CHAPTER 3

MAXIMIZING YOUR POWER

“Power corrupts. Absolute power is kind of neat.”

—John Lehman

One effect of planning is to improve your self-confidence. When you are more confident, other people notice—and frequently behave better. Another way to improve your self-confidence and influence others to behave better is to build up your organizational power.

A lot of difficult behavior involves the power differential between you and others. It's easier for people to behave in hostile and aggressive ways if they outrank you. They don't behave the same way toward their organizational superiors—or not for long, anyway.

With all the warnings about the corrupting effects of power, why would we recommend seeking power yourself? Unfortunately, power is one of the necessities of professional life. Engineers describe power as energy that overcomes resistance to achieve work—and the corollary is that no power equals no work.

Power itself is ethically neutral. There are different motives for getting power, different ways to get power, and different ways to use power, and those choices often have ethical consequences. But there's nothing inherently unethical about maximizing your power as long as you do it the right way and for the right motives.

Your organizational position is the most obvious source of power in the office. The power inherent in your job is often called “legitimate” power, implying that other sorts of power are somehow shady. That may be true in individual cases, but not in general. For example, if you earn the respect of others, they will be more willing to do what you ask of them. That power isn't a function of your job, but a function of you. There's nothing illegitimate about it.

Here are some of the sources of organizational power:

Assertiveness. You're not treated as you deserve to be treated; you're treated as you show willingness to be treated. If you accept people walking all over you, they will (surprise!) walk all over you. In dealing with the aggressive, difficult types of people especially, successful strategies involve standing up while not fighting back. Assertiveness is a source of personal power.

Accomplishment. Success provides power. Your track record is not only evidence of the past, but leverage for the future. If you're the person who can get the job done, you get a certain amount of power thrown into the mix. Watch out for two issues: (1) if no one notices your accomplishment, it doesn't count as far as power is concerned; and (2) bragging erodes power—you can afford about half the ego your merit has earned.

Knowledge. Many different forms of knowledge provide power. Possessing subject-matter expertise and/or general intellectual prowess, understanding human nature, and even being up-to-date on the latest office gossip can all increase your power. Some of these forms of knowledge require hard work or natural talent, but being in the know is fairly straightforward: Keep a candy dish in your office. People will generally repay you with a bit of information, sometimes useful and sometimes not, but in the long run you'll find it profitable.

Your Network. Whom you know always matters, but don't take that too narrowly. It's not necessarily the Big Enchilada you need to know. The right admin may be more useful. If building relationships for political gain feels uncomfortable to you, don't worry. If you make a habit of being decent, friendly, and fair—behaviors most of us aspire to anyway—you will earn a dividend of trust and respect, and that translates into a legitimate and ethically acceptable power bonus.

Action. You've probably heard the saying “It's easier to get forgiveness than permission.” In practice, that's true only about 70 percent of the time. Nevertheless, people who show initiative receive a significant boost to their organizational power and influence. Make sure you understand the situation first. The wrong action taken because you misunderstood what was going on will normally make things worse.

Communication. At the heart of influencing people and groups is your ability to communicate well. You have to articulate your goals and desires in persuasive terms, and in various media: Writing and speaking are part of any office environment. Negotiation skills are essential. We often picture good negotiators as fast, aggressive talkers—the cliché of the car salesperson. The truth is that the best negotiators are good listeners first. If I'm going to persuade you, I need to understand what you'll find persuasive, and for that, listening is essential. (In fairness to oft-maligned car salespeople, the more effective ones do a lot of listening as part of the art of making the sale.)

PERSONAL POWER WORKSHEET

Take as much time as you need to fill out this worksheet completely. You'll probably need extra sheets of paper to complete it. It's a good idea to complete it at home or in a private and secure setting.

1. What does your official power entail (title, job description, special assignments, etc.)?

2. Is your official power enough to allow you to do your job effectively? (Consider dealing with difficult-people issues, the types of assignments you get, your direct authority over those whose cooperation you require.)

3. Are you personally assertive? Are there times when and situations in which you have difficulty being assertive? Why?

4. What does your track record look like? Have you been successful in major projects and initiatives? (Even if failure isn't actually your fault, it still affects your reputation.)

5. Are you considered particularly knowledgeable in certain areas and topics? If so, list them. Are these knowledge areas relevant to your current work or special projects? Would this knowledge work more favorably for you in a different role?

6. Describe your professional network. Does it extend to other departments whose cooperation you need? Does it extend to other organizations in your industry? Are you part of any trade or professional organizations relevant to your work?

7. How good are your network relationships? Have they been productive for you? If not, why not (wrong people, wrong levels, got off on the wrong foot, competition between your group and theirs, etc.)? What could you do to improve those relationships?

8. Do you take the initiative when given assignments, or do you wait for others to provide you with the necessary authority and tools? Has taking the initiative worked well for you, or has it backfired? If it has backfired, why? What could you do to improve the situation?

9. Are you an effective communicator? Do you write clearly so that people understand you? Are you able to stand up in front of groups comfortably? Do you have good negotiation and persuasion skills? Are you a good listener? What could you do to address any weaknesses in these areas?

10. Review your answers. Are there any patterns or areas in which you need particular improvement? What action steps could you take to increase your organizational power and influence? What will you do first? When will you get started?