Carla Harris: How to find the person who can help you get ahead at work
Carla Harris: Cómo encontrar a la persona que les ayudará a avanzar en el trabajo
At Morgan Stanley, Carla Harris is responsible for improving the access to capital for female and multicultural founders, as well as increasing client connectivity to enhance revenue generation. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
commonly used phrase on Wall Street
muy usada en Wall Street
evaluative process
de evaluación de fin de año
all the way up to managing directors.
y superiores hasta el presidente.
were discussed behind closed doors
hablaba de ellos a puerta cerrada
de ahí lo de mesa redonda,
the lower bucket --
en medio, el cubo inferior...
into a bonus range
to each professional.
and as I observed,
y mientras observaba
that was responsible
que era la responsable
of a conversation.
that had the responsibility
que tenían la responsabilidad
of all the candidates.
de todos los candidatos.
who were supposed to comment
supone que debían comentar
la situación de un candidato.
that those other people
than the folks that were being discussed
gente sobre la que se debatía
some interaction with those candidates.
de interacción con esos candidatos.
at this roundtable for the first time,
en esa mesa redonda por primera vez,
would go through this same way,
se desarrollaría de la misma manera
decided in the same way,
de la misma manera,
how this concept of a meritocracy
concepto de meritocracia
walking out of business school
tras salir de la faculta de empresas,
our process, is a meritocracy.
proceso, es una meritocracia.
organización es que seas lista,
is that you're smart,
and you work really hard,
exactly how that worked.
ver exactamente cómo funcionaba.
call the first person's name.
nombre de la primera persona.
for presenting Joe's case did just that.
el caso de Joe hizo justo eso.
partes alguien interrumpió y dijo:
someone interrupted and said,
and quantitative skills.
analíticas y cuantitativas.
should go in the top bucket."
ir a la parte alta de la lista".
someone said, "Solid candidate.
alguien dijo: "Candidata sólida.
but a good pair of hands."
un par de buenas manos".
should go in the middle bucket."
a la mitad de la lista".
could present Arnold's case,
pudiera presentar el caso de Arnold
This kid doesn't have a clue.
Este chico no tiene ni idea.
should go in the bottom bucket."
al final de la lista".
that I clutched my pearls --
that this idea of a meritocracy
esta idea de la meritocracia
is really just a myth.
organizaciones es solo un mito.
meritocratic environment
100 % meritocrático
involved in the evaluative equation,
involucrado en la ecuación evaluativa,
would have to be behind closed doors
tendría que estar a puerta cerrada
around that table
decisiones en la mesa
"Well, who is that person?
"¿quién va a ser esa persona?
the popular business terms at the time,
de negocios populares del momento
can't be a mentor,
no puede ser un mentor,
is to give you tailored advice,
es dar consejos personalizados,
and to your career aspirations.
sus aspiraciones laborales.
the good, the bad and the ugly
lo feo y lo malo
a champion or an advocate,
ser un campeón o un defensor,
have to spend any currency
dinero necesariamente
get invited to the room
si uno es un defensor.
this person should be called.
debía llamarse esa persona.
at the University of Michigan
en la Universidad de Michigan
that I had learned
había aprendido
cortos años en Wall Street,
that is carrying your interest,
que vela por sus intereses,
carrying your paper into the room,
que lleva tu papel a la sala,
and social capital on you,
y social en uno,
to pound the table on your behalf,
la mesa en tu defensa
se necesita uno?".
se necesita un promotor
that I can think of,
proceso evaluativo,
health care, financial services,
sanitario o en servicios financieros,
a human element.
un elemento humano.
that measure of subjectivity.
medida de la subjetividad.
in who is presenting your case.
en quién presenta su caso.
any objective data that you might have.
dato objetivo que uno pueda tener.
in how they say what they're going to say
cómo dicen lo que van a decir
that that person who is speaking,
de que la persona que va a hablar,
whatever it is for you,
sea lo que sea para uno,
someone sees you in an environment
alguien te ve en un entorno
to make it happen for you.
that you are successful."
we know it doesn't really happen that way.
sabemos que en realidad no funciona así.
this concept of currency
el concepto de beneplácito
your ability to get a sponsor.
capacidad de conseguir un promotor.
in any environment:
en cualquier entorno:
and relationship currency.
y beneplácito de relaciones.
is the currency that is generated
es el beneplácito que se genera
which was asked of you
above people's expectations,
por encima de las expectativas de la gente
40 cents a share,
is valuable for three reasons.
es valioso por tres motivos.
get you paid and promoted
les paguen y los asciendan
it may attract a sponsor.
algún promotor.
de fuerte rendimiento
in the environment, as I said earlier,
ese entorno, como he dicho antes,
may be attracted to you.
puede sentirse atraído por Uds.
adora a una estrella.
your power and ask for one.
su poder y pedir uno.
is now most important.
beneplácito es más importante.
is the currency that is generated
in the people in your environment,
en la gente de su entorno,
in the people in your environment.
en la gente de su entorno.
to use their hard-earned
utilice su bien ganado
currency on your behalf
personal en su nombre
any interaction with them.
the time to connect, to engage
tiempo en conectar, en hablar
that are in your environment,
the opportunity to know you.
la oportunidad de que los conozcan.
that when you approach them
que cuando se acerquen a ellos
in the affirmative.
that you have to have a sponsor,
en que hay que tener un promotor,
you identify a sponsor.
three primary characteristics.
a seat at the decision-making table,
en la mesa en la que se toman decisiones,
behind closed doors,
más les vale tener algo de poder.
they'd better have some power.
that they have those three things.
tengan esas tres cosas.
identified the person,
identificado a esa persona,
in getting promoted this year.
me ascendieran este año.
anything else to prove my worthiness
a esta empresa para demostrar que valgo
has to be behind closed doors
tiene que haber alguien a puerta cerrada
and pounding the table.
y de un golpe sobre la mesa.
and you are aware of the client feedback,
la retroalimentación de los clientes
arguing on my behalf."
discutiendo en mi nombre".
that he will answer yes,
de que diga que sí,
that Jim might say no,
de que Jim diga que no,
that he would tell you no.
las que diría que no.
that he has enough exposure to your work
conoce su trabajo lo suficiente
behind closed doors
real a puerta cerrada
on your behalf.
puede decir que no
he has the juice to get it done,
influencia para conseguirlo,
have the power to do it
poder para hacerlo
in that conversation with you.
that he would tell you no,
valuable information for you
valiosa para Ud.
your next conversation with a sponsor
conversación con un promotor
a little bit more impactful.
algo más de impacto.
it is to have a sponsor.
que es tener un promotor.
in your career.
en sus trabajos.
tener un mentor,
in your career without a mentor,
tiempo profesionalmente sin uno,
in any organization without a sponsor.
organización sin un promotor.
should ask yourself regularly,
preguntarse con frecuencia:
mis papeles a la sala?
mis papeles a la sala?".
who is carrying your paper into the room,
some of your hardworking energies
energía de su trabajo duro
relación con un promotor,
to your success.
that are in the room.
que están en aquí.
about what people are going to say
por lo que va a decir la gente
you might be supporting someone
pueden estar apoyando a alguien
tras varias décadas en Wall Street
after several decades on Wall Street
is to give it away,
poder es repartiéndolo
is at the heart of your power.
importante de su poder.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Carla Harris - Business executive, authorAt Morgan Stanley, Carla Harris is responsible for improving the access to capital for female and multicultural founders, as well as increasing client connectivity to enhance revenue generation.
Why you should listen
In her 30-year career, Carla Harris has had extensive industry experiences in the technology, media, retail, telecommunications, transportation, industrial and healthcare sectors. In August 2013, she was appointed by President Barack Obama to chair the National Women's Business Council. Harris was named to Fortune Magazine's list of "The 50 Most Powerful Black Executives in Corporate America," US Banker's "Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Finance" (2009, 2010, 2011), Black Enterprise's "Top 75 Most Powerful Women in Business" (2017) and "Top 75 African Americans on Wall Street," Essence Magazine's list of "The 50 Women Who Are Shaping the World" and Ebony's list of the "Power 100" and "15 Corporate Women at the Top." She is the past chair of the board of the Morgan Stanley Foundation and of The Executive Leadership Council, and she is a member of the board of overseers of Harvard University and the board of directors of the Walmart Corporation. She's the author of the books Strategize to Win and Expect to Win.
In her other life, Harris is a singer and has released three gospel CDs, including Unceasing Praise, Joy Is Waiting, and Carla's First Christmas, which was featured on the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather. She has performed five sold-out concerts at Carnegie Hall.
Carla Harris | Speaker | TED.com