Post by sathish on May 25, 2010 16:36:34 GMT 5.5
Responsibility without authority?
WITH EVERY job comes responsibility. It is something that gives employees a sense of value and pride in their work. However, when they lack the authority to back their responsibilities, it is a different story altogether. There will be demotivation, lack of enthusiasm, stress and dissatisfaction and finally a management disaster.
In an organisation, responsibilities often overlap and interconnect between departments; yet the lines of authority do not overlap. As tasks change over time, this gap between responsibility and authority is further enlarged. So realistically speaking, the chances are that like many people in today's workplace, you probably do not have the `position power' that is needed to accomplish what is expected of you. Succeeding in this demanding environment requires skills they do not teach you in school. Or for that matter, anywhere.
So how do you cope with it? If you are given an assignment or a task and you do not have the authority to get some people to help you in it, the best thing you could do is get some kind of acknowledgement from the powers that be. If a situation or task calls for urgent action, and you are not in a position to wait for orders from higher ups, send a memo or email to the concerned person briefing him about your position - make sure you stress on the urgency of the situation, your inability to wait any longer and the action you intend to take. Then go ahead with your plan. As long as you have informed the concerned authorities, you will probably not get into trouble, given the circumstances you were working in.
Always, make sure someone in authority is aware of what you are doing/ or plan to do. Give feedback and negotiate frequently so that everyone understands and agrees on who is responsible for what.
Learn to exert influence up, down and laterally in your organisation. This is essential because the responsibility for making things happen is spread out among interrelated and sometimes hostile factions at every level of your organisation.
Use the `Law of Reciprocity' to create situations where you and your superiors benefit mutually. This is what will give you that `upward influence' - for you and those who you rely on to get things done.
Establish `currencies of exchange' which are valuable psychological and social `payments' (such as praise, challenge or a good word to the right people) that are appropriate to each work situation.
Remember that it is not practical for the management to confer you with authority for every task assigned to you. Unfortunately, unlike authority, responsibility often overlaps between individuals and departments.
When you lack the authority to accomplish what is expected of you, what you are able to accomplish is directly related to your ability to build strong relationships and win cooperation from your colleagues, superiors and subordinates. In such situations, influence works just as well, if not better than position power.
These approaches work if you occasionally need to overstep your authority to carry out your responsibility.
However, if you find yourself constantly hampered by the lack of authority, you may need to do something about it. Wait for an opportune moment and ask for more authority from your higher up.
But before you do, make sure you do some homework and define boundaries and roles called for by your job. Just what are you responsible for?
Be specific - what is the scope of the project and where do your responsibilities begin and end. Cite examples of past situations where the lack of authority curtailed or altogether prevented you from carrying out your responsibilities in an efficient manner.
Clearly explain your circumstances and indicate exactly what authority you need in writing. Organisations have the tendency to give responsibility for results, but withhold the authority to make changes. The only way to go about it is to be straightforward.
WITH EVERY job comes responsibility. It is something that gives employees a sense of value and pride in their work. However, when they lack the authority to back their responsibilities, it is a different story altogether. There will be demotivation, lack of enthusiasm, stress and dissatisfaction and finally a management disaster.
In an organisation, responsibilities often overlap and interconnect between departments; yet the lines of authority do not overlap. As tasks change over time, this gap between responsibility and authority is further enlarged. So realistically speaking, the chances are that like many people in today's workplace, you probably do not have the `position power' that is needed to accomplish what is expected of you. Succeeding in this demanding environment requires skills they do not teach you in school. Or for that matter, anywhere.
So how do you cope with it? If you are given an assignment or a task and you do not have the authority to get some people to help you in it, the best thing you could do is get some kind of acknowledgement from the powers that be. If a situation or task calls for urgent action, and you are not in a position to wait for orders from higher ups, send a memo or email to the concerned person briefing him about your position - make sure you stress on the urgency of the situation, your inability to wait any longer and the action you intend to take. Then go ahead with your plan. As long as you have informed the concerned authorities, you will probably not get into trouble, given the circumstances you were working in.
Always, make sure someone in authority is aware of what you are doing/ or plan to do. Give feedback and negotiate frequently so that everyone understands and agrees on who is responsible for what.
Learn to exert influence up, down and laterally in your organisation. This is essential because the responsibility for making things happen is spread out among interrelated and sometimes hostile factions at every level of your organisation.
Use the `Law of Reciprocity' to create situations where you and your superiors benefit mutually. This is what will give you that `upward influence' - for you and those who you rely on to get things done.
Establish `currencies of exchange' which are valuable psychological and social `payments' (such as praise, challenge or a good word to the right people) that are appropriate to each work situation.
Remember that it is not practical for the management to confer you with authority for every task assigned to you. Unfortunately, unlike authority, responsibility often overlaps between individuals and departments.
When you lack the authority to accomplish what is expected of you, what you are able to accomplish is directly related to your ability to build strong relationships and win cooperation from your colleagues, superiors and subordinates. In such situations, influence works just as well, if not better than position power.
These approaches work if you occasionally need to overstep your authority to carry out your responsibility.
However, if you find yourself constantly hampered by the lack of authority, you may need to do something about it. Wait for an opportune moment and ask for more authority from your higher up.
But before you do, make sure you do some homework and define boundaries and roles called for by your job. Just what are you responsible for?
Be specific - what is the scope of the project and where do your responsibilities begin and end. Cite examples of past situations where the lack of authority curtailed or altogether prevented you from carrying out your responsibilities in an efficient manner.
Clearly explain your circumstances and indicate exactly what authority you need in writing. Organisations have the tendency to give responsibility for results, but withhold the authority to make changes. The only way to go about it is to be straightforward.