On Monday we introduced the topic of building your personal power and why it’s important to you and your career. In today’s Quick Tips we identify the obstacles to overcome, and the personal qualities you need to develop to establish a power base and increase your influence.
Jeffrey Pfeffer (Power) identifies three obstacles that you need to overcome, which we strongly align with and similarly use with our clients in our work:
- Understand that personal change is possible and it is worth the effort
- Objectively assess your strengths and weaknesses
- Understand the most important qualities you must develop to build a power base and then take the time to develop them
Now first and unfortunately, we continue to find that many people believe, falsely, that change is not possible for them. Change is always possible if you want it, and there is a strong enough reason and drive for it.
Second, you can learn what it takes to increase your influence. While some people are truly gifted at influencing others, the techniques and behaviors are often– as one client told us – common sense. What is required, however, is the willingness to take the time to learn them, and then apply these skills and practices (consistently) to your job, and especially in your relationships. We find this last point is what separates those who succeed from those who talk about why others prevented them from succeeding. (We reference this as the knowing:doing gap)
And third, objectively assessing your strengths and weaknesses is essential because it identifies your personal behavioral inventory – it creates awareness. If you do not know what you are good at and you are not clear on what needs improvement, how can you possibly develop a personal improvement action plan? You can’t! We recommend taking a business personality and performance profile. A trusted advisor can also be very helpful as long as your advisor is willing to be candid about your performance and you are able to accept the feedback and then do something about it.
Lastly, Pfeffer also indicates seven personal qualities for building power:
- Ambition
- Energy
- Focus
- Self-Knowledge
- Confidence
- Empathy with Others
- Capacity to Tolerate Conflict
Building personal power and influence in an organization is essential for your success. While the techniques are really based in good business common sense, what tends to be the challenge, is having the courage, tenacity and persistent to make a positive personal and lasting change.
Copyright 2010 Kubica and LaForest
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