The first step to generate COIN is to identify and diagnose those in your network. Use this step-by-step approach below for creating your own COIN.
1. Write your name in the middle of a piece of paper.
2. Draw three concentric circles around your name, think of a bull’s-eye with your name in the middle.
3. Plot the people in your network around each of these three circles (see chart below for the COIN model).
a. Think of the closest circle as the people you interact with on a regular basis. This is your inner circle or people who are most familiar with you and your brand. This may include peers, direct reports and your manager.
b. The middle circle is for the more strategic relationships that will help you advance your career. These are people you interact with but not nearly as often. This could include peers whom you don’t have a lot of interaction, those in other departments and even customers.
c. The outer-most circle is for the more influential contacts. You may not have direct contact with these people but you probably should. These are people at the executive level or a couple of levels above you that would be beneficial for you to have greater visibility and they would benefit from knowing you and your capabilities.
4. Assign a rating to each of those you plotted on a scale of 1 – 5. Those you assign a 1 are those that you have the least exposure to and know little about you. A rating of 5 signifies a solid connection that is willing to be a champion for you and your talents. A 3 means there are areas you can work on to improve this relationship.
5. Identify the top three to five key relationships you want to continue cultivating and/or new relationships you need to build to enhance your network.
6. Pinpoint people around your COIN who can help you influence people at the higher levels in your organization (those plotted in the outer circles) who you’ve identified you want to cultivate further. Your goal is to bring those in the outer rings closer in and/or find a direct path to the outer, more influential relationships through an already established relationship, in your inner circle.
Ratings:
1 = Little to no exposure or familiarity with my brand
2 = Some exposure, uncertain about their familiarity with my brand
3 = Inconsistent exposure, somewhat familiar with my brand
4 = Very familiar with my brand, a solid relationship
5 = Very familiar with my brand and willing to be a champion
Sage Alliance, a Leadership Performance Company, provides coaching, teambuilding and assessments, workshops and speaking on topics including; leadership development, empowering teams, communications, lasting impressions, personal branding and building a coaching culture for executives and high-potentials – for both team and individual leaders.
Contact us today to discover how your organization can get the most through improved productivity, efficiency and direct impact to your bottom line, while leaders gain powerful insight, crystallize opportunities for growth and fine tune their strengths, enabling them to make the greatest impact. You can contact Shelley Hammell directly at shammell@thesagealliance.com.
