Successful leaders must use power,political savvy andpersuasion to bring their ideas to fruition.
Many business owners and executives, however, are uncomfortable with power or office politics, viewing them as the dark side of workplace behaviour. They believe job satisfaction, morale and commitment erode when politics dominate the environment.
But research clearly shows that being politically savvy and building a power base pay off.
Sources of Power
There are three sources of power in an organisation: positional, relational and personal:
1. Positional power: Your title and job status confer some level of formal power.
2. Relationships: Informal power stems from the relationships and alliances you form with others. If you do a favour for someone, the law of reciprocity impacts your relationship.
3. Personal: Some people generate power based on their knowledge, expertise, technical competencies and ability to articulate ideas or a vision that others will follow. Your communication skills, charisma and trustworthiness help determine your personal power.
Open Influence
Executives and managers who are open to peers’ and subordinates’ input garner greater respect than those who resist others’ influence. An openness to influence demonstrates trust and respect, which become reciprocal and contagious.
You can offer goods and services to a potential ally in exchange for co-operation: technical assistance, information, lease of space or equipment, a plum project or assignment and the like. Understand what others want or value.
To become politically savvy and build your power base:
1. Map the political terrain. Identify all stakeholders and how they will react. Recognise that some resistance is inevitable.
2. Get them on your side. Build your coalition — a politically mobilised group committed to implementing your idea because doing so will generate valued benefits.
3. Make thing happen through leverage. You must win others’ buy-in by making it clear there’s a payoff for supporting your efforts and drawbacks for refusing to join your coalition.
Source: Coach2Coach e-newsletter, September 14, 2010
