A banker in Southeast Asia wanted to allow employees of a car rental agency to buy used cars from the employer. But not a single business unit was able to put together that product. Different units were stopped either by the existing product portfolio, the underlying risk, or regulatory guidelines. One of the banker’s colleagues, however, was able to facilitate valuable introductions across the company. That led to the solution being co-designed and jointly offered by two business units.
How to Figure Out How Much Influence You Have at Work
Conduct an audit of your informal power.
February 18, 2019
Summary.
Your value should not be defined by your formal organizational role. Informal power can help you mobilize resources, drive change, and create value for the organization as well as yourself. It’s increasingly pivotal in the modern workplace. Conduct a power audit of yourself by listing your top ten work contacts and scoring your interdependencies. Next, look for red flags, like asymmetries, concentration of contacts, or low scores. Improve your standing by asking how you can help your contacts, positioning yourself at the intersection of workflows, and getting to know stakeholders better.
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Persuading Others Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Persuading Others. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
How to convince the unconvincable.
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New!
HBR Learning
Persuading Others Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Persuading Others. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
How to convince the unconvincable.