How to Talk to the Person Who Intimidates You at Work
We’ve all been there
Jessica Powell, the former Google vice president who wrote The Big Disruption and told you how to quit your job, is here to answer your common but tricky work questions. Check back every other week for more management advice with a tech inflection.
I get really nervous whenever I have to speak to a senior executive. What can I do?
We’ve all been there.
Even the people at the very top were once at the bottom; even if they skipped a million lines and jumped ahead because their father is the CEO or they have a famous last name. No matter how confident they may seem today, everyone has had the feeling of being small in the presence of someone bigger.
All of which is to say that everyone is human and has flaws; everyone fears someone or something. Even that important exec who intimidates you.
I once worked with a bigwig in sales who was very smart, and often harsh with his feedback. Employees (myself included!) were so intimidated that they’d often get flustered and botch their interactions with him. To make matters worse, he seemed to revel in our bumbling.
But then, one day, I ended up in a discussion with that exec and a group of engineers, one of whom made a joke about…
