organizational savvy
 Boosting Social Astuteness
 Flexing through ‘push’ and ‘pull’
www.talentspace.co.uk © 2014 6

7. To what extent do you agree
that…
 “I am particularly good at sensing the
motivation and hidden agendas of others.”
 “I have good intuition or savvy about how to
present myself to others.”
www.talentspace.co.uk © 2014 7

8. Consider the four sub-skills of
organizational savvy
 Social Astuteness
 Interpersonal Flexibility
 Networking Ability
 Demonstrable Integrity and Sincerity
www.talentspace.co.uk © 2014 8

9. Agenda
 The science of organizational savvy
 Boosting Social Astuteness
 Flexing through ‘push’ and ‘pull’
www.talentspace.co.uk © 2014 9

10. Trace a letter on your forehead…
 Stand up
 Raise your dominant hand (i.e. the hand you
normally write with)
 Snap the fingers of your dominant hand three
times
 Draw the letter...
www.talentspace.co.uk © 2014 10

11. Which way did your ‘E’ face?
 Facing yourself  Facing away from
you
www.talentspace.co.uk © 2014 11

12. Putting ourselves into people’s
shoes has benefits
 Spend 5 minutes on:
– no further instruction
– empathy
– perspective-taking
– 39 per cent success
– 54 per cent success
– 76 per cent success
Empathy and perspective-taking are not
automatic – they need to be switched on
www.talentspace.co.uk © 2014 12

13. Agenda
 The science of organizational savvy
 Boosting Social Astuteness
 Flexing through ‘push’ and ‘pull’
www.talentspace.co.uk © 2014 13

14. Which statement is truer for you?
 “I am able to say ‘no’ to unreasonable
requests.”
 “I look for ways to be helpful to the people I
work with.”
www.talentspace.co.uk © 2014 14

15. Consider how we ‘push’ and ‘pull’
Forceful
persuasion
Responsibl
e
assertivene
ss
Passivity Helpfulnes
s
Low High
Assertion = ‘push’
High
Low
Respect = ‘pull’
www.talentspace.co.uk © 2014 15

16. Learn to combine ‘push’ + ‘pull’
 ‘Push’ + ‘pull’ = influence
– Sounds easy, right?
But…
www.talentspace.co.uk © 2014 16

17. How good are you at logical
reasoning?
 Everyone who is kind is compassionate, and
someone who has experienced love is always
kind.
 Elena is compassionate, so she has
experienced love. True or false?
Discuss it quickly with the person next
to you!
www.talentspace.co.uk © 2014 17

18. How good are you at logical
reasoning?
 Study participants on average placed
themselves at 66th percentile
 Those at the 12th percentile believed they
were at 68th!
Beware of the “above-average effect”!
www.talentspace.co.uk © 2014 18

19. Dont’ fall into the trap of beleeving
you’re own hype
www.talentspace.co.uk © 2014 19

20. Seek out brutally honest feedback
www.talentspace.co.uk © 2014 20

21. Agenda
 The science of organizational savvy
 Boosting Social Astuteness
 Flexing through ‘push’ and ‘pull’
 Comments?
www.talentspace.co.uk © 2014 21

22. Here’s an idea for you…
 Instead of having just a handful of people
asking questions and everyone else
listening…
 Huddle in small groups
 And see if you can together come up with a
comment or observation to share with
everyone in the room
www.talentspace.co.uk © 2014 22

23. Agenda
 The science of organizational savvy
 Boosting Social Astuteness
 Flexing through ‘push’ and ‘pull’
 Final thoughts
www.talentspace.co.uk © 2014 23

24. Final thoughts
 Consider that empathy and perspective-taking
need to be consciously switched on
 Use ‘push’ and ‘pull’ to influence
appropriately
 Give people permission to give you truly
candid feedback
 Consider that understanding is not the same
as implementation www.talentspace.co.uk © 2014 24

25. Now please say lovely things
about me!

@robyeung
 Leadership, hiring, the
psychology of pitching
and business
development
www.talentspace.co.uk © 2014 25

26. Wifi @ RADA
Password: a1b2c3d4e5
@theblueballroom
#thefuturestory