Being a Kingmaker At Work
Being a Kingmaker At Work
Being a Kingmaker At Work
"You do not need to be in a position of power. You need only be in a position to influence those in power." (T.E Lawrence Seven pillars of Wisdom)
In my experience, a workplace, much like Lawrence's Arab, is a distrusting desert. It refuses to recognize you, and coerces unduly unless you have some form of perceived power. Unfortunately, I'm no Steve Jobs; hence not a king at work, so I settle for being the kingmaker to gain the kind of power that influences the king and those working under him in order to avoid being undermined.
Some may mistake this as a go signal for office politics. The truth of the matter is that there is never a green signal for sleazy tricks like that. My father, a long time pharmacist and businessman always told me, "Know enough to never be dependent on others". So when at work, I make it a priority to gain knowledge about my job, which in turn rewards me with independence that can be translated to power and influence at my workplace. Because of my expertise, I can get my subordinates to work for me without being fooled by them, I even gain influence over my co-workers by being the source of knowledge they look up to and ultimately acquire the power to affect my boss' important decisions.
However, knowledge alone can help people gain power, but it is the actual execution that takes it all the way. We all remember and hate the kid who gained the most acclaim because that meant that he was more visible. Therefore, I have made it a point to avoid becoming that invisible by working hard and ensuring that I get noticed, which is the second step to winning at your workplace. In fact, even school examinations worked on a similar principle - the teacher graded us on what he saw in the answer sheet. I have realized that when I make an effort to get the job done in whatever manner I can, it shows a level of commitment that is much appreciated by the authorities. It is then important that I play my cards well and ensure that my dedication is recognized. This nurtures a bond of trust between me and the system, hence providing me with leverage.
Lastly, to attain the power to influence, I try to establish a firm relationship with all the people at work: the superiors, co-workers and subordinates. I try to remain in most of my colleagues' good books, which makes me relevant and enables me to achieve a central position from which I can gain expertise on areas other than my own. This way I can become a better asset to my employers.
A good relationship with my subordinates helps get the work done. So I use a careful manipulation of hard and soft tactics because I've learned that being too tough can turn them against me and being too easy tends to demean my authority.
When it comes to co-workers, I try to establish an independent relationship as taught by my father. At some point in our career, we all learn to live with the fact that this is a type of relationship where competition will exist whether we like it or not. So, the only solution is to participate and stand out. LikeJames A. Garfieldsaid, "Be fit for more than the thing you are now doing. Let everyone know that you have a reserve in yourself; that you have more power than you are now using. If you are not too large for the place you occupy, you are too small for it."
The most crucial relationship, however, is the one with my boss. I tend to use this relationship to be visible and gain centrality in the workings of the system by maintaining a healthy, friendly relationship a level of trust which is the key.
To me, gaining Power and influence is a three step process: Expertise, Effort and Affinity. It may come across as cheap office politics when put that way; however it is just an alternate way of spelling out professionalism. And I know that as long as I'm sincere to my work, I will automatically become a part of it. I do, however, make it a point to remind myself to play fair since my objective to gain such power and influence is only to gain a little control and keep my self esteem intact. like Lawrence, I'm only trying to be recognized in a distrusting desert.
References
Stiller, R (1997) Influence as Power. Sunlabs
Eileen Mulligan, how to win in a workplace. Five star coaching
James A Garfield (1831-1881) retrieved http://www.quotationspage.com/subjects/power/
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