UNDERSTANDING POWER AND POLITICS:Make it a point to get to know the people who matter in your sphere of influence.
8. Make it a point to get to know the people who matter in your sphere of influence. Become a part of the power network so that when people are discussing issues or seeking people for important appointments of leadership, your name comes to mind. Be sure to deal with senior people. The more contact you have with the “power brokers,” the more support you can generate in the future should the need arise. The more power you use, the more you get.
9. Know who holds the power. Identify the key power brokers. Develop a strategy for gaining access to power brokers through joining alliances and coalitions. Learn how to question others and how to become part of the organizational infrastructure. There is an art to de- termining when, what, and how much information is exchanged and communicated at any one time and to determining who does so. Powerful people have a keen sense of timing. Be sure to position yourself to be at the right place at the right time. Any strategy will involve a good deal of energy and effort. Direct influence and efforts toward issues of highest prior- ity or when greatest benefits are likely to result.
10. Use power appropriately to promote consensus in organizational goals, develop common means to achieve these goals, and enhance a common culture to bind organizational mem- bers together. As the health care providers closest to the patient, nurses best understand patients’ needs and wants. In the hospital, nurses are present on the first patient contact and thereafter for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In the clinic, the nurse may be the person the patient sees first and most frequently. By capitalizing on the special relationship that they have with patients, nurses can use marketing principles to enhance their position and image as professional caregivers.
Nursing as a profession must market its professional expertise and ability to achieve the objectives of health care organizations. From a marketing perspective, nursing’s goal is to ensure that identified markets (e.g., patients, physicians, other health professionals, community members) have a clear understanding of what nursing is, what it does, and what it is going to do. In doing so, nursing is seen as a profession that gives expert care with a scientific knowledge base.
Nursing care often is seen as an indicator of an organization’s overall quality. Regardless of the setting, quality nursing care is something that is desired and valued. Through understanding patients’ needs and preferences for programs that promote wellness and maintain and restore health, nurses become the organization’s competitive edge to enhancing revenues. Marketing an image of expertise linked with quality and cost can position nursing powerfully and competi- tively in the health care marketplace.
Using Power Appropriately Using power not only affects what happens at the time, but also has a lasting effect on your re- lationships. Therefore, it is best to use the least amount of power necessary to accomplish your goals. Also, use power appropriate to the situation (Sullivan, 2013). Table 7-1 lists rules for us- ing power.
Improper use of power can destroy a manager’s effectiveness. Power can be overused or un- derused. Overusing power occurs when you use excessive power relative to the situation. If you fail to use power when it is needed, you are underusing your power. In addition to the immediate loss of influence, you may lose credibility for the future.
Power plays are another way that power is used inappropriately. Power plays are attempts by others to diminish or demolish their opponents. Typical power plays include:
“Let’s be fair.” “Can you prove that?” “It’s either this or that; which is it? Take your pick.” “But you said . . . and now you say. . . .”