Musings from Dennis #68: My boss walked over and passed me an invitation card from a major retailer inviting us for their grand 25th anniversary dinner. He could not attend and asked me to go instead. “Er boss, this is an important dinner and I am sure many senior people will be there. I am just an Assistant Manager and not very comfortable at all about going”. “Listen”, he said, “you are a representative of the Walt Disney Company, a global tour de force that everyone recognizes. Who cares about your position? Attend and be confident!” And so I did but after a mindset change and carrying a different disposition. And while the entire table of 10 (typical Chinese sit down dinner) were filled with Managing Directors minus one, I believe the entire evening went well. I was also able to have an intelligent conversation with that Japanese infant feeding brand MD on my right (and also after exchanging name cards!). That power thinking is what I passed on to my junior direct reports now – "you are representing Paramount, a leading and very well-known global media and entertainment company!". For the many of us who enjoy networking, we would have found something about the company we work for that is unique, and stands out among the crowded brand landscape that we can be proud of. Those are conversation starters and we should never cower even when our work titles are not significant. Because it is not about who we are but all about who we represent.
