June 24, 2025 • 32 mins
Are you doing the work… but still not getting noticed?
Do promotion decisions happen without your name in the room?
In this powerful episode of Shedding the Corporate Bitch, host Bernadette Boas sits down with executive coach and author Monique Daigneault to unlock one of the most underutilized leadership tools in corporate life: the informational interview.
Whether you're navigating layoffs, aiming for a promotion, or just tired of being the best-kept secret in your organization—this episode is your wake-up call. 🔥
Monique reveals how strategic internal networking can help you:
- Expand your visibility across departments and leadership levels
- Clarify and communicate your personal brand
- Cultivate powerful relationships before you need them
- Mentor your team to think and network like leaders
- Take control of your career trajectory—starting now
Key Takeaways:
- Why visibility is often the missing link to getting promoted
- How to structure impactful informational interviews with intention
- Common fears professionals have—and how to overcome them
- The #1 action you should take today to build your influence
- How to subtly weave your brand and accomplishments into every conversation
📘 Special Bonus:
Monique shares insights from her new book:
"Survive and Thrive Toolkit for Leaders" – loaded with leadership strategies, personal branding tips, and a deep dive on informational interviews.
Learn more at mdconsultingglobal.com
🔗 Resources:
- Visit Monique: mdconsultingglobal.com
- Connect on LinkedIn: Monique Daigneault
- Pick up the book: Survive and Thrive Toolkit for Leaders
- Watch more powerhouse episodes: Ball of Fire Coaching Podcast
📲 Follow the Show:
Never miss an episode! Subscribe, rate, and review Shedding the Corporate Bitch on your favorite podcast platform.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
What steps do you take to network and gain
visibility at work?
If your colleagues and leaderswere asked to describe you in
three words, would those wordsalign with your personal brand
that you want to project, or ifnot, then what needs to change?
Well, get ready to level upyour influence and expand your
(00:23):
brand, networking and careersuccess.
With our guest, monique Deneau,we're talking all around
mastering informationalinterviews for internal
networking success and in that,we're going to dive into how you
can leverage theseconversations to build
relationships, strengthen yourpersonal brand and mentor your
(00:45):
team to do the same.
You'll walk away knowing how toclarify and communicate your
brand, how to set up andmaximize informational
interviews each and every monthto build relationships, get that
visibility and ensure thatpeople know who you are, and,
lastly, how to seamlessly weaveyour brand, your accomplishments
(01:07):
, into every conversation.
You can learn more aboutMonique at mdconsultingglobalcom
and then get ready to takeaction on expanding your
influence, brand and visibilityso you can achieve great success
.
Let's dive in.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Welcome to Shedding the Corporate Bitch, the podcast
that transforms today'smanagers into tomorrow's
powerhouse leaders.
Your host, bernadette Boas,executive coach and author,
brings you into a world wherethe corporate grind meets
personal growth and success ineach and every episode.
With more than 25 years incorporate trenches, bernadette's
own journey from beingdismissed as a tyrant boss to
(01:47):
becoming a sought-afterleadership coach and speaker
illustrates the very essence oftransformation that she now
inspires in others with her tips, strategies and stories.
So if you're ready to shed thebitches of fear and insecurity,
ditch the imposter syndrome andstep into the role of the
powerhouse leader you were bornto be, this podcast is for you.
Let's do this.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Monique, how are you Welcome?
Welcome welcome.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Thank you, bernadette , it's so great to be here.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
It's great to have you because I found this topic
of informational interviewsextremely intriguing, because
I've heard a lot of differenttakes on, a lot of different
ways to go about interviews.
But I really am looking forwardto learning more about
specifically what you are doing.
But before we do, I love ourlisteners and viewers to get to
know our guests on a morepersonal level.
(02:38):
So could you share with us alittle bit about Monique?
Bit about Monique.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Yes, well, I am an executive coach.
I come from a corporatebackground in HR, but have had
my coaching practice for thelast probably 11 years now.
Time has really flown where Iwork with corporate executives
(03:10):
and really helping them with anyissues or challenges that come
up for them in the workplace,which is kind of why this topic
is so important, Because many ofthem come to me wondering how
they can get more visibility inthe workplace and how they can
get promoted and things likethat.
So it's really one of thetopics that I work with them a
lot on.
It's really one of the topicsthat I work with them a lot on.
And, of course, now with a lotof the issues that are happening
(03:32):
in the workplace, there are alot of people getting laid off
and they have never worked onhow to promote themselves
internally or externally whenlooking for other jobs.
So I work with a lot of peopledepending on what their
challenges are, but everythingreally relates back to the
workplace.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Since you raised up the issues that are going on in
the workplace.
What are those issues thatyou're finding that are causing
the layoffs and therefore a lotof people reaching out to you?
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Well, companies are downsizing.
A lot of them are havingbudgeting issues, so that's a
big problem right now and it'sjust that it's happening across
multiple industries.
It used to be maybe just one ortwo industries and downsizing
has always been a common thingwhen companies try to cut back
and save money.
But now it is happening acrossmultiple industries.
(04:24):
So it has taken many people offguard, because some people have
been with their company for 20or 30 years and they haven't
interviewed in all that time andthey haven't even needed to try
to promote themselves withintheir company.
They've gotten promotionsbecause they've kind of been
tapped on the shoulder andoffered promotions.
(04:45):
So people are finding now theyhave to work even harder within
their companies if they'restaying in their company to get
promoted and to ensure thatthey're showing their value, so
that maybe they're not caught upin the layoffs that are
happening.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Doesn't it also touch on the fact that you never want
to get complacent, you neverwant to get too comfortable?
You should learn techniques andstrategies such as what we're
going to talk about regardinginformational interviews, in
order to always be advocatingfor yourself, creating your
brand, communicating that brand,and so forth.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
It's absolutely true, and when I coach people who
have not been caught up in thelayoffs, they're usually pretty
worried and they're sayingthings like well, what if it
happens to me next?
Or I feel like I'm walking oneggshells, I never know if it's
going to happen or not.
Right away, we start working onproactive strategies, things
(05:46):
that they can do in case it doeshappen to them, which involves
making sure their resumes areupdated, making sure LinkedIn is
updated, making sure they'renetworking, making sure they're
learning these strategies thatwe're going to talk about today
for informational interviews, sothat they are prepared and I
have found that that seems totake some of the pressure off of
(06:08):
them, and especially because,throughout our work, we talk
about helping them understandtheir value, because part of
becoming complacent is thatpeople stop realizing what their
own value is in an organizationand they stop talking about it.
(06:30):
So as soon as you get laid offor you're faced with job
challenges, you don't reallyeven know how to verbally
promote yourself, because youhaven't had to do that.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Well, I'll be thinking about all those people
that are being laid off andgoing through challenges,
because it's never easy, evenwhen you are prepared.
It's never easy, but you'regoing to help us tackle at least
getting as prepared as we canbe proactively.
So I mentioned informationalinterviews multiple times.
Could be new to many people.
(07:00):
Could you help us define andhelp us understand what
informational interviews are?
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Certainly Originally that term was used when someone
was looking for another job in adifferent company and they
didn't understand much about thenew company or even the new
role or the company culture, andthey wanted to gather
information about the newcompany to see if they even
(07:29):
wanted to work there.
So informational interviews atthat time was about contacting
people who knew about thecompany or who worked in the
company, scheduling brief30-minute meetings, asking
questions about the company andjust gathering information, like
a fact-finding meeting, andthat way they could make a
(07:52):
decision if they wanted to workthere, apply there.
Maybe they had been alreadyoffered a job and they were
still gathering information.
So that's originally how itstarted and that term came about
and it's still used for thatreason.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Before you move on, in case there are people out
there that are going throughthat process and are wanting to
do that, reach out toindividuals.
What are the questions?
What are the powerful,impactful questions they would
want to be asking thoseindividuals at another company,
(08:28):
should they be considering goingto that company?
Because I think we take thosefor granted as to what they
should be.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Yes, one important question is how would you
describe the culture here?
Culture here.
Many people are reallyconcerned about going to a new
company and having it maybe be aculture that is toxic or
something that's not inalignment with their own values.
(08:56):
So that's a really importantquestion to ask Anything around
culture, values, what doessuccess look like in this job,
in this company?
What avenue is there for growth?
Anything like that related tocareer trajectory and how to
(09:19):
move up and move forward?
And then they can get moredetailed about the actual
personality of the person theywould be working for, the
manager.
What kind of a managerial style, what kind of a leadership
style does that person have,that person have?
(09:42):
So they should always befocused on not only the big
picture you know, what directionis this company going in,
what's the strategy that thiscompany uses but then more
detailed information about theperson that they would actually
be reporting to, because that'sa big issue for many people.
They've had bad experienceswith bosses and with leaders and
they don't want to go back tothe same kind of situation.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
You were then saying that, however.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
Yeah, so that term informational interviews has now
morphed into what can be usedwithin an organization, so
internally.
And it can still be used forsomeone who is internal to a
company, wanting a promotion,wanting to learn about that next
(10:27):
job.
So they would ask similarquestions if they're looking for
a new position.
They might meet with peoplealready in that role or people
who had been in that role again,gathering information for a new
position.
They might meet with peoplealready in that role or people
who had been in that role againgathering information for a
career move.
But the other way that it canbe used, that anyone can use
informational interviews, evenif they're not looking to move
(10:50):
around.
It can be used as a networkingtool within the company, where
they are meeting with people ina very strategic way and asking
very strategic questions so thatthey can get more visibility
across the organization.
And I have a whole strategy andsteps that I take my clients
(11:11):
through to help them understandhow to do this, because it can
be a bit ambiguous.
What do you mean?
I just meet with people.
What people?
And how often do I meet withthem and what do I ask them?
If it's not related to a careermove or a promotion.
What do I want to ask them?
So I take them through a wholestrategy and steps, but
(11:36):
ultimately what it does for themis that it gives them so much
more visibility across theorganization and then later on,
if they decide they want to movein their role or move up or
have a promotion, they havealready networked with people
(11:57):
who could help them get there.
So it has multiple benefits andI find that in some ways some
people do this automatically.
It's just built into themnetworking, meeting with people,
but other people don't think todo it.
They're focused on their dailywork, they get into the weeds of
(12:20):
their work and they don't thinkto get out there and make
themselves more visible.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
And what's the mistake or downfall of that for
someone?
Speaker 3 (12:34):
Well, it can definitely hurt their career
because if they do want apromotion, nobody knows who they
are.
And especially in thesecalibration meetings that happen
once or twice a year, wheretheir boss has to go in and
provide justification for raises, promotions, things like that
(12:56):
Things that are commonly said inthese calibration meetings is,
well, we don't know who thatperson is, so why would we want
to offer promotions or anythinglike that?
So it really has a downfallwhen it comes to that.
But also when people are doinginformational interviews within
their own company, they arelearning.
(13:18):
They're learning reallyvaluable information about what
is going on outside of their ownteam, outside of their own
organization, and they begin toput the pieces together and see
how one thing impacts this thingover here and this person
should meet this person becausethey have an alignment or a
(13:41):
synergy.
So it really is a greatexperience at getting to know
people and gathering information.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
How do you see it supporting someone's strategic
thinking or strategic leadershipas far as gaining all of this
new information, this newknowledge and these new
relationships?
Because so many managers youmay encounter this I'd love to
know if you do are often told Ineed you to be more of a
(14:11):
strategic thinker.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
Right and the way it supports the strategic thinking
is that as the managers arebranching out and doing this,
they're meeting people, they'regathering information.
Many of them start to seeconnections between one project
that's being worked on over hereand another project over here
(14:38):
and there are commonalities thatthe project owners didn't
realize existed.
But this manager now has metwith people on both sides and
sees the alignment and canconnect those people so
additional connections canhappen.
And the one thing I encouragewhen I'm working with someone
who is a leader and doinginformational interviews, when
I'm working with someone who isa leader and doing informational
(15:00):
interviews, I encourage themthat once they get the process
down for themselves, that theymentor their team members and
their direct reports to do thesame thing.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
Apart from the obvious, which is what you've
already discussed, what is eventhe benefit of that?
Mentoring your team to do thesame thing while in this
collective group of people thatare working on common goals?
Speaker 3 (15:24):
It's really the same thing.
It gets the team members whoare usually more tactical
thinkers and they're the in theweeds worker bees.
It gets them thinking morestrategically also, because many
times they are told the samething You're not thinking
strategically enough, you're tooin the weeds, so it gets them
(15:44):
out of that.
It helps them take the blindersoff and it helps them get to
know people also.
So that's a big part of it.
And then they also start to seealignment with projects and
people.
This also helps in meetingswhen someone is expected to be
influencing or persuadingsomeone to get on the boat and
(16:07):
come and do it their way.
And if they already know thatperson because they've had an
informational interview withthem, that relationship has
already been somewhat developed,the seed has been planted.
Then you see them in a meetingand they're more likely to
listen to what you're saying, ifnot even get on the bandwagon
(16:30):
with you.
It's much harder to influencesomeone that has no idea who you
are than it is if you know them.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
What do you say to those individuals?
Because I can imagine many ofour listeners and viewers.
They're kind of the hairstanding up because they're
sitting there thinking otherpeople are going to find this to
be very intrusive.
They're going to question whyI'm doing this.
They're going to get paranoidor think that there's an agenda.
(16:57):
How do you solve that wrongfulfear that they might have?
Speaker 3 (17:07):
It is woven into the steps that I take people through
.
So can I spend a little bit oftime going through the steps and
I'll answer your question asI'm doing it.
The first thing we talk aboutis why do you want to do an
informational interview?
Is it career related or is itvisibility?
You just want visibility.
So first I work with them ondefining their objective.
(17:30):
If it's visibility, then I sayokay, so that's your objective.
And now, who, what people doyou want to meet with?
So they go away with a homeworkassignment of making a list of
people, and those people couldbe any level, it doesn't matter,
someone below them up here,someone above them, because it's
(17:53):
about visibility, and someday aperson below them could be the
person above them.
So it's important to be visibleto any level.
So they come back with the listand they are usually very
worried and they have this exactsame question you did what do I
say?
How do I get in to meet them?
So, first of all, most seniorleaders in an organization have
(18:16):
heard of this process before.
That may even be how they gotto where they are.
They know what informationalinterviews are, they know what
networking is, they know theimportance of it.
So they're not going to be realquick to turn anyone away.
I've actually never had anyoneturned away when they requested
(18:40):
an informational interview.
But I work with my client andwe come up with a very short,
three sentence email that goesout to anyone that they want to
conduct an informationalinterview with, and usually
they'll say something like I'mworking with my coach and we're
working on how I can networkbetter and get more visibility
(19:04):
across the organization.
I'd like to have a briefmeeting with you and pick your
brain a little bit on a coupleof things.
Love that.
It's a great foot in the doorbecause most of the companies
support coaching and thecoaching process and networking
and all of that.
So that's usually a brief emailthat goes out and then it's
(19:26):
more a matter of the personmaking time on their calendar.
They've never really turnedanyone down, but sometimes it
takes a couple of weeks or maybeeven longer to get on the
calendar.
So we start there and then thenext fear comes up Is it?
Ok, I'm on their calendar, butnow how do I present myself in
(19:46):
this meeting?
So the next step is that wecreate three to five open ended
questions that they're going toask when they go into this
meeting, and it's not like a Q&A, it's not an interrogation,
it's meant to be a conversationthat unfolds and the three to
(20:08):
five questions are the frameworkand there's flexibility there.
So usually if the informationalinterview is being conducted
for visibility reasons, theperson conducting the interview
will go in with questions likehow is your team set up?
What are some of your biggestchallenges this year that you're
(20:32):
thinking about?
What are some of your painpoints?
So this is information gathering, where they're trying to
understand that person's world,and usually that person is very
happy to talk about their world.
They love talking about what'shappening with their team,
what's going on, what the goalsare.
(20:53):
So the conversation usuallyunfolds really well and many
times it can go longer than 30minutes.
Usually when my clients go intothese meetings they're afraid
they're not going to have enoughto talk about and how are they
going to fill the time?
But usually it's the other wayaround.
Usually there's plenty to fillthe time.
(21:14):
Sometimes the meetings go, butwhen they finish the
conversation I encourage them todo what I call keep the door
open.
It's the planting of the seedof a relationship.
It's not over and done, so Iusually have them spend the last
few minutes asking can Iconnect with you on LinkedIn?
(21:37):
Can we do this again in a monthor in a quarter?
Just to really get the pointacross, that it's the developing
of the relationship.
It needs to continue and thecadence of that is up to both of
those people.
Some people say, well, I'm toobusy to do this monthly.
(22:00):
We can try this every quarter.
I've had others that aremeeting monthly, so it really
depends on the schedules, on thesynergy that happened during
that meeting.
But I have had people come awaycompletely amazed because the
goal is when the person goes into conduct the informational
(22:21):
interview.
What I say to them is you needto do more listening than
talking.
Let the other person talk, youask a few questions, but you do
the active listening and I'vehad some people say, oh, I'm
really nervous about that.
I'm not a listener, I'm atalker.
How am I going to stop talking?
How am I going to listen?
So it is a huge learning formany people because they've had
(22:47):
to practice skills that they'venot practiced before.
People because they've had topractice skills that they've not
practiced before, and they comeout many times saying I learned
so much by just listening, soit ends up being really valuable
for both parties.
And then it's a matter of howmany of these can you do,
(23:08):
because that's the next questionyou mentioned.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
It's valuable to both .
Do you also coach your clientsto go in intentionally?
You know structuring andplanning it to where it's a
win-win for both parties.
It's not just about what you'relooking to gain, but there
should be something in it forthem as well.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
Yes, we weave into the questions that are asked the
three to five open-endedquestions.
The person that's going in toconduct the informational
interview also wants to find outwhat can they do for the other
person.
Is there some resource you need?
Do you want me to connect youwith someone?
What can my team do for yourteam?
Speaker 1 (24:02):
So that gets woven into the conversation so that
both parties end up gettingsomething out of it.
You were moving on to kind ofhow this can be structured as
you move forward.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Yes, the cadence is really important because it
should be something that peopledo as part of their work.
It's not just a one time thingto have a couple informational
interviews and then you drop it.
Internal networking needs tohappen constantly.
You should always be networking.
So I work with people on how,how much time do you have to do
(24:31):
these?
There's no right or wrong hereand it depends on everyone's
schedule.
So I have one client who isdoing seven a week, seven a week
Consistently.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
Yes, that's impressive.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
He keeps adding to his list and growing the list
and when he goes in for aninformational interview usually
the person says, oh, you need tomeet so-and-so.
So then he comes out with alonger list.
So I also have clients thatcould only do one a month.
It really just depends.
So I work with them on tryingto figure that out and I tell
(25:08):
them it's it's not the frequencythat matters, it's the
consistency.
So whatever you say you can do,do it consistently.
That's the really the importantpart of this.
So then they get used to it.
It's on their calendars and it.
They get much more comfortablewith it after probably the first
(25:30):
two or three, because thenwe've worked out the kinks and
we've fine-tuned the questionsand things like that.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
The work that you do also focuses on the brand,
establishing your own personalbrand in the workplace.
So how can all of this supportsomeone in creating and or
living up to the brand?
Speaker 3 (25:54):
Well, branding is really important and, as a
person is doing internalnetworking, they need to be.
That's part of the reason.
To be visible is so that youcan promote your brand.
So they first need to know whattheir brand is, which is a
whole nother set of work that wedo together.
But once they understand theirbranding, in these informational
interviews there's somereciprocal information going
(26:18):
back and forth where people bothpeople are getting to know each
other during this meeting.
So they need to be talkingabout their branding and their
skills set and theiraccomplishments.
Those can be easily woven intothe conversation in subtle ways
and even into the three to fivequestions that are asked.
(26:39):
So as the conversation evolvesand unfolds organically, the
branding information gets woveninto that also.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
And the purpose of the brand is for that individual
to know themselves, to reallyunderstand and be self-aware of
what it is they bring to thetable.
Is that it?
Speaker 3 (26:59):
Yes, yes, and then that gets communicated in all of
these networking meetings.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
Right Because again you said at the very beginning,
you need to be almost likereminding people the value and
the contribution that you'remaking, because it's not as if
you're top of mind to everyoneon a daily basis.
And especially if people don'tknow you, then it'll make those
calibrations and those you knowconversations behind closed
(27:27):
doors difficult for you ifpeople don't know you.
Speaker 3 (27:31):
Is that right?
That's right.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
I understand how valuable this is to our
listeners and viewers in theirday in, day out, especially if
they are either looking for ajob or they are looking to
advance their career.
So you have a toolkit calledSurvive and Thrive.
Could you give us a littletidbit of information in regards
to that?
And then I'll mention that youcan go to mdconsultingglobalcom
(27:56):
to pick it up.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
Yes, it's a book that was just published by Mango
Publishing Group in July, so I'mreally proud of it.
I'm busy promoting it theSurvive and Thrive Toolkit for
Leaders and it really gives alot of tips and strategies on
leadership and best practicesthat have come from my years of
coaching, and there is a wholesection and chapter in it about
(28:20):
what we just talked about, aboutinformational interviews and
all the steps that they can gothrough to conduct them on their
own.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
So if they were to leave this conversation right
now and now, their interest ispiqued and you gave them great
tips and strategies as far aswhat they could be doing for
themselves what would you saywould be the number one, most
valuable thing they could putinto action right now?
Speaker 3 (28:47):
They really need to make a list of the people they
want to meet with.
That's the very first step isto make a list of the people and
get on their calendar and thenreach out to you,
mdconsultingglobalcom, andbecause why?
Speaker 1 (29:06):
you know?
Why do it on your own people.
You know, and Monique is here tohelp you.
I want to remind everyone to goto mdconsultingglobalcom and
learn all about the work thatshe is doing, and right there
you can also pick up her bookSurvive and Thrive Toolkit and
follow her on LinkedIn, and it'sreal easy.
(29:26):
Just go to Monique Deneau andthe last name spelling is
D-A-I-G-N-E-A-U-L-T, but ofcourse, all this information
will be in our show notesanywhere you're getting your
podcast or watching it on video.
Monique, thank you so much.
This has been absolutelyfabulous.
I appreciate your time.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
Oh, bernadette, it's been so much fun.
Thank you for having me, you'rewelcome.
I appreciate your time.
Oh, bernadette, it's been somuch fun.
Thank you for having me, you'rewelcome.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
Don't you just love powerhouse conversations,
especially when they're so fullof actionable tips and
strategies that you can actuallyleave this conversation with
today and go and act on andstart seeing some significant
results.
And one of those is all aroundthe informational interviews
that we discussed with Monique.
We discussed what areinformational interviews and how
(30:16):
do you leverage them to buildthose relationships, not only
across teams within yourorganization, but if you happen
to have multiple divisions,multiple businesses, then you
could be actually leveraginginformational interviews to
really gain that visibility,educate yourself on how other
(30:36):
teams, how other functions,operate and even learn more
about the business than you knowtoday.
And all of that lends itself toyou having more knowledge, more
expertise, being more empoweredto gain the opportunities that
you're looking for within theorganization, because now people
(30:57):
know of you, they know aboutyou and they know how best you
can fit or serve a team or anorganization throughout the
business.
I just absolutely love thisconversation because
informational interviews,according to Monique, are not
just about networking.
They are educational.
(31:17):
They're to expand yourstrategic thinking, they're to
really help you with that brand,that personal brand.
Many might look at it as theperception others have of you
and you want to influence.
You want to control what thatbrand is, and Monique's work
centers around you reallycrafting the brand that you want
to project and it's all aroundthe visibility, the relationship
(31:40):
building and overall careersuccess.
I just absolutely love thisconversation.
I hope you did as well.
If you enjoyed this episode,then be sure to follow us each
and every week for a new topicand a new guest and a new
conversation around how you canbecome a powerhouse leader.
All you need to do is go toballoffirecoachingcom forward
(32:03):
slash podcast and you'll findlinks there where you can follow
us on any one of your podcaststreaming services or on our
Shedding the Corporate BitchYouTube TV channel.
Until next time, bye.
What steps do you take to network and gain
visibility at work?
If your colleagues and leaderswere asked to describe you in
three words, would those wordsalign with your personal brand
that you want to project, or ifnot, then what needs to change?
Well, get ready to level upyour influence and expand your
(00:23):
brand, networking and careersuccess.
With our guest, monique Deneau,we're talking all around
mastering informationalinterviews for internal
networking success and in that,we're going to dive into how you
can leverage theseconversations to build
relationships, strengthen yourpersonal brand and mentor your
(00:45):
team to do the same.
You'll walk away knowing how toclarify and communicate your
brand, how to set up andmaximize informational
interviews each and every monthto build relationships, get that
visibility and ensure thatpeople know who you are, and,
lastly, how to seamlessly weaveyour brand, your accomplishments
(01:07):
, into every conversation.
You can learn more aboutMonique at mdconsultingglobalcom
and then get ready to takeaction on expanding your
influence, brand and visibilityso you can achieve great success
.
Let's dive in.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Welcome to Shedding the Corporate Bitch, the podcast
that transforms today'smanagers into tomorrow's
powerhouse leaders.
Your host, bernadette Boas,executive coach and author,
brings you into a world wherethe corporate grind meets
personal growth and success ineach and every episode.
With more than 25 years incorporate trenches, bernadette's
own journey from beingdismissed as a tyrant boss to
(01:47):
becoming a sought-afterleadership coach and speaker
illustrates the very essence oftransformation that she now
inspires in others with her tips, strategies and stories.
So if you're ready to shed thebitches of fear and insecurity,
ditch the imposter syndrome andstep into the role of the
powerhouse leader you were bornto be, this podcast is for you.
Let's do this.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Monique, how are you Welcome?
Welcome welcome.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Thank you, bernadette , it's so great to be here.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
It's great to have you because I found this topic
of informational interviewsextremely intriguing, because
I've heard a lot of differenttakes on, a lot of different
ways to go about interviews.
But I really am looking forwardto learning more about
specifically what you are doing.
But before we do, I love ourlisteners and viewers to get to
know our guests on a morepersonal level.
(02:38):
So could you share with us alittle bit about Monique?
Bit about Monique.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Yes, well, I am an executive coach.
I come from a corporatebackground in HR, but have had
my coaching practice for thelast probably 11 years now.
Time has really flown where Iwork with corporate executives
(03:10):
and really helping them with anyissues or challenges that come
up for them in the workplace,which is kind of why this topic
is so important, Because many ofthem come to me wondering how
they can get more visibility inthe workplace and how they can
get promoted and things likethat.
So it's really one of thetopics that I work with them a
lot on.
It's really one of the topicsthat I work with them a lot on.
And, of course, now with a lotof the issues that are happening
(03:32):
in the workplace, there are alot of people getting laid off
and they have never worked onhow to promote themselves
internally or externally whenlooking for other jobs.
So I work with a lot of peopledepending on what their
challenges are, but everythingreally relates back to the
workplace.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Since you raised up the issues that are going on in
the workplace.
What are those issues thatyou're finding that are causing
the layoffs and therefore a lotof people reaching out to you?
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Well, companies are downsizing.
A lot of them are havingbudgeting issues, so that's a
big problem right now and it'sjust that it's happening across
multiple industries.
It used to be maybe just one ortwo industries and downsizing
has always been a common thingwhen companies try to cut back
and save money.
But now it is happening acrossmultiple industries.
(04:24):
So it has taken many people offguard, because some people have
been with their company for 20or 30 years and they haven't
interviewed in all that time andthey haven't even needed to try
to promote themselves withintheir company.
They've gotten promotionsbecause they've kind of been
tapped on the shoulder andoffered promotions.
(04:45):
So people are finding now theyhave to work even harder within
their companies if they'restaying in their company to get
promoted and to ensure thatthey're showing their value, so
that maybe they're not caught upin the layoffs that are
happening.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Doesn't it also touch on the fact that you never want
to get complacent, you neverwant to get too comfortable?
You should learn techniques andstrategies such as what we're
going to talk about regardinginformational interviews, in
order to always be advocatingfor yourself, creating your
brand, communicating that brand,and so forth.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
It's absolutely true, and when I coach people who
have not been caught up in thelayoffs, they're usually pretty
worried and they're sayingthings like well, what if it
happens to me next?
Or I feel like I'm walking oneggshells, I never know if it's
going to happen or not.
Right away, we start working onproactive strategies, things
(05:46):
that they can do in case it doeshappen to them, which involves
making sure their resumes areupdated, making sure LinkedIn is
updated, making sure they'renetworking, making sure they're
learning these strategies thatwe're going to talk about today
for informational interviews, sothat they are prepared and I
have found that that seems totake some of the pressure off of
(06:08):
them, and especially because,throughout our work, we talk
about helping them understandtheir value, because part of
becoming complacent is thatpeople stop realizing what their
own value is in an organizationand they stop talking about it.
(06:30):
So as soon as you get laid offor you're faced with job
challenges, you don't reallyeven know how to verbally
promote yourself, because youhaven't had to do that.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Well, I'll be thinking about all those people
that are being laid off andgoing through challenges,
because it's never easy, evenwhen you are prepared.
It's never easy, but you'regoing to help us tackle at least
getting as prepared as we canbe proactively.
So I mentioned informationalinterviews multiple times.
Could be new to many people.
(07:00):
Could you help us define andhelp us understand what
informational interviews are?
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Certainly Originally that term was used when someone
was looking for another job in adifferent company and they
didn't understand much about thenew company or even the new
role or the company culture, andthey wanted to gather
information about the newcompany to see if they even
(07:29):
wanted to work there.
So informational interviews atthat time was about contacting
people who knew about thecompany or who worked in the
company, scheduling brief30-minute meetings, asking
questions about the company andjust gathering information, like
a fact-finding meeting, andthat way they could make a
(07:52):
decision if they wanted to workthere, apply there.
Maybe they had been alreadyoffered a job and they were
still gathering information.
So that's originally how itstarted and that term came about
and it's still used for thatreason.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Before you move on, in case there are people out
there that are going throughthat process and are wanting to
do that, reach out toindividuals.
What are the questions?
What are the powerful,impactful questions they would
want to be asking thoseindividuals at another company,
(08:28):
should they be considering goingto that company?
Because I think we take thosefor granted as to what they
should be.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Yes, one important question is how would you
describe the culture here?
Culture here.
Many people are reallyconcerned about going to a new
company and having it maybe be aculture that is toxic or
something that's not inalignment with their own values.
(08:56):
So that's a really importantquestion to ask Anything around
culture, values, what doessuccess look like in this job,
in this company?
What avenue is there for growth?
Anything like that related tocareer trajectory and how to
(09:19):
move up and move forward?
And then they can get moredetailed about the actual
personality of the person theywould be working for, the
manager.
What kind of a managerial style, what kind of a leadership
style does that person have,that person have?
(09:42):
So they should always befocused on not only the big
picture you know, what directionis this company going in,
what's the strategy that thiscompany uses but then more
detailed information about theperson that they would actually
be reporting to, because that'sa big issue for many people.
They've had bad experienceswith bosses and with leaders and
they don't want to go back tothe same kind of situation.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
You were then saying that, however.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
Yeah, so that term informational interviews has now
morphed into what can be usedwithin an organization, so
internally.
And it can still be used forsomeone who is internal to a
company, wanting a promotion,wanting to learn about that next
(10:27):
job.
So they would ask similarquestions if they're looking for
a new position.
They might meet with peoplealready in that role or people
who had been in that role again,gathering information for a new
position.
They might meet with peoplealready in that role or people
who had been in that role againgathering information for a
career move.
But the other way that it canbe used, that anyone can use
informational interviews, evenif they're not looking to move
(10:50):
around.
It can be used as a networkingtool within the company, where
they are meeting with people ina very strategic way and asking
very strategic questions so thatthey can get more visibility
across the organization.
And I have a whole strategy andsteps that I take my clients
(11:11):
through to help them understandhow to do this, because it can
be a bit ambiguous.
What do you mean?
I just meet with people.
What people?
And how often do I meet withthem and what do I ask them?
If it's not related to a careermove or a promotion.
What do I want to ask them?
So I take them through a wholestrategy and steps, but
(11:36):
ultimately what it does for themis that it gives them so much
more visibility across theorganization and then later on,
if they decide they want to movein their role or move up or
have a promotion, they havealready networked with people
(11:57):
who could help them get there.
So it has multiple benefits andI find that in some ways some
people do this automatically.
It's just built into themnetworking, meeting with people,
but other people don't think todo it.
They're focused on their dailywork, they get into the weeds of
(12:20):
their work and they don't thinkto get out there and make
themselves more visible.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
And what's the mistake or downfall of that for
someone?
Speaker 3 (12:34):
Well, it can definitely hurt their career
because if they do want apromotion, nobody knows who they
are.
And especially in thesecalibration meetings that happen
once or twice a year, wheretheir boss has to go in and
provide justification for raises, promotions, things like that
(12:56):
Things that are commonly said inthese calibration meetings is,
well, we don't know who thatperson is, so why would we want
to offer promotions or anythinglike that?
So it really has a downfallwhen it comes to that.
But also when people are doinginformational interviews within
their own company, they arelearning.
(13:18):
They're learning reallyvaluable information about what
is going on outside of their ownteam, outside of their own
organization, and they begin toput the pieces together and see
how one thing impacts this thingover here and this person
should meet this person becausethey have an alignment or a
(13:41):
synergy.
So it really is a greatexperience at getting to know
people and gathering information.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
How do you see it supporting someone's strategic
thinking or strategic leadershipas far as gaining all of this
new information, this newknowledge and these new
relationships?
Because so many managers youmay encounter this I'd love to
know if you do are often told Ineed you to be more of a
(14:11):
strategic thinker.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
Right and the way it supports the strategic thinking
is that as the managers arebranching out and doing this,
they're meeting people, they'regathering information.
Many of them start to seeconnections between one project
that's being worked on over hereand another project over here
(14:38):
and there are commonalities thatthe project owners didn't
realize existed.
But this manager now has metwith people on both sides and
sees the alignment and canconnect those people so
additional connections canhappen.
And the one thing I encouragewhen I'm working with someone
who is a leader and doinginformational interviews, when
I'm working with someone who isa leader and doing informational
(15:00):
interviews, I encourage themthat once they get the process
down for themselves, that theymentor their team members and
their direct reports to do thesame thing.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
Apart from the obvious, which is what you've
already discussed, what is eventhe benefit of that?
Mentoring your team to do thesame thing while in this
collective group of people thatare working on common goals?
Speaker 3 (15:24):
It's really the same thing.
It gets the team members whoare usually more tactical
thinkers and they're the in theweeds worker bees.
It gets them thinking morestrategically also, because many
times they are told the samething You're not thinking
strategically enough, you're tooin the weeds, so it gets them
(15:44):
out of that.
It helps them take the blindersoff and it helps them get to
know people also.
So that's a big part of it.
And then they also start to seealignment with projects and
people.
This also helps in meetingswhen someone is expected to be
influencing or persuadingsomeone to get on the boat and
(16:07):
come and do it their way.
And if they already know thatperson because they've had an
informational interview withthem, that relationship has
already been somewhat developed,the seed has been planted.
Then you see them in a meetingand they're more likely to
listen to what you're saying, ifnot even get on the bandwagon
(16:30):
with you.
It's much harder to influencesomeone that has no idea who you
are than it is if you know them.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
What do you say to those individuals?
Because I can imagine many ofour listeners and viewers.
They're kind of the hairstanding up because they're
sitting there thinking otherpeople are going to find this to
be very intrusive.
They're going to question whyI'm doing this.
They're going to get paranoidor think that there's an agenda.
(16:57):
How do you solve that wrongfulfear that they might have?
Speaker 3 (17:07):
It is woven into the steps that I take people through
.
So can I spend a little bit oftime going through the steps and
I'll answer your question asI'm doing it.
The first thing we talk aboutis why do you want to do an
informational interview?
Is it career related or is itvisibility?
You just want visibility.
So first I work with them ondefining their objective.
(17:30):
If it's visibility, then I sayokay, so that's your objective.
And now, who, what people doyou want to meet with?
So they go away with a homeworkassignment of making a list of
people, and those people couldbe any level, it doesn't matter,
someone below them up here,someone above them, because it's
(17:53):
about visibility, and someday aperson below them could be the
person above them.
So it's important to be visibleto any level.
So they come back with the listand they are usually very
worried and they have this exactsame question you did what do I
say?
How do I get in to meet them?
So, first of all, most seniorleaders in an organization have
(18:16):
heard of this process before.
That may even be how they gotto where they are.
They know what informationalinterviews are, they know what
networking is, they know theimportance of it.
So they're not going to be realquick to turn anyone away.
I've actually never had anyoneturned away when they requested
(18:40):
an informational interview.
But I work with my client andwe come up with a very short,
three sentence email that goesout to anyone that they want to
conduct an informationalinterview with, and usually
they'll say something like I'mworking with my coach and we're
working on how I can networkbetter and get more visibility
(19:04):
across the organization.
I'd like to have a briefmeeting with you and pick your
brain a little bit on a coupleof things.
Love that.
It's a great foot in the doorbecause most of the companies
support coaching and thecoaching process and networking
and all of that.
So that's usually a brief emailthat goes out and then it's
(19:26):
more a matter of the personmaking time on their calendar.
They've never really turnedanyone down, but sometimes it
takes a couple of weeks or maybeeven longer to get on the
calendar.
So we start there and then thenext fear comes up Is it?
Ok, I'm on their calendar, butnow how do I present myself in
(19:46):
this meeting?
So the next step is that wecreate three to five open ended
questions that they're going toask when they go into this
meeting, and it's not like a Q&A, it's not an interrogation,
it's meant to be a conversationthat unfolds and the three to
(20:08):
five questions are the frameworkand there's flexibility there.
So usually if the informationalinterview is being conducted
for visibility reasons, theperson conducting the interview
will go in with questions likehow is your team set up?
What are some of your biggestchallenges this year that you're
(20:32):
thinking about?
What are some of your painpoints?
So this is information gathering, where they're trying to
understand that person's world,and usually that person is very
happy to talk about their world.
They love talking about what'shappening with their team,
what's going on, what the goalsare.
(20:53):
So the conversation usuallyunfolds really well and many
times it can go longer than 30minutes.
Usually when my clients go intothese meetings they're afraid
they're not going to have enoughto talk about and how are they
going to fill the time?
But usually it's the other wayaround.
Usually there's plenty to fillthe time.
(21:14):
Sometimes the meetings go, butwhen they finish the
conversation I encourage them todo what I call keep the door
open.
It's the planting of the seedof a relationship.
It's not over and done, so Iusually have them spend the last
few minutes asking can Iconnect with you on LinkedIn?
(21:37):
Can we do this again in a monthor in a quarter?
Just to really get the pointacross, that it's the developing
of the relationship.
It needs to continue and thecadence of that is up to both of
those people.
Some people say, well, I'm toobusy to do this monthly.
(22:00):
We can try this every quarter.
I've had others that aremeeting monthly, so it really
depends on the schedules, on thesynergy that happened during
that meeting.
But I have had people come awaycompletely amazed because the
goal is when the person goes into conduct the informational
(22:21):
interview.
What I say to them is you needto do more listening than
talking.
Let the other person talk, youask a few questions, but you do
the active listening and I'vehad some people say, oh, I'm
really nervous about that.
I'm not a listener, I'm atalker.
How am I going to stop talking?
How am I going to listen?
So it is a huge learning formany people because they've had
(22:47):
to practice skills that they'venot practiced before.
People because they've had topractice skills that they've not
practiced before, and they comeout many times saying I learned
so much by just listening, soit ends up being really valuable
for both parties.
And then it's a matter of howmany of these can you do,
(23:08):
because that's the next questionyou mentioned.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
It's valuable to both .
Do you also coach your clientsto go in intentionally?
You know structuring andplanning it to where it's a
win-win for both parties.
It's not just about what you'relooking to gain, but there
should be something in it forthem as well.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
Yes, we weave into the questions that are asked the
three to five open-endedquestions.
The person that's going in toconduct the informational
interview also wants to find outwhat can they do for the other
person.
Is there some resource you need?
Do you want me to connect youwith someone?
What can my team do for yourteam?
Speaker 1 (24:02):
So that gets woven into the conversation so that
both parties end up gettingsomething out of it.
You were moving on to kind ofhow this can be structured as
you move forward.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Yes, the cadence is really important because it
should be something that peopledo as part of their work.
It's not just a one time thingto have a couple informational
interviews and then you drop it.
Internal networking needs tohappen constantly.
You should always be networking.
So I work with people on how,how much time do you have to do
(24:31):
these?
There's no right or wrong hereand it depends on everyone's
schedule.
So I have one client who isdoing seven a week, seven a week
Consistently.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
Yes, that's impressive.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
He keeps adding to his list and growing the list
and when he goes in for aninformational interview usually
the person says, oh, you need tomeet so-and-so.
So then he comes out with alonger list.
So I also have clients thatcould only do one a month.
It really just depends.
So I work with them on tryingto figure that out and I tell
(25:08):
them it's it's not the frequencythat matters, it's the
consistency.
So whatever you say you can do,do it consistently.
That's the really the importantpart of this.
So then they get used to it.
It's on their calendars and it.
They get much more comfortablewith it after probably the first
(25:30):
two or three, because thenwe've worked out the kinks and
we've fine-tuned the questionsand things like that.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
The work that you do also focuses on the brand,
establishing your own personalbrand in the workplace.
So how can all of this supportsomeone in creating and or
living up to the brand?
Speaker 3 (25:54):
Well, branding is really important and, as a
person is doing internalnetworking, they need to be.
That's part of the reason.
To be visible is so that youcan promote your brand.
So they first need to know whattheir brand is, which is a
whole nother set of work that wedo together.
But once they understand theirbranding, in these informational
interviews there's somereciprocal information going
(26:18):
back and forth where people bothpeople are getting to know each
other during this meeting.
So they need to be talkingabout their branding and their
skills set and theiraccomplishments.
Those can be easily woven intothe conversation in subtle ways
and even into the three to fivequestions that are asked.
(26:39):
So as the conversation evolvesand unfolds organically, the
branding information gets woveninto that also.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
And the purpose of the brand is for that individual
to know themselves, to reallyunderstand and be self-aware of
what it is they bring to thetable.
Is that it?
Speaker 3 (26:59):
Yes, yes, and then that gets communicated in all of
these networking meetings.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
Right Because again you said at the very beginning,
you need to be almost likereminding people the value and
the contribution that you'remaking, because it's not as if
you're top of mind to everyoneon a daily basis.
And especially if people don'tknow you, then it'll make those
calibrations and those you knowconversations behind closed
(27:27):
doors difficult for you ifpeople don't know you.
Speaker 3 (27:31):
Is that right?
That's right.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
I understand how valuable this is to our
listeners and viewers in theirday in, day out, especially if
they are either looking for ajob or they are looking to
advance their career.
So you have a toolkit calledSurvive and Thrive.
Could you give us a littletidbit of information in regards
to that?
And then I'll mention that youcan go to mdconsultingglobalcom
(27:56):
to pick it up.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
Yes, it's a book that was just published by Mango
Publishing Group in July, so I'mreally proud of it.
I'm busy promoting it theSurvive and Thrive Toolkit for
Leaders and it really gives alot of tips and strategies on
leadership and best practicesthat have come from my years of
coaching, and there is a wholesection and chapter in it about
(28:20):
what we just talked about, aboutinformational interviews and
all the steps that they can gothrough to conduct them on their
own.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
So if they were to leave this conversation right
now and now, their interest ispiqued and you gave them great
tips and strategies as far aswhat they could be doing for
themselves what would you saywould be the number one, most
valuable thing they could putinto action right now?
Speaker 3 (28:47):
They really need to make a list of the people they
want to meet with.
That's the very first step isto make a list of the people and
get on their calendar and thenreach out to you,
mdconsultingglobalcom, andbecause why?
Speaker 1 (29:06):
you know?
Why do it on your own people.
You know, and Monique is here tohelp you.
I want to remind everyone to goto mdconsultingglobalcom and
learn all about the work thatshe is doing, and right there
you can also pick up her bookSurvive and Thrive Toolkit and
follow her on LinkedIn, and it'sreal easy.
(29:26):
Just go to Monique Deneau andthe last name spelling is
D-A-I-G-N-E-A-U-L-T, but ofcourse, all this information
will be in our show notesanywhere you're getting your
podcast or watching it on video.
Monique, thank you so much.
This has been absolutelyfabulous.
I appreciate your time.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
Oh, bernadette, it's been so much fun.
Thank you for having me, you'rewelcome.
I appreciate your time.
Oh, bernadette, it's been somuch fun.
Thank you for having me, you'rewelcome.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
Don't you just love powerhouse conversations,
especially when they're so fullof actionable tips and
strategies that you can actuallyleave this conversation with
today and go and act on andstart seeing some significant
results.
And one of those is all aroundthe informational interviews
that we discussed with Monique.
We discussed what areinformational interviews and how
(30:16):
do you leverage them to buildthose relationships, not only
across teams within yourorganization, but if you happen
to have multiple divisions,multiple businesses, then you
could be actually leveraginginformational interviews to
really gain that visibility,educate yourself on how other
(30:36):
teams, how other functions,operate and even learn more
about the business than you knowtoday.
And all of that lends itself toyou having more knowledge, more
expertise, being more empoweredto gain the opportunities that
you're looking for within theorganization, because now people
(30:57):
know of you, they know aboutyou and they know how best you
can fit or serve a team or anorganization throughout the
business.
I just absolutely love thisconversation because
informational interviews,according to Monique, are not
just about networking.
They are educational.
(31:17):
They're to expand yourstrategic thinking, they're to
really help you with that brand,that personal brand.
Many might look at it as theperception others have of you
and you want to influence.
You want to control what thatbrand is, and Monique's work
centers around you reallycrafting the brand that you want
to project and it's all aroundthe visibility, the relationship
(31:40):
building and overall careersuccess.
I just absolutely love thisconversation.
I hope you did as well.
If you enjoyed this episode,then be sure to follow us each
and every week for a new topicand a new guest and a new
conversation around how you canbecome a powerhouse leader.
All you need to do is go toballoffirecoachingcom forward
(32:03):
slash podcast and you'll findlinks there where you can follow
us on any one of your podcaststreaming services or on our
Shedding the Corporate BitchYouTube TV channel.
Until next time, bye.
Popular Podcasts
Fudd Around And Find Out
UConn basketball star Azzi Fudd brings her championship swag to iHeart Women’s Sports with Fudd Around and Find Out, a weekly podcast that takes fans along for the ride as Azzi spends her final year of college trying to reclaim the National Championship and prepare to be a first round WNBA draft pick. Ever wonder what it’s like to be a world-class athlete in the public spotlight while still managing schoolwork, friendships and family time? It’s time to Fudd Around and Find Out!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.