13.1 Career Growth: Power Positioning and Power Sources

Remember our ongoing discussion on emotional intelligence skills and their necessity for career success? Here is how emotional intelligence skills tie into our chapter on career success.

Throughout this book, we have discussed the factors that create good human relations with our work relationships and personal relationships. When you started reading this book, you learned how your personality, attitude, and self-esteem could impact your human relations with other people. We also talked about the following:

• The importance of emotional intelligence when relating to other people, both professionally and personally.
• Understanding diversity, and how our own diversity and that of others could impact our human relations.
• How to work in teams, as working on a team is a mainstay of the workplace, and working with others is required in most jobs and careers.
• Communication styles—both ours and others can impact how we relate to people and how they relate to us.
• Handling conflict in the workplace. The ability to handle conflict in a constructive manner ensures our ability to manage our relations with others.
• People respect others who are ethical; therefore, making ethical decisions can assist us in creating good relationships with others.
• Having an understanding of human motivation can give us perspective into how others “tick,” allowing us to handle our relationships better.
• Knowing what it means to have personal success can create happiness—which leads to better human relations skills.
• The ability to make sound decisions relates to human relations, in that these skills can help us think logically and not emotionally, which can improve how we relate to others in group decision making. Knowing how to make sound decisions also relates to conflict management and the ability to handle conflict in group decision-making processes.
• Managing stress so it doesn’t create negative human relations with others.

With an understanding and practice in all of these areas, we can become successful people in our careers. This is the focus of the chapter—the skills it takes to be productive individuals through positive human relations. The first step is developing an understanding of how we can use power both at work and in our personal life.

Understanding power and power structure in our organizations can assist us in being more successful in our career. Power refers to our ability to influence others and convince them to do what we want them to do. Power is different than influence, in that influence is the application of the power we have to get people to do what we want them to do. Although it may seem this only applies to managers, we all use power in a variety of ways, both in our personal and professional lives. For example, Abbey may use her power to convince Amy they should have sushi for dinner tonight, but that doesn’t mean that Amy thinks it is the right thing to do. It isn’t until Abbey uses her influence that Amy agrees to eat sushi. Please keep in mind that power is not a negative thing if used in the correct way. Power and influence, ultimately, are what allow things to get done in our organizations.Mind Tools Website. (n.d.). French and Raven’s five forms of power, accessed March 12, 2012, http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_56.htm Whether or not we are leaders in our organization, power can come in many forms. A study by John French and Bertram Raven in 1959 identified the ways leaders can influence others.French, J. R. P., & Raven, B. (1959). The bases of social power. In D. Cartwright & A. Zander (Eds.). Group dynamics. New York: Harper & Row. They include the following:

1. Reward power. Reward power refers to a person’s ability to present the receiver some type of reward, should they do something in return. For example, a manager may use raises or praise. If John wants to reward his employees, he might use reward power by offering them a bonus if they meet certain sales goals. John, as a parent, may promise dessert if his son finishes his dinner.
2. Coercive power. Coercive power refers to the power of someone to punish someone should they not do something the person wants them to do. For example, John may say, “If you don’t meet the sales goal, you will have to look for another job.” This type of power is focused on punishment rather than rewards. As a parent, John may tell his son he will be grounded if his son does not do what is asked.
3. Legitimate power. This type of power refers to the ability to make another feel obligated or responsible. Because John’s title is manager, for example, this gives him the power or the right to make certain decisions. This can be powerful at first, but over time it can become less important if trust does not exist. Have you ever heard your Mom say, “Because I said so,” without further explanation? This is an example of legitimate power. The mother has the power simply because she is the mother.
4. Expert power. Sometimes people have power because they have a lot of knowledge or are known as experts in a certain area. John, for example, might use expert power by saying, “I know you can meet the sales goal because I was able to meet this same sales goal last year.” Because John is an expert salesperson, his employees respect his abilities and this respect gives him power. If John is using expert power with his son when teaching him to play baseball, he might tell his son about the years of experience he has had playing the sport—therefore, John’s son is motivated to listen to him.
5. Referent power. Referent power is often referred to as charisma, charm, or appeal. This type of power comes from one person respecting and liking another, so they are willing to do what the leader says. For example, if John’s employees really like and respect him, his source of power is the fact that people want to do what he says. If John is a convincing person with charisma, he may also use his power to convince his friends to go to the movie he wants to see.

Again, we feel it is important to point out there is nothing wrong with utilizing power to make things happen; the concern is when an individual is power-compulsive. Power compulsive means the person’s personality has a lust for power and may use it for personal gain. This is the opposite of the power-shy personality, who prefers not to be in charge of things and is not comfortable using power. Power-shy individuals may not be positive either, in that at some point, people must be willing to use power to make decisions. Keep in mind, we all use power, no matter what title we hold at work.

As mentioned earlier, the idea of “power” often seems negative, but we can use power in an appropriate way when getting ahead in our organizations. This is called power position. Power position comes from the concept of feng shui, where the power position is the physical position in the room for a business meeting. In this position, the person can see all entrances to the room and is seated against a wall. Because of this, they are said to be the center of attention and thus in the power position. Our meaning here refers to your ability to use conscientious techniques that can lead to personal and professional organizational growth; these also happen to be the characteristics needed for career success, and we can tie into emotional intelligence. Techniques that may help increase your power position at work include the following:

1. Be authentic. Be yourself. Stay true to your values and those things you find important.
2. Refuse to let people push your buttons. This can result in conflict, which does not increase your position power. Make an effort to try and get along with others.
3. Develop esteem and confidence. Esteem and confidence will give you the ability to take on difficult tasks, help others, and contribute to the organization.
4. Be a team player. Do all the things necessary to be part of a team. Get along with and help others. Helping others shows leadership, ability, and good citizenship. It can put you in a position of not only earning the respect of others but also showing your value to the organization.
5. Be someone that makes others feel good. Make others feel good when they are around you—for example, by being genuinely interested in them.
6. Develop your communication skills. Work on your written, oral, and nonverbal language skills. Learn to read and understand others’ body language.
7. Be visible in the workplace. Don’t take credit for others’ work, but do take credit for your own work. Choose high-profile projects that can put you in a position where others see your work.
8. Don’t complain. Unless you can also provide a solution, don’t offer a complaint!
9. Be goal oriented and willing to take risks. Focus on goal setting personally and professionally. Show managers and colleagues how you can help them meet goals.
10. Have positive psychological capital. There are four aspects to positive psychological capital: hope, self-efficacy, optimism, and resiliency. Self-efficacy refers to belief in your own abilities while optimism means to have a positive outlook. Resiliency is the ability to make it through difficult circumstances. In a study by the Leadership InstituteLuthans, F., Avolio, B. J., Avey, J. B., & Norman, S. M. (2007). Positive psychological capital: Measurement and relationship with performance and satisfaction. Leadership Institute Faculty Publications. Paper 11. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/leadershipfacpub/11 on psychological capital, there was a clear relationship between positive psychological capital and job performance/job satisfaction—two very important components for good human relations!

In addition to the techniques, we can think about position power as a set of behaviors we exhibit on a daily basis. These five behaviors can help us increase our power position at work. We can think about the acronym POWER to remember these behaviors:Dawson, J. (2007–8) What good leaders do. ADI Performance website, accessed March 13, 2012, http://www.adiperformance.com/08/pub_article03.html

• Positive approach. Having a positive approach to everything can help increase your power position. Avoiding rumors, gossip, and other negative behaviors can gain the trust of others.
• Open. Being open to others, new ideas, and people can help increase your power position.
• Willingness. The willingness to do things different, try something new, and take risks can increase your power position.
• Employing. Employing things like tact, common courtesies, humor, patience, and emotional intelligence skills can increase your position power.
• Remembering. Know your purpose, set goals, and always do your best.

Having an understanding of the types of power and how to improve your own power position at work can increase your human relations at work and, therefore, your success—and probably make work more enjoyable, too!

13.2 Career Growth: Behaviors and Change

Since this chapter is all about professional growth, it makes sense to discuss planning strategies used by people who want to further their careers. Each of these involves and requires emotional intelligence skills discussed in Chapter 2 “Achieve Personal Success” and throughout the book. Having emotional intelligence skills, as you may recall, is even more important than having a high IQ.Goleman, D. (n.d.). Emotional intelligence. New York Times, accessed May 23, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/g/goleman-working.html Knowing ourselves and the ability to manage ourselves is the core of this section in the form of a discussion on what kinds of human relations behaviors are necessary to achieve career success.

How to get promoted must be one of the questions managers are asked the most. Often earning a promotion or movement into a higher level is dependent on not only one’s skills and abilities but also certain behaviors. According to Long Yun Siang of Career Success for Newbies,Siang, L. Y. (2006). How to get promoted. Career Success for Newbies, accessed March 13, 2012, http://www.career-success-for-newbies.com/how-to-get-promoted.html there are several characteristics people have that can help them earn a promotion, and these areas fall into one of three categories: plan, attitude, and action. They are as follows:

1. Perform self-analysis. Where are you and why are you there? Is there a key strength that has gotten you to where you are now? What skills can you continue to leverage to get that promotion? Likewise, are there weaknesses you must handle before moving to the next level?
2. Keep your eye on the goals. Where do you want to be and how do you get there? Remember our chapter on goal setting? Now is the time to apply those ideas! Using SMART objectives (Chapter 2 “Achieve Personal Success”), determine where you want to be in the short, medium, and long term. Then create objectives that will help you meet those goals.
3. Put pride, passion, and belief in everything you do. People who get promoted have pride in their work; they enjoy what they are doing and have genuine enthusiasm. They work toward their own goals but also the goals of the company and of the department.
4. Back it up with skills, knowledge, and direction. Do what needs to be done to acquire skills. Take seminars and workshops and attend conferences. Make sure you continually update your skills.
5. See challenges as opportunities. Avoid complaining and look at things to overcome as ways to improve your skills but also to show others you are capable of solving problems.
6. Understand your role in helping the organization achieve goals. Be a team player to understand what you must do to help the rest of the department and organization achieve.
7. Do your best and do more than necessary. Volunteer for more work or projects, and take initiative. Look at how you can solve problems for the manager.
8. Do work from the next level up. Continue to do your own work, but try to take on assignments that may be “above your pay grade” or above your normal expected workload. This shows you are capable of the position you want.
9. Understand the importance of networking. Much of the business done today happens through networking.Fox News. (2008, June 3). The importance of networking, accessed May 21, 2012, http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,362704,00.html Networking events are where we can meet new clients, friends, and employers. They might include events through your local chamber of commerce, charity functions, and professional organization conferences and events. The ability to stay in touch with people we meet at events has never been easier through the use of technology. Building relationships with others takes time but also is worthwhile. People you meet today may be a future employer or client one year from now. Networking can also help us find mentors and gain new insights into our industry.

Besides understanding the skills, attitudes, and abilities needed for promotion, learning how to handle change is a great way to earn a promotion and obtain career success. We discussed change in Chapter 2 “Achieve Personal Success”; because it’s necessary both from a personal and career perspective, it is good to discuss it here from a career approach. Oftentimes, people get too comfortable in their job, which does not allow them to move upwardly within the organization. We know that change is a continual process, and the more comfortable we can get, the better, especially to experience continued success at work. But why do people avoid change in their careers or jobs and why would they avoid taking on more responsibility to obtain a promotion? Figure 13.2 gives some examples.

It is important to identify the reasons why you may avoid change. When we identify them and our behaviors, we can begin to understand why we behave the way we do, which is a key component to self-knowledge and emotional intelligence skills. Another aspect to career success is knowing basic etiquette, which we will discuss next.

13.3 Career Growth: Impression Management

Perhaps the most important components to career success are how we manage our reputation and the impression we give to others both in person and online. Learning how to manage our reputation can be a key ingredient to developing good human relations, which often results in career success. Although much of this will be a review, it is important to discuss key elements to making a good impression in a professional environment.

Introductions

An introduction to a person is possibly one of the most important aspects to etiquette. This nonverbal behavior can send positive or not-so-positive messages to a person with whom you want to make a good impression.Lorenz, K. (2009, September 9). Six tips for a perfect handshake. Career Builder, accessed March 15, 2012, http://www.careerbuilder.com/Article/CB-431-Getting-Hired-Six-Tips-for-a-Perfect-Handshake/ Here are the components to a good handshake and introduction:

1. Firm handshake. A firm handshake shows self-confidence. Try not to make it too firm or too soft. Do not place your hand on top of the other person’s hand while shaking.
2. Web to web. When you shake someone’s hand, put your right hand out and the web of skin between your thumb and pointer finger should touch the web of the other person. Try to avoid grabbing someone’s fingers when shaking hands, as this could send a negative message.
3. Eye contact. As you shake the person’s hand, make direct eye contact. This can be challenging for some people who grew up in a culture where direct eye contact would be considered rude. Make sure to smile.
4. Say your name and repeat the other person’s name. As you are making eye contact and shaking hands, you might say something like, “Hi, my name is Laura Portolese Dias. It is a pleasure to meet you.” When they say their name, make sure to repeat it, which will make it easier to remember. In fact, if they give you a business card, perhaps write down some of the things you discussed. This way, when you meet again, you are more likely to connect their name with a personal or professional interest.
5. Introducing two people. If you know two people and are introducing them, say both people’s names and try to tell them something they have in common they can discuss. For example, “Casey, meet Ms. Robins. Both of you went to the University of Washington-Bothell campus.” This gives them a starting point to begin their conversation.

A handshake should be firm but not too firm. The web of the other person’s hand should touch yours, as to avoid shaking someone’s fingers!

© Thinkstock

Good handshakes and introductions are important, but they also take practice. Often, people are too worried about the impression they are making to focus on their handshake, eye contact, and other aspects. The more comfortable you can get with this, the more second nature it will become and the better your human relations will be!

Why Handshakes?

(click to see video)

This video discusses the importance of handshakes.

Dining Out

Often a time will come when you must have a business dinner with your supervisor or colleagues. When we dine alone or with our family, sometimes we do not pay as much attention to table manners as we should. Showing you have proper table manners in a business setting not only conveys high emotional intelligence but also can create positive relationships with others. Let’s discuss this as if we are starting a dinner from the beginning.

Sometimes the amount of dinnerware can be overwhelming! For forks, use the last one out and work your way in. Make sure the napkin goes on your lap. Also be aware, your bread and butter plate will always be on your left, while your glasses will be on your right.

First, it would be proper to make sure the host is seated before you sit. Unless the host is male, in which case he would wait until all females are seated until he takes his seat. Likewise, in any situation, such as a job interview, you should never sit unless invited. Next, you will want to put the napkin on your lap. Avoid wiping your face or nose with the napkin. If you need to get up, leave the napkin on either side of your plate.

Try to order within the same price range as your host. Never order the most expensive menu item. Also avoid ordering alcohol unless the host is ordering it, and even then, never drink more than your limit in a business situation. When food is served, you should not begin eating until everyone has received their food.

Any food dish on the left is yours; any glass that is yours is on the right. Most silverware is set so the one you will use first is on the outside, and you work your way in. For example, the appetizer fork might be on the outside, then the salad fork, then the dinner fork. When you are finished with your meal, rest the silverware crosswise on your plate to indicate you are done.

Silverware resting together indicates to the server that you are finished with your meal.

If you are in a situation where food should be passed, always pass from left to right. Avoid reaching past people’s plates to get something. If someone asks you for salt and pepper, always pass both together, even if both were not requested. It goes without saying, but don’t talk with your mouth full or play with food on your plate. If you don’t like something, try to take a few bites, but it is ok to leave food. If you have special dietary restrictions—for example, if you are a vegetarian—don’t make a big deal out of it and just avoid eating those things you wouldn’t normally eat.

Always say please and thank you to anyone who does something for you, such as refilling your water or removing your plate. These basic manners can go a long way in showing politeness.

When the check comes and there is no obvious host, reach for it. If there is an obvious host, such as your supervisor had told everyone he was going to take the department to dinner, it is fine not to reach for the check. If people are splitting the check, it is normal to split it evenly, unless of course people had significantly different-priced items. For example, if one person had only a salad and another person had the porterhouse steak, splitting might not be appropriate.United States dining etiquette Guide, accessed March 15, 2012, http://whatscookingamerica.net/Menu/DiningEtiquetteGuide.htm Likewise, if you had drinks but someone else didn’t, offering to pay more would be appropriate. It is also customary to tip 15 to 20 percent, and not doing so would be considered in poor taste. Please note that dining etiquette discussed here is specific to the United States. Before you travel, consider doing research on proper etiquette.

Technology

Looking at your phone while talking with someone is the same thing as turning your back to them in the middle of a conversation.

Another important thing to mention is the use of technology. Although many people do it, the increased use of technology has actually made people more rude; according to an Intel survey, 9 of 10 Americans report they’ve seen others misuse technology and 75 percent agree that mobile etiquette is worse than it was a year ago.Bruzzese, A. (2011, March 27). Technology increases rudeness quotient. TribLive Business News, accessed March 15, 2012, http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_729376.htmlHere are some examples of basic etiquette when it comes to technology:

• Don’t look at your phone while talking with someone else.
• Don’t use a phone for calls or texts while at the dinner table.
• Don’t talk loudly on the phone in a public space.
• Avoid letting “text speak” cross over into e-mails (i.e., “tho” is OK for texts, but spell it out—“though”—for e-mails).
• Try to avoid multitasking with your phone in inappropriate places, such as when in the restroom.
• When sending e-mails, avoid clogging up peoples’ e-mail boxes with “reply all” messages.
• Use spell-check for e-mails.
• Try to answer e-mails within twenty-four hours, even if it is to say, “I am not sure about this but I will get back to you.”

Another note related to technology is the use of social media and the Internet.

13.4 Career Growth: Personality and Strategies

While this section doesn’t discuss job searching, resumes, and cover letters (since you do that in other classes), we will discuss tips for developing a career after you already have the job. First, we already know there are some personality characteristics that tend to be required for career success. Please note that this is different than behaviors, which we discussed earlier. Personality is a stable set of traits, while behavior is an expression of those traits in different circumstances. Although personality traits tend to be stable over time, we can change our personality traits. For example, Phil’s personality may normally not be career driven and motivated. This could come out in the way he relates to others in his organization. But suppose Phil finds a job he really likes. His behavior can change in that his satisfaction makes him confident, relaxed, and able to work well in teams. So sometimes when we change our behavior, our personality can change—and our human relations can change, too.

Some of the personality characteristics for success might include the following:

• Motivated
• Driven
• Good social skills
• Listening
• Reading body language
• Written communication
• Verbal communication
• Ability to make good decisions
• Ability to work with a diverse workforce
• Teamwork
• Handling conflict
• Managing emotions
• Managing stress
• Being ethical
• Positive attitude
• Goal oriented
• Informing your supervisor that you want to grow your career

Of course this list is not exhaustive, but we have discussed many of these throughout the book. But how do you develop these skills? First, being aware of your own need for self-improvement can go a long way to improving these skills. Assume Steve isn’t a very good listener and he identifies this as an area for improvement. Steve then needs to make a conscious effort to improve his listening skills. Having an awareness of this need and then putting together an improvement plan is a step in the right direction. But until we are able to recognize our strengths and weaknesses, we are not able to improve upon them. In another example, assume Duana realizes she gets very stressed at work, and that stress causes her to be short with people. Learning how to manage stress better can create better relations with other people.

One of the ways we can develop the skill of recognizing your strengths and weaknesses is to utilize a mentor. A mentor is someone who is a trusted counselor or teacher. Sometimes, companies have formal mentorship programs. Often, though, the best mentorships come from relationships that form over time. For example, when Paul started working at Ascent Corporation, he knew he wanted to move up the company ranks but didn’t know how. When Paul was put on a project with Beth, a managing director, he knew that he wanted to talk with her to find out how she made it to that position. Paul felt nervous approaching Beth at first because she was so busy. But he decided to take the risk and invited her to have coffee after their meeting. After that, they began to speak weekly and Beth took an interest in helping Paul in his career. Together, the two worked to develop strategies and objectives for Paul’s career. When he had questions about his career path, she helped him. When a position opened up, Beth coached Paul on the interview and he was promoted.

Make sure you continue learning. Taking seminars and courses can help make you more marketable in your field. Since most fields change on a regular basis, we must continually update our skills to build upon what we already know and learn new things.

13.5 Chapter Summary and Case