Thursday, November 10, 2011
Prompt #4
A lot of discussion in business journals lately revolves around the impact of upward social influence tactics. Upward social influence tactics can be understood as the way subordinates (you guys) attempt to positively impact the relationship with the supervisor in order to improve their own ability for promotion. Some believe influence tactics are strictly conscious while others believe that sometimes an individual might perform influence tactics without necessarily knowing it. An example of an influence tactic would be to ingratiate yourself to your supervisor by always complementing their work. Another influence tactic might be always staying late or being their early. Or, you may be the first to volunteer for a job nobody else wants to do. Do you in your job notice yourself purposefully engaging in social influence tactics? In what way have you performed social influence? Do you believe it is having a positive effect on your relationship with your supervisor? Have some tactics backfired?
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I guess that in some ways i have used some social influence tactics. I am always on time, maybe a few minutes early, and that is a very conscious decision. I also am always saying hi to everyone in the office and whenever a supervisor gives me a way to do my task, i always say things like "wow thats a great way to do it" or "i probably wouldnt have thought of that myself".On two different occassions i have volunteered for a task that no one else wanted to do. Admittedly, i really really did not want to do it but i realized that on multiple other occassions i didnt volunteer for such tasks so i did those 2 times. I think that sucking up too much can be very annoying and tedious for me and the supervisor. I dont like sucking up because i feel stupid doing it, but i do notice other interns doing it very well. Maybe that will be bad for me in the future but for now i cant really see myself continuously saying things to them that i dont mean. One tactic that did backfire on me was when i volunteered for somehting that i ended up having to back out of last second because of a prior engagement i totally forgot about. I do think these tactics work for some people and i do think they backfire for others. Seeming too eager can make you look bad but not seeming eager enough can do the same. Overall, this tactic is real and it is a great way to advance yourself but you have to be meticulous in how you do it!
ReplyDeleteI never really noticed it but now that there is an actual definition for why I’ve been doing the things I do makes sense now. Recently I have been trying to go the extra mile by making sure everything that I complete are things that I know my boss will ask me to do. Being able to foresee what needs to get done has somewhat helped me gain a more trustful relationship with my supervisor. He now trusts my judgment when giving an input and has relinquished some of the responsibilities on me which I like because it shows him that I’m capable of performing these tasks. The tactics that I have used consist of staying later than him, completing some of the reminders that he has written down, constantly reminding him of things that he is supposed to complete, and showing up early. So far nothing negative has come out of it so I believe that my participation is being noticed and therefore being recognized and hopefully one day rewarded. I am able to participate in a lot more meetings as well as make decisions that will help the program. My supervisor has been really good at letting me make minor mistakes without them getting too out of hand and has then corrected me in a professional way for me to know that it’s okay to make mistakes. As of right now, I continue to love the position I’m in and can’t wait to further this internship experience so I can gain more knowledge!
ReplyDeleteI have not realized until now but this describes me almost to the “T” on what I do every day when I come into the office. I am usually five minutes early, and then go I go straight to my supervisor where I ask what task he has for me. If he has nothing for me I will ask the other supervisors in the office to see if they need anything. Following that if there is nothing to do I will sit by my supervisors desk until he gives me an assignment to do.
ReplyDeleteThese social influences that I portray have a huge positive impact on my supervisors in my opinion. First off I am getting to know them better as a person as well as a co-worker. Secondly I am showing them that I want to be there working for them. Finally it shows that I am a hard worker and gives them a motive to help me out in the future when I go out to look for a real job.
Known of the tactics that I have used have back fired on me. All of my supervisors seem to really respect the fact that I want to work for each one of them. This may seem like I am “brown nosing” or “sucking up”, but in my eyes I see them as a stepping stone that can help me find a job one day.
To be honest, I don't really see a problem with using upward social tactics. The whole point of us doing any internships is to learn as much as we can, do as much as we can so we can make a good impression on others around us. You have to try to stand out amongst other interns. I have always been the person to try to go above and beyond what is expected of me. I do it not only to better myself but to show others that I care about my job and helping an organization succeed. Through my internship, I am trying to ask questions on how I can better myself during my internship. I want to get feedback and see how I can improve. I think if you are using these tactics in the wrong way, it could backfire. Other interns and co-workers will be able to see that you are sucking up and it could give them a negative vibe. If you are being sincere and trying to improve, other workers will see that and be appreciative of your hard work. I have always tried to be sincere and I haven't had any f these tactics back fire.
ReplyDeleteI am enjoying my internship but at times it can get a little tough. I have about 5-6 articles I have to write all week and trying to balance that with tests, papers and presentations can get overwhelming.
If I have ever engaged in a social influence tactic, I did not know (consciously) what I was doing. I like to do a good job, I think that goes with everybody, but I don't purposely try to gain the acceptance and/or promotion within the company. I enjoy what I do, I volunteer for a number of things, I like to get there early, but I just think that is the obligation on the part of the intern, to purposely do a good job for future reference and/or future promotion down the line. If that is considered social influence tactics, then I probably do alot more than I know. On-the-other-hand I have seen plenty of people purposely engaging in such tactics, for a future job I'm sure, but they have their own agenda and if it works than good for them. In sum, I don't think there is any thing wrong in engaging in social influence tactics, but I don't purposely engage in such tactics, I believe that is what is supposed to be done when a student receives an internship, do good, volunteer etc. I'm sure some people 'kiss up' alot , but not me.
ReplyDelete-Leo
I have never heard of the term “social influence tactics” before, but after reading some examples, I could automatically think of some times when myself and others have engaged in these acts. Many times, my boss will ask, rather than tell me to come into work. I don’t think I have ever said no to her. I don’t do it in order to “be the favorite” or to improve my relationship with my boss. Of course it makes me look better, but I do it because I like to be in the office and make my bosses job a little easier; that’s what I’m there for!
ReplyDeleteSome examples of ways I have performed social influence would be when I am asked to work events outside of the office. Technically, it’s part of my job, but my boss really lets me pick and choose which ones I want to work and when. Whenever she asks me to help out at a particular event, I know it’s because she could use the help, so I am always there to lend a hand.
Even though these acts are not intended to “advance me” in anyway, I’m sure they have a positive effect on my relationship with my boss and others in the office. They know they can rely on me to be there whenever needed. They trust be to get whatever needs to be done, done and they know it will get done the right way!
I personally have not found myself doing a whole lot of social influence tactics with my internship. Part of my job is helping out certain people in the office with whatever tasks are necessary to be completed, so in my opinion, that doesn't necessarily count towards social influence tactics. Everybody volunteers for everything as well, so there really isn't any point where I could volunteer for something that others did not want to do. I do try to be there early when my schedule allows it, however that is with any task in my life, not just this internship. I just want to make sure the job is done, and done the right way and on time.
ReplyDeleteIn my position working for a soccer team I do not feel as though I ever make a conscious effort to try and put myself in a positive light by sucking up to the Boss. With that being said, I must admit that I do find myself thinking about how I am perceived by not only my supervisor, but also by other members of the coaching staff.
ReplyDeleteI do realize that it certainly will not hurt my chances for future employment or opportunity if I am "liked" by my supervisor, but by the same token, I want to believe that my performance and ability is such that it speaks for itself. Along those lines, I have made myself available to perform tasks that seem like they are not going to be either easy or fun, but I do those in an effort to learn as much as possible and feel a part of the team as much as anything else.
I definitely can see people trying to use upward mobile social tactics and sometimes it is so obvious that it rubs me the wrong way. I feel that an individual's qualifications need to be the deciding factor on whether or not they progress through any organization, but I also am smart enough to recognize that some people are going to use whatever means they can to get to the next level.
I believe that I have made a good social influence while working my internship. One example that I can recall is participating in the recent promotion for the men’s basketball game where I volunteered to sumo wrestle during half time. I was allowed to go against my friend and at the end we planned out that he would drop kick me to get the crowd in frenzy. It worked wonderfully if any of you were there and my bosses loved it. This was a conscience decision I made to positively impact my standing with my workers. It has affected my relationship with my supervisors because we have become more comfortable with each other.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe I participate in social influence tactics. My supervisor has known me for several years. We have been teammates, he has been my coach, and we've coached together. He asked me to come back and coach for him, so I really don't believe there is a need to basically promote myself. Whatever I volunteer to do, why I stay late and anything else I do is because at the end of the day I want to be the best coach I can be. My job is about helping these children reach their full potential in a sport. I want to do whatever it takes to be the best coach some of these kids have and if it just happens to help me get a promotion of some sort, that's just an extra bonus.
ReplyDeleteUsually the social influence tactic I use the most would be volunteering for any job that is asked. My purpose is not to "brown nose", but to stay busy. I feel like supervisors look differently towards workers that are standing around or inactive. Even if there are no assignments for us and we have to wait for something, I usually either go to the bathroom or ask what is the next objective. I like to stay busy because once I decline an assignment I feel like my mental outlook for the day will be a lazy one. Also, being active helps pass the time more efficiently, which always helps.
ReplyDeleteI don't really think I've done a lot of social influence tactics at my internship. I do continually volunteer myself for other parts of the job, but when my office hours are they don't really have anything for me to do. I do think it has had a positive impact on my supervisor, because they see that I'm willing to help out with anything. There have been times where I've been working where they do give me something extra to do, because I'be always asked to help out. There really hasn't been any negative aspects of it because all I've really done is asked to help out. I haven't really had a problem with always asking for more things to do. My supervisor appreciates the fact that I keep asking for if there is anything else I can help out with.
ReplyDeleteI think many social influence tactics that I perform on my job have been things that I have been taught to do growing up. I usually try to come early and stay late if needed, not as a way to earn browning points with my boss, but because I was taught that actions like those show good work ethic and can help me stand out to employers as a dedicated employee. Yes, these are things that I purposefully do, but in the back of my mind I am not constantly thinking about how closer I am getting with my supervisor. I think that I have also behaved in some unconscious influence tactics as well. As my supervisor tells me of a job idea that she has, I usually agree with her and compliment her on it by saying how creative that her idea is. Normally when I say this though I am saying it because I think it’s a great idea! Other than that I don’t think I really have engaged in these tactics throughout my internship period. I offer my time if she needs help with anything, but I have never had negative experiences yet.
ReplyDeleteI think social influence tactics are both conscious and not, They can also serve as a direct reflection of a persons personality and work ethic. I firmly believe that a person wont be able to fake hard work ethic and practices for an extended period of time. Although some motive may lie with trying to better the impression that one may leave, I think it is equally a display of social practices among peers and family transitioned into the work place.
ReplyDeleteI myself, have engaged in social influence tactics for both sides of influence. Not only to better my chances in future positioning, but also as a way to show my own personality. By showing up early to work and taking on any task that im capable of completing, I express my preference of working earlier in the day than later and completing task as soon as possible rather than later.
I definitely feel like these tactics have provided positive impressions in all my interactions, as it provides a first hand look into my personality. The only tactic i think that can backfire is making yourself available on every random occasion, it develops almost a sense of dependency even when youre not available