Power to influence...Not just in the papers….

Power is a term which is familiar to all of us. It is a representation of the strength of a person, be it muscle power or the influence he has on society. The physical strength of a human being is of little value when compared to the whole animal species on earth. However, our mind power is our biggest asset that has helped us accomplish so much and keep achieving more.

Power as such is a vast topic to be discussed. I would like to comment on the innate power in each one of us. How we can utilize our inbuilt power to conquer more, to achieve more. Each one of us has some goals in our lives which motivates us to go forward. Wherever we are, whatever we are doing – we are equipped with some latent power that aids us to perform better.

Suppose we have taken up a job for a living, the most important factor we need to concentrate on is the learning and growth we need to extract out of it. Not only in a job, but in any phase of life, if we compromise on the learning aspect then surely we’ll be outrun by our peers.

If we analyze the structure of any organisation, we’ll find that it’s a system where there is a top management followed by an intermediate management and then the working class. We all know that the power to influence is highest at the top level and reduces to zero at the lowest working class level. Each responsibility brings with it equivalent power.

The most efficient company is the one in which the people with authority use their power effectively. Can you imagine what would happen if someone with power exerted them wrongly or didn’t exert them at all? In an effort at achieving maximum efficiency, we are beating our own records by trying to get 12 hours work done in 8 hours and better. We work with the mindset that “customer is king” so as to become more customer oriented.

We also know that any team for the sake of productivity is governed by a boss and inturn by a manager. This newsletter simply came out because of the frustration that came my friend’s way, when his manager was not willing to accept a change as devised by the team to deliver the product in a better manner.

After listening to him, I sat down to think about the power given to the manager, but his fear in using it. If the manager does not exercise his power for his team’s and his own benefit, the team will naturally perish. No individual in the team will gain the confidence of their boss simply because the manager is unwilling to exercise his authority and power.

This manager does not use his power to help his team grow, to give his team member an appreciation, cannot keep his promises to the team, cannot convince the team why he cannot give them an appraisal – the end result, the team migrates away from the companies goals. I wonder if all these people who become managers are truly qualified enough to sit there or is it because the company gave them the coveted seat simply because of the years of service they have rendered.

We all have some influence to do things and to get things done. We need to be very sharp but modest in using them for our benefit, be it for a career growth, closing a sale, settling an argument or helping our subordinates.

If the topmost people don’t use their powers for the growth of a company, there is very little the intermediate and lower management can do. If you are a bad manager its time to change – you need to learn to exert the power vested in you. If you work under a bad manager – you need to change your job, else your growth will be curbed.