Working the College System: Six Strategies for Building a Personal Powerbase.

How does an individual build a strong powerbase within a college community? Power is important. From power comes the ability to create and implement new ideas and initiatives. From power comes the opportunity to develop policy and control practice. From power come personal and career benefits. This work provides strategies and guidelines for acquiring power within a college through its formal institutional systems. Within each college system there are prescribed formalized methods for accomplishing tasks and achieving established goals. To truly understand how a college, or any large organization functions, it is vital to understand the basis of the formal structure. Those individuals who understand formal systems within a college can use this knowledge to their advantage. By observing and applying what they have learned they can in turn then work within the system to achieve their own personal goals. Who To Back Personal networking within the formal hierarchy can provide extraordinary avenues for championing ideas. There is a defined ranked based pecking order within any college. There are those at the very top and those at the very bottom. There are however a myriad of layers in the middle ranks filled with individuals who hold equivalent rank and wield almost equal power. Within this power vacuum individuals employ a variety of strategies in order to implement their ideas. Some are more successful than others and at times it can become a my guy versus your guy situation with the outcome very often in doubt. The key is to know how to select a wisely and at what point to back the fight individual. Caution is the key word here. Be patient and weight all options before committing. the best case scenario it is even possible to effectively stay on the winning side without seeming to take sides at all. This strategy can be of major advantage for individuals. Through these contacts important initiatives can be implemented, while at the same time personal networking bonds can be developed. Staying In The Know Built into the college system are internal structures to ensure that the formal system is functional and effective. The system for example is comprised of a defined hierarchy with a well delineated chain of command. As stated, this hierarchy is designed to be position and rank based with the most powerful people at the top controlling key decisions. Since this is the case, keeping those in these powerful positions in the information loop is essential. Through this information these bosses will make decisions that will impact upon their departments, divisions, and the college itself. As such these individual do not like surprises. They do not like being caught off guard at a meeting when they discover that others possess information that they should have known as well. Conversely, careers can be greatly benefited by providing the boss with important information in a timely manner. It is essential therefore to keep these individuals informed. The key though is to determine when to share vital information and with whom to share it. Passing along vital information without gaining any personal benefit only serves to bolster others' influence and power. This delicate balancing act of knowing which information to share and when to share it is crucial for developing power within a college. Use The Chain of Command addition to providing a steady stream of information to those above, it is also important to remember that when issues arise, it is key to work through the chain of command, even if the problem is an immediate supervisor. Those in power routinely chant the mantra that that they are approachable and even if they are in reality closed minded micromanagers. It is important to be open and upfront about any issues that may arise. If individuals choose to work secretively, unless they are extremely clever, they are unknowing setting a trap for themselves by providing an opportunity for their supervisors to use this secrecy against them. …