What are the key learning points in this chapter and what are the
practical implications for strategic leaders and decision makers.
Pfeffer has described learning about power most succinctly: "it is one
thing to understand power--how to diagnose it, what
are its sources, what are the strategies and tactics for its use,
and how it is lost. It is quite another thing to use that knowledge in
the world at large...In corporations, public agencies, universities, and
government, the problem is how to get
things done, how to move forward, how to solve the many problems
facing organizations of all sizes and types. Developing and exercising
power require having both will and skill. It is the will that often seems to be missing".
Leveraging Power and Politics in Strategic Decision Making:
Practical Implications
1. Power is not America's last dirty word. The existence of organizational politics is a
reality to most organizations and successful strategic leaders must be
good politicians.
2. In large, complex organizations with more
centralized control and institutionalized power, the skills of using
power and influence are critical to getting change accomplished.
3.
It is critical to recognize that in almost every organization, there
are clusters of interests, and leaders need to understand where they are
located and what issues are of concern to them.
4. Leading and managing with power takes time, energy and effort.
5.
Innovation and organizational change almost inevitably threatens the
status quo. Consequently, implementing new ideas requires developing
political will and the skillful use of power and influence.
6. Organizational change frequently creates organizational alignments that cause those in power to lose that power.
7.
Employing power and influence tactics at the strategic level is more
about method and process than exercising formal authority.
8. The
use of power goes beyond exercising formal authority. It requires
building and maintaining a reputation for being effective and it
necessitates the skill in getting things done.
9. It is important
to be able to recognize and assess the organization context of power if
ideas and plans are to be implemented effectively.
10. To be
effective in the implementation process, it is critical to know how to
develop sources of power and how to employ that power strategically and
tactically.
11. It's important to determine whether the most
critical sources of power are personal attributes or location in the
organization.
12. In evaluating personal attributes as effective
sources of power, the key question is not whether they are attractive or
unattractive, but whether they are useful.
13. It is important to have multiple bases of power to translate influence tactics into concrete results.