Dirk Schlimm

Dirk Schlimm is an internationally recognized expert and speaker on issues related to power & politics in organizations. He currently teaches a regular session on “Engaging Powerful People” at the Rotman Directors’ Education Program in Toronto.

Schlimm is also principal of Jenoir Management Consultants located in Toronto, Canada; chairman of the board at Zuni Holding Inc. (formerly MTI Global), and advisory board member at Geotab Inc. He works with clients in the financial services, information technology and manufacturing industries located in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Schlimm consults, facilitates executive seminars on “leadership in the real world”, provides executive coaching and works with teams to increase their alignment and impact.

For 14 years, Schlimm worked as a senior executive at Husky Injection Molding Systems, a global technology leader in the capital equipment industry. At Husky, he was responsible for communicating and implementing company values across operations in the Americas, Europe, and Asia; developing governance practices; facilitating the relationship of a successful entrepreneur, public company Board, professional management and external stakeholders; as well as leadership development and change management. Schlimm worked with Peter Drucker, Michael Porter and Jim Collins as management consultants.

Schlimm completed his post-graduate clerkship in judicial service with the Court of Appeals in Cologne, Germany. He is a Konrad-Adenauer-Scholar and earned his doctorate in international law from the University of Konstanz, Germany. His work on lender liability towards financially troubled borrowers has been published by Lloyd’s of London Press. Schlimm also holds a law degree from the University of Bonn, Germany. In addition, he studied international and comparative law at the universities of Geneva, Switzerland and Trento, Italy, and he is a graduate of the Rotman Directors’ Education Program in Toronto. Schlimm speaks English, French and German.

He is the author of Influencing Powerful People, which was published by McGraw-Hill in 2011.

• 4.OPERATING EFFECTIVELY IN THE “FLAT” ORGANIZATION

  How to Get Things Done When You Are Not in Control.
  
  The arrival of the flat organization has made power structures more obscure. You are no longer part of a clearly structured hierarchy. In a “matrix organization”, for example, you may have to juggle two or more bosses. Some may be close by but, especially in global organizations, others may be times zones away. You may also have to rely on “colleagues” in other departments and geographies to get things done. Many will have different priorities, some may operate in foreign business cultures, and other may even work for different companies. Some of these people will have more power than you based on status, expertise and connections. Yet you are charged with marshalling the resources and delivering the results your organization expects.
  
  There is no end to the variety of the tasks. They may include standardizing a global business process; implementing a new unwieldy policy issued by headquarters; obtaining budget approval from a corporate finance chief; organizing customer support resources from an overseas operation; or creating buy-in for a corporate decision affecting a subsidiary with foreign laws. And you do not have the power and authority to simply mandate or stop any of it. 
  
  There is no question: people who can navigate such environments are and will be in high demand as the world becomes even flatter. One of the critical skills to get things done is the ability to influence powerful people and build strong relationships.
  
  This practical presentation is designed to empower those who work in diffuse power structures. It draws on Dirk’s experience with multi-stakeholder projects in international business, executive education with global clients, and incorporates insights from his forthcoming book Influencing Powerful People (McGrawHill, New York 2011).
  
  Key learnings include:
  
  ·    Understanding the mine field of organizational politics.
  
  ·    Positioning your project for maximum impact.
  
  ·    Influencing powerful decision makers.
  
  ·    Building lasting working relationships across organizational, geographic and cultural boundaries.
  
  ·    Knowing when and how to push back when dealing with undue pressure.
  
  
  In the flat organization conflict and power struggles are an unavoidable reality. You want your people to have the influencing skills they need to get buy-in and become a catalyst for robust working relationships.

• 3. GOVERNING THE CONTROLLING SHAREHOLDERS AND OTHER POWERFUL CHIEF EXECUTIVES

  Conventional wisdom and governance theory claim that the oversight and control of the publicly traded firm board rest with the board of directors. And thus, one of the board’s key roles is to make sure that the company has the right chief executive. However, the reality is often different. Many publicly traded companies are controlled by a founder who controls the company either outright or a dual class share structure. This phenomenon is significant in the United States and the UK and even more prevalent in Canada. The debate surrounding changes to the ownership structure of Magna International is a recent high profile example. Similar issues present themselves where the chief executive is a larger than life personality who appears to simply be irreplaceable. Someone like Donald Trump comes to mind.
  
  In the controlled firm directors have a fiduciary duty to the entire firm and all its shareholders. And yet, the controlling shareholder and/or founder holds much of, if not all, the power. Directors who serve on boards of privately held companies or are part of family businesses face similar issues. What they need most are superior influencing skills to work effectively with a powerful founder or majority shareholder.
  
  This practical presentation draws on Dirk’s experience with board facilitation in a founder-controlled publicly traded firm, his work as a corporate director as well as his teaching at the Rotman Directors Education Program. It also incorporates insights from his forthcoming book Influencing Powerful People (McGrawHill, New York 2011).
  
  Key learnings include:
  
  ·    Understanding entrepreneurs and other powerful chief executives.
  
  ·    Appreciating the power dynamics in the controlled firm.
  
  ·    Dealing with the key issues of leadership, strategy, finance and governance.
  
  ·    Assessing board performance and director skills.
  
  ·    Preserving director independence.
  
  
  Serving as a director in a founder controlled firm is anything but a quiet retirement post. It is an intense roller coaster ride. If you are ready to fasten your seat belt it can be an exciting assignment and, done well, you will be able to add great value to the powerful chief and the company as a whole! 

   

• 2. MANAGING THE STRONG-WILLED CLIENT

  How to acquire, keep and grow the difficult account.
  
  In a hypercompetitive world even the most sophisticated product or service is threatened to become a commodity. Thus, professional service providers like lawyers, accountants, executive search consultants, and others cannot rely on the superiority or differentiation of their specialized expertise alone. Nor can sales executives who sell technology, capital equipment and other high value products to business clients. In these markets intense competition is a reality. Especially when dealing with entrepreneurs and other strong-willed clients procurement decisions are not made simply by comparing items on a spread sheet. Intentionally or intuitively, strong-willed clients are buying the whole package. Therefore, you must sell yourself, your organization and your product and/or service.   
  
  Once you have acquired the account there is not time to rest on your laurels. Strong-willed clients will have firm expectations as to how exactly the service should be delivered – telling them that they are not the expert will backfire immediately. Instead you must learn how to engage, work with and influence your powerful client to make the relationship work and last. Because the moment they are not happy they will make changes!
  
  This is a practical presentation that draws on Dirk’s experience of working with strong-willed entrepreneurs, senior sales executives and professional service providers in Canada and abroad. It also incorporates insights from his forthcoming book Influencing Powerful People (McGrawHill, New York 2011).
  
  Key learnings include:
  
  ·    Understanding strong willed clients and what drives them.
  
  ·    Making a strong first impression.
  
  ·    Mastering the art of business and social interaction with powerful people.
  
  ·    Predicting and overcoming “irrational” objections.
  
  ·    Managing client involvement and “interference”.
  
  ·    Guarding against “silver bullet” assignments.
  
  ·    Aligning client expectations with real world constraints. 
  
  
  You and your firm have worked too hard to acquire the client. Don’t lose them because your “experts” don’t know how to manage them. Avoiding missteps and pitfalls will save the high cost of replacing clients you already have!

• 1. MANAGING THE STRONG WILLED BOSS

  How to Survive, Thrive and Get Something Done.
  
  Much has been written about emotionally intelligent, participatory and authentic leadership. But the cold hard reality is that many bosses simply are not that way. Yes, they may be charming, brilliant and driven. But they can be equally as domineering, demanding and temperamental. Steve Jobs is America’s favourite exhibit A. In Canada, Frank Stronach and the late Ted Rogers come to mind. Of course, these traits are not the exclusive domain of corporate tycoons. Owners of small businesses, department heads, managing directors of local subsidiaries and other “leaders” can and will act in much the same way. Complaining about them accomplishes little. Rather, as professionals, managers and executives we must adapt. We must learn to effectively work with and influence powerful people in order to survive, get the job done, and move ahead.
  
  Dealing with powerful people is a real world challenge. If done well, it will lead to great accomplishment. The above mentioned entrepreneurs did not build their remarkable enterprises alone. They were surrounded by highly capable executives and employees who knew how to handle the boss. If it is not done well, disaster is not far off. The revolving door is a constant theme in the lives of powerful people. And, as Conrad Black teaches us, there can even be self-destruction. Hence, we can and must learn both from success and failure.
  
  This practical presentation will empower those who work with powerful people. It draws on Dirk’s work with strong willed entrepreneurs and executives around the world and is based on his forthcoming book Influencing Powerful People (McGrawHill, New York 2011).
  
  Key learnings include:
  
  ·    Understanding powerful people and what drives them.
  
  ·    Dealing with exacting scrutiny and sky high performance expectations.
  
  ·    Persevering through conflict, sidestepping resistance and withstanding pressure.
  
  ·    Managing the micromanager.
  
  ·    Building a strong working relationship with powerful people.
  
  ·    Making your ideas count and getting what you need to succeed.
  
  ·    Sticking to right agenda: Aligning the powerful person’s vision with organizational realities and constraints.
  
  A message for powerful bosses: You want results. You want them now. And you want them your way. Helping your people understand who you are, what you are trying to accomplish and how to best work with you will get you results faster, more reliably and with less pain. It will also save you resentment, severance pay and missed opportunities. You simply don’t want your people to miss this!

• Dirk Schlimm has made himself into an insightful student and teacher of how powerful people think and work.  Practical and wise, his incisive lessons can help us be more effective in the power vortex, while remaining true to our own values.

  Jim Collins, author of Good to Great

• In the business world a number of the most creative entrepreneurs have strong personalities and prove to be very difficult, if not impossible, to work for or with -- yet these very talented entrepreneurs almost always need a strong counter-balance to successfully grow their businesses. The [counterbalance] person(s} has to have unique skills to have a positive interface and make an impact. Not many professional managers can do it, so they give up and quit or are fired. Dirk had the right skills and was successful and also helpful to others in this type environment. His book should be a must read for anyone entering this type situation.

  John Doddridge, former Chairman and CEO Intermet Corporation and former director Penske Corporation

• The ability to work with and influence key decision makers become more critical as executives move higher on the corporate ladder.  Dirk's insights will prove invaluable both for those aiming for the top of the pyramid and those who just want to do well where they are. These skills are transferable across continents and extremely important in a globalized business world.

  Spencer Stuart

• Influencing powerful people is an art. It is a mix of technical skills, experience, instinct, empathy and creativity. It may be difficult, but in the end also very rewarding both intellectually and professionally. There are many biographies or business cases regarding powerful people, but it is rare to find a book that helps you deal with them, influence them and prevent the risk of being too complacent.  Dirk’s book is a survival manual that is both interesting and very useful.

  Pirelli Tyre and Part Group

• Dirk Schlimm was the key note speaker at our sales conference attended by senior sales and account managers from all over Europe, the Middle East and Africa representing a diversity of 30 nationalities. Dirk’s comments on ‘effectively engaging powerful clients’ were thought-provoking, motivating and entertaining; participants’ feedback was positive throughout!

  Husky Injection Molding Systems
• Great topic and knowledgeable, engaging presenter. Presentation was direct and to the point with solid examples. Good use of global references across the decades.
  The Conference Board of Canada

• 
  April 2011

  Influencing Powerful People: Engage and Command the Attention of Decision-Makers to Get What You Need to Succeed

  Much has been written about emotionally intelligent, participatory and authentic leadership. And, the world would be a better place if more people would embrace these concepts. But the reality is that many powerful people simply are not that way; and chances are that they will not change. Yes, they may be charming, driven and brilliant. But they can be equally as domineering, demanding and temperamental. While Steve Jobs is America’s favorite “Exhibit A” these traits are not the exclusive domain of corporate tycoons. Owners of small businesses, department heads, and managing directors of local subsidiaries can act in much the same way. Complaining about them accomplishes little. Rather, employees, executives, board members, and professional service providers must adapt. They must learn to effectively work with, counsel, influence and “govern” powerful people. Done well, this will lead to great accomplishment while on the flip side there can easily be complete shipwreck.