Beginning in 1978, The Ecliptic Consulting Group (ECG) engaged the professional services world to bring leading strategy and people management concepts to practice in technical fields.
For many professional people in EH&S, we are given tremendous responsibility but very little positional power in our organizations. Most times the end result is unnecessary delay, lack of efficiency, or a message that is not acted on which may lead to dire consequences for us and our organizations.
Based on years of organizational and behavioral research by titans of the industry like Dr. Robert Cialdini, Dr. Sally Fuller, Dr. Jeffrey Pfeffer, and Daniel Pink, Power is a discussion of what actually is happening in organizational behavior as opposed of what we think is happening. How to get things done through others, achieve business results, and how to rise to leadership positions will be explored. It is common to believe that good work and dedication are the main drivers in the success of a professional career. A mountain of recent data strongly suggest otherwise.
The author is a 25 year veteran of consulting with technical professionals, has a master's degree in Leadership/Organizational Sustainability, and is a strong supporter of using business topics as leverage to open up and expand critical business relationships.
This paper will uncover modern organizational power and suggest that instead of the power structure being a mystical free-for-all, it is actually quite orderly and predictable. A distinction will be made between our historic understanding of organizational power and the future of this fast moving and often confusing topic.
Organizational leaders understand the power levers that create change, enhance careers, and drive results. Successful personal power creation is action, not position. EH&S professionals can learn strategies how to enhance their organizations by uncovering and demonstrating principles of personal power. There are five main sources of organizational power that if properly deployed, anyone in the organization can and will begin to gain influence with the people around you. If you have ever wondered how some people in businesses achieve incredible results, while other equally qualified and bright individuals wallow, the power tools discussed here will provides the tools to maximize your effectiveness and grow your personal organizational value.
