Good Essay On Connection Power

Traits Connection power is attained when influence and authority are gained through a link with a powerful person. It is all about one getting acquaintance and favor from a powerful person through a relationship of their own. Connection power is characterized by the ability of people to network effectively creating bonds that end up giving them influence and authority. Remarkably, people who attain this type of power have great networking skills. They form these networks by associating positively with other people. According to Giang, (2013) the association ends up with linkages where one is directly connected to a more powerful person at the workplace. Authority and influence are transferred from the powerful person to the person creating links. This way, it empowers the person associating by giving him/her indirect authority (Boulding, 1990). More significantly, people who attain this kind of power are very much persuasive and influential. They have good communication skills that create the connection between them and powerful individuals at the workplace. Effective communication skills give them an upper hand when convincing someone. Once convinced, the bond is created right away. The person has the ears of the most powerful people at the workplace because of his persuasive nature. Further, he knows most of the powerful people. This transfers influence and authority indirectly to them. This way of gaining power requires that one be very much convincing and possess exemplary communication skills (Martin, 2014). Notably, the tongue has a lot of power especially in business-oriented setting. Persuasiveness and influence are two traits that characterize individuals who attain power by getting connected to powerful people in a business setting or at any other workplace.Adaptation of Strategies As much as attaining power may seem positive, power through connection is sometimes positive or negative. For instance, if one knows a colleague who has not had a just/reasonable shake at the organization and they are further, connected to powerful people at the organization, it is positive. However, if one has a connection with influential people at the organization and wants to get over their colleague who seeks the services of the same person, it becomes negative (Giang, 2013). Such actions imply that people who gain influence and authority through connections require an adaptation of strategies to handle the authority they have attained. First and foremost, the individuals who have attained power keep the connections with powerful people more professional than casual. This ensures that the influence that the powerful individual has at the workplace translates to the same authority that the individual who has attained power has. Further, this is meant to ascertain that this kind of authority is long-lasting and to the benefit of both the parties. It should be noted that connection power is more of political power because individuals always seek favors and gain things of their interests from the people they are connected to. Hence, such individuals always restrict themselves from attaining favors that would otherwise be to the disadvantage of other people in the same setting. Martin, (2014) notes that individuals limit their authority to a point that they have only the influence and power wherever the people they have attained the power from are around. Further, as another strategy to capitalize more on the power they attain, such individuals would always ensure that they have the ears of most of the powerful people. They create many connections to guarantee that they receive their favors without question or prejudice from anyone. Creating a wider network of linkages gives the individual a certainty that they have achieved the same authority and influence as those they attained from (Holmes and Stubbe, 2003).Team Environments At any given organizational level, group dynamics has a role in the performance and success of a business. Teamwork is built around the fact that team members have to work together towards achieving a common organizational goal. This working together is characterized by the need of members to participate by committing themselves to working in a balanced environment to achieve the ultimate objective (Holmes and Stubbe, 2003). In the light with the connection power, team environments are greatly affected when a member of the team attains power through connections with powerful people at the organization. First, it might lead to a positive team environment where the individual use the influence and authority attained to contribute positively to the team's activity. The positive influence enhances team cohesion and promotes the spirit of a balanced working environment On the other hand, connection power may also have a negative impact on the team environments. For instance, if an individual attains an influence from a powerful person at the organization that they are connected to, they might use the authority and influence to take precedence over team leaders and other team members. This disintegrates the team and also compromises the spirit to work as a team majorly because individuals who attain power through connections always feel protected by the people they are connected to (Lauby, 2014). Thus, they are capable of doing anything against the organizations wishes knowing that after all they are safe. More significantly, this kind of power can also ruin the spirit of teamwork as individuals may use connection power to influence the team members negatively (Boulding, 1990). In this way, organizational goals cannot be achieved through group dynamics and teamwork. It has been seen that connection power can affect team environments either positively or negatively depending upon the way authority and power are used.

References

Boulding, E. K., (1990). Three Faces of Power: Violence, Cooperation Peace. California: SAGE Publications.
Giang, V., (2013). The Seven Types of Power that Shape the Workplace. Retrieved from <www.businessinsider.com/the-7-types-of-power-that-shape-the-workplace>. Accessed on 5th February, 2015.
Holmes, J., & Stubbe, M., (2003). Power and Politeness at the Workplace: A Socio-Analysis of Talk at Work. New York: Longman.
Lauby, S., (2014). Seven Types of Power at the Workplace. Retrieved from <www.managerlink.monster.com/training-leadership/articles/462-7-types-of-power-in-the-workplace>. Accessed on 5th February, 2015.
Martin, B., (2014). Creating and Catalyzing Transformational Leadership: Power in the Workplace. Retrieved from <www.billymartin.info/2014/02/19/power-in-the-workplace/>. Accessed on 5th February 2015.