I feel comfortable developing sources of personal influence to
gain power because I am secure in the basic values I hold in treating people
with compassion, respect and with integrity. My motto in all relationships whether it be
with humans or animals is “harm none”. Because
of this ingrained value, I know that regardless of how much personal influence
I develop and how much power I gain, I am confident that I am unable to abuse
it. As Robert Dilenschneider said about
power “it is the morality with which influence is used that makes all the difference
(as cited by Whetten and Cameron, pg. 284, 2011). Whetten and Cameron explain
that power should “be viewed as a sign of personal efficacy” (pg. 284, 2011). I understand that power is needed to ensure
productive work, to motivate employees, mobilize and control resources and most
importantly, people with power are able to provide more resources and
information for their subordinates (Whetten and Cameron, 2011). It is my natural desire to help people
therefore I would use my personal influences in ways that benefit my
subordinates.
I feel I have the characteristics of a likable person and have
been told sometimes by my family that these same characteristics are my Achilles
heel. Before I gained a strong sense of
self-esteem and when I was still young and naïve, I was taken advantage of by
my peers and supervisor’s. My mother
always told me I was too transparent and this type of behavior would cause
people to walk all over me. But over the
years, I’ve learned how to harness my own power, learned how to say “no” and
stand my ground while still maintaining the characteristics that make me
likeable. In all my relationships
whether they be work or personal, I always practice open and honest
communication and am always emotionally accessible. I am compassionate and accepting of
people. I don’t hold grudges and believe
that forgiveness is one of the best virtues a person can have because I know
that everyone makes mistakes. I am also
extremely social and will self-sacrifice for the good of a relationship and for
the organization in which I work. I
believe that the characteristics of a likable person start with a person’s core
values and if you don’t already carry these types of values, they are more
difficult to develop later in life, but not impossible.
I feel that I am able to use upward influence in my organization
due to my close relationship to my Director. There is no one below me therefore I do not
have any downward influence. To understand
the influence I have within my organization you first have to understand the
dynamics of my work environment. My
organization is broken down into centers.
My center consists of two people, myself and my director. My director is responsible for our center and
another off-site center that has one employee. My upward influence is limited to only one
person, my director. Everything must go
past her first. Although there is an
open door policy, and I do have the ability to contact members of the leadership
team (for example my directors direct supervisor), we are encouraged to bring
all matters of importance and inquires first to our immediate supervisors. “Going over someone’s head” is frowned
upon. There is a layer of cushioning between
me and headquarters which acts as a layer of protection for me. Whenever our center has not done well, or when
errors are made, the reprimands go straight to my director. My director in turn, softens the blow and
passes the reprimand down to me and we share the responsibility of the error. In this sense I’ve been very lucky as she
considers us one entity and therefore we share our victories and losses as one.
The way that I am able to use my upward
influence is because I have an in depth understanding of her strengths and
weaknesses and I am in tune with her goals and objectives, which are mine as
well. I have mirrored my own behaviors
and goals after hers since we share the same common purpose. I have matched my momentum at work to hers and
adapted myself to her work style. Because
of this synergy, she has learned to trust my judgment and gives me autonomy to
accomplish my job. Although all final
decisions must be run through her, she gives careful consideration to my input
and is more than willing to pass on my suggestions, concerns and inquiries to
higher management when appropriate. Therefore,
I do not feel stifled in my position, and I feel equally represented. I think that my upward influence contingent on
the open and honest relationship between my director and I.
References
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