Power within an organization comes mainly from two factors: personal attributes and the person’s formal position: Who are you versus Where are you. (Note: This is not about organizations with strong chains of authority and communication, such as the military or the police, which is based on rank. Although other non-military organizations have a hierarchy of authority, it is not enforced as rigidly as in the military.)
There are four specific characteristics that we must discuss within the scope of who you are:
1. Your experience – Specialized job-related knowledge is a huge asset because it blurs the lines of background, formal education, or who you know. In other words, if you’re an expert at doing the organization’s work, you have some personal power based on your expert knowledge, and everyone recognizes that.
The problem associated with this feature is that when higher ranking people are brought in from outside, they may have to rely on lower ranking people who have more job knowledge. This can give the subordinate (probably temporary) influence within the organization that would seem disproportionate to his position, which is often low-key and nearly “invisible.”
The danger for the staff member is that soon the new boss will catch up with the new position and have a better perspective of what is going on around them. At that time, he will be able to review the actions of the subordinate and judge whether they acted in the best interest of the new boss or not.
2. Your personal attraction – desirable characteristics seen in you by those around you. These include charisma, pleasant demeanor, and physical characteristics.
Charisma – defined as ” A rare personal quality attributed to leaders who arouse fervent devotion and popular enthusiasm. Personal magnetism or charm: a television news program famous for the charisma of its hosts.”*
Although that definition may make it seem like this trait is more of a gift from God than something an individual can influence, research indicates that there are some intentional behaviors that can lead to “charismatic perception” by others:
- Express a vision of the organization that is inspiring to others.
- Incurring personal sacrifice and even risk while pursuing that vision.
- Recommend or support the use of non-traditional methods to achieve goals
- Having a seemingly uncanny sense of what is possible and being very time conscious in relation to the important issues within that vision.
- Most important of all: demonstrate sensitivity to members’ needs and concerns.
nice behavior – the characteristics necessary to develop and sustain friendships that would include at a minimum:
- Support an open, honest and loyal relationship.
- Being perceived as emotionally accessible: a good listener
- Provide unconditional and positive consideration and acceptance. (“I may not approve of what you did, but I’m still your friend.”)
- Bear some sacrifices if the relationship requires them.
- Be genuinely understanding or empathetic as the situation demands.
physical characteristics – Obviously, someone cannot do much with their innate physical characteristics, but they can do something with the way they dress and groom themselves. Many times, the contrast is very striking.
Remember the saying that “you only get one chance to make a good first impression” and the fact that, whether justified or not, many people judge others based on their appearance. Make sure you give yourself every advantage you can from a physical appearance standpoint.
What can you do to improve your personal attraction in these three areas?
- Charisma: How can you become more charismatic?
- Pleasant Behavior – How can you demonstrate more pleasant behavior?
- What can you do to change your personal characteristics to fit more into the culture without losing your individuality?
3. The amount of effort you put into your work. The more he is seen as dependable, willing to “go the extra mile”, or stay late to help with an unexpected job, he tells people that he is an above average person; that is, the “team player” that every group needs for success.
A high degree of personal effort is valued in organizations because it gives the perception that the individual is reliable, persistent, and can be counted on to “go the extra mile” (however that nebulous phrase is defined). This trait is increasingly important in a business climate where scheduling flexibility amid a rapidly changing environment is critical.
Unfortunately, this trait can also be a double-edged sword for the practitioner if this willingness to do “whatever it takes” is perceived by some to be the doormat of the department.: The person who does all the jobs that no one else wants or will do and doesn’t have the strength to stand up for himself and say no.
In this case, we recommend showing a willingness to go the extra mile, but also being strong enough to ask for some compensation. “If I work late tonight to help you, can I leave early tomorrow to watch my son’s little league baseball game?”
4. Compliance is acting in accordance with the norms and values of the organization. The more you act “the way we expect” here at our company, the more we will accept you in our culture. The more you immerse yourself in our culture, the more influence (power) you will have with us.
The more you try to conform or “fit in” with an organization, the more influence you will be able to muster. This is much more than just following the dress code and policies you received during the orientation process, it means that you take the time to understand the culture.
Are there organizational stories of legendary efforts (“Ray stayed at work for 72 hours during that hurricane 3 years ago”) or decisions made that emphasize the values of the company (“Although we could have doubled our market share, we would have had to compromise on quality”) What help define culture?
If the company calls itself, “the company to have, the place to work, the neighbor to have”, What does that mean to you as a new hire? What does it tell you about the company’s values? How can understanding that phrase increase your ability to conform and gain influence as a strong supporter of the company’s vision of itself?
Suppose your employer was an insurance company and the founders decided that in order for anyone to rise above a certain level anywhere within the company, they had to meet some industry requirements for professional certification.
“But I’m in human resources and I don’t deal with clients! Why should I have that certification?” you may wonder. The answer would be that the founders wanted to ensure that all employees above a certain pay level shared the same understanding about the industry and the need for customer service. This means that they would be more focused on the company as a whole than on their functional department within it. In the minds of the founders, it is a way to ensure that the corporate culture endures.
If you were to protest out loud that it doesn’t make sense in today’s world, regardless of what the founders thought fifty years ago, you could seriously threaten your credibility and subsequent influence within the organization. This is not to say that speaking should be discouraged, but rather that an individual may be expected to have to “pay their due” before being able to speak legitimately within the culture.
Focus on those four sources of organizational power for 12 months on a consistent basis and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at your career potential a year from now!
*The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition