So far we have addressed Assumptions, Perceptions and Languaging – this week we take on POWER! If you’re just joining the Sabotage Seminar Series, here are the prior posts: Part1, Part 2, Part 3.
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Sabotage Teleconference will be held on Wed. March 28 @ 5:30 EST.
Conference Code: 542045
I am going to address a difficult reader question, one that many of you have had or will have in your career:
How do you go about reaching the person in “the corner office” without stepping on your immediate boss’ toes?
This reader also stated that she does have a good relationship with her boss, but felt that her boss was keeping her ‘at bay’ and was comfortable with where things were at. I’m assuming by ‘things’, she means the current pecking order and that her boss is a man.
There could be perception issues here and she may be misreading her boss, in which case a quick conversation will determine if that is what’s happening. But let’s assume that she’s reading the situation correctly, and her boss is keeping her from the exposure to the executives that she most likely needs to move up in the company.
Why would a boss do this?
- Because they are insecure in their own position.
- Because they have been taking credit for your work.
- Because they feel you are competition in their desire to move up the ladder.
- Or maybe they are just comfortable with the way things are and don’t like change.
No matter how you slice it – this is about power.
At the moment, the boss holds all the power by being a gatekeeper between you and the senior executive, and he is clearly very reluctant to give up that power. The key here is to get the boss to see how giving you visibility and access to senior people will reflect well on him, possibly even increase his power. You need to reassure the boss that you are a team player, that you respect the hierarchy of the organization, but that you would like to create a career development plan that gives you more visibility and allows you both to succeed.
You need to be grounded in your own strengths and your value to the company, so that your requests for more visibility do not appear to be attempts to usurp your boss’ power. Insecurity and fear always come across as threatening power moves, especially to someone already concerned about keeping their own power.
Women tend to have an uncomfortable relationship with power because it goes against our nature of wanting to be inclusive and harmonious.
(Of course, by accident I typed hormonious – which I’m starting to think should also be a word, but I digress.) Power issues are connected to perception issues because if we perceive power as negative – controlling, aggressive, bossy – then we will shy away from it, not wanting to appear to be any of those traits. But if you replace the word ‘power’ with the word ‘influence’, it changes our perception and emotional reaction significantly.
Who wouldn’t want to be influential in their workplace? And how do you rise to the top of the ladder unless you excel at influencing others?
Right now, you need to influence your boss’ behavior in a subtle way. The good news is that women excel at this! Good Luck and keep us posted on the results!
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To learn more about how Laura can support you or your organization in career development and advancement, go to www.LotusLifeWork.com and sign up to receive her newsletter and information about the March launch of her self study product: Positively Promotable – Understanding Men at Work. You can also download her free smartphone app for Android and iPhone – search for “LotusLifeWork” to receive daily doses of information, inspiration and introspection!
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