Individual Power Plan - Term Paper Example

Individual power plan Individual power plan Power is important within organisations as it is the basis through which decisions are made, directions offered, and daily activities managed or supervised (Lusssier and Kimball, 2013). Therefore, it is important for individuals in management positions to instigate influence on others by the use of an effective individual power plan. This paper gives an assessment of my current sense of power within my organisation, my motivation for increasing my power base, as well as my plan for enhancing my individual power as a nurse and as a leader-manager, including specific strategies for achieving that plan.

By definition, personal or individual sense of power denotes the capacity of an individual to persuade or manipulate others (Lusssier and Kimball, 2013). My current sense of power within my organisation is patented by the constructive associations or relationships I have formed with other nurses, as well as other individuals involved in the provision of care. This I have achieved through an all-inclusive form of leadership that enhances motivation within the workplace. As a result of these relationships, nurses respect my decisions and approach me for directions and advice in relation to provision of care to patients and the community in general.

In doing so, I have been able to influence their behaviours, manipulate their activities, and have also been able to persuade them to support my decisions. There are numerous factors that motivate people to increase or enhance their power base. A good example is the fact that employees prefer to work for powerful leaders. The notion that power is imperative in influencing and persuading others is motivation enough to strive to increase individual power base (Paynton, 2008). Subsequently, there are many ways that a leader in the nursing profession can enhance his or her individual power.

According to Lusssier and Kimball (2013), "Power is gained only with time, experience, success, and the increasing respect of your colleagues" (p. 246). To enhance my power base as a nurse and leader therefore, it would be imperative to enhance individual competency through building superior relationships with co-workers, and improve on people skills. One of the important strategies for achieving this plan is networking. Pfeffer (2010) posits that linking and forming connections with other influential individuals in the nursing profession is of significance in order to ensure support is attained when necessary.

Secondly, rewarding individual nurses who perform well in their duties and reprimanding poor performers is another strategy for enhancing individual power base. Thirdly, acquiring skills and abilities held in high regard within the nursing profession is more likely to increase individual power base. Examples of such skills and abilities include the ability to work in teams, as well as attention to details (Michelson, n. d). In conclusion, the fact that employees prefer to work for a powerful leader as opposed to a weak leader motivates leaders to expand their individual power bases.

Subsequently, powerful leaders are able to manipulate or persuade their subordinates and colleagues to support their decisions within organisations. Individual power base can be enhanced through improving individual skills such as people skills, ability to work in teams, and attention to detail. Additionally, forming strong relationships with co-workers is also important as leaders are assured of support from their co-workers. Issuing rewards for good performance and punishments for poor performers is also helps enhance an individuals power base in the nursing field.

ReferencesLussier, R., & Kimball, D. (2013). Applied Sport Management Skills, 2nd Edition. Windsor, ON: Human Kinetics. Michelson, B. J. (n. d). Leadership and Power Base Development: Using Power Effectively to Manage Diversity and Job-Related Interdependence in Complex Organizations. Retrieved from http://www.psykol.org/nos/images/b/b1/Michelson_leadership_and_power_base_deve lopment.pdf Paynton, T. (2008). The informal power of nurses for promoting patient care.OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 14(1).

Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodica ls/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol142009/No1Jan09/ArticlePreviousTopic/InformalPower ofNurses.htmlPfeffer, J. (2010). Power play. Harvard Business Review, 88(7/8), 84–92.