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?
I do notice myself engaging in social influence tactics. However, it is not always because I am trying to impact my relationship with my supervisor. Some of the social influence tactics are just part of my work eithic. In the ticket office, there is a front part of the office where you deal with more on a day to day basis and then there is a back part where you just answer phones and can do your homework. I am normally asked to go to the front, but I say yes because it is the right thing to do instead of trying to help my supervisior relationship. I also come in to work early everyday. I always try to be nice and helpful when working with customers. I probably have performed more, but I honestly can't think of anything done purposely for the sole benefit to help my relationship with my supervisior. I believe that these social influence tactics I perform are part of my work ethic which helps my relationship with my supervisior by him seeing how I work. Now, I agree that some people do this to help their relationship or to brown nose, but I think there is a distintive difference between the two. I think someone would be able to tell apart an honest effort to do well at the job and an effort to help your relationship with your supervisior. I think it is having a positive effect on my relationship with my supervisior. He recently helped me to get an interview with the Chick fil a bowl. I think he notices how hard I work, but I don't think our relationship is based on social influence tactics. No tactics that I know of have backfired.
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I have noticed myself engaging in social influence tactics. My job requires a lot of me doing the clean up parts of this position. My boss cannot always finish everything that he starts so I have to be able to pick up where he left off. So, with that said, at times, I find myself wanting to do the work so he does notice my efforts, but because I have been at this for a little, I also just go for the finishing of projects because it's what I'm expected to do.
ReplyDeleteWith my position, I find myself staying after work hours, or being available on call for both teams whenever they need me. Partly, this is what is expected of this job so it is something that I have had to do, but I can say that it has helped greatly with me being reliable and those being able to see that. I feel that if I put my time in now that it will greatly pay off in the future. Regardless, I will do what I need to in order to be recognized and appreciated for my hard work, and if that requires me going a little further to make other people's jobs easier, then it is something that I will have to do.
Social influence tactics are probably always intentional. Most people who work hard at school and at their respective internships expect and desire to be noticed. I learned quickly in my first jobs that being on time and following through on assignments was necessary to keep the position. However, getting there just a little early and staying after regularly went a long way. In the coaching field, the hours are always long and most are outside the regular or paid part of the day. All the staff I work with work late and enjoy the time together. I had a coach in high school that expected us to “give 15”. This meant if he told us to be on the field at 3:00pm, we should be there at 2:45 and stay until everything was put away. Of course, there are those who obviously go over board for personal gain. Seems to me that most people see through their façade.
ReplyDeleteYes, I have always been extremely complementing to my supervisor. I think it has backfired in some cases because sometimes her reaction to it is very sarcastic or "matter-of-fact". I can see how it is a subconscious thing because at times I have noticed others being the first to volunteer or also complementing and they don't even realize it.I have also found myself "sucking up" sometimes without even noticing until someone next to me will tell me that i am doing it. I never realize it but i guess i naturally do it.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, many of the interns have very sour relationships with the 2 supervisors we work for. I think at this point i have stopped complimenting them and also stopped subconsciously sucking up because the supervisors seem to be annoyed by it. I think the only positive tactic for the interns has been volunteering for the things that no one else wants to do. Other than that, i dont think i have seen other influence tactic, at least ones that i have noticed.
Overall, from my experience, i think that it is mostly subconscious from all the interns i work with.
As interns, you are always trying to get noticed, at least I am. From time to time in my internship there are last minute events or games and my supervisor sends out an email looking for volunteers. I usually respond that I am available. By working unscheduled events I have can show that I am committed to the internship and also I get more face time with my boss. I feel that by volunteering for extra events or going in to the office early has helped me become more acquainted with everyone in the office, especially my boss. I think that by making me more available has had a positive outcome. Recently the NCAA women’s basketballs first and second round games were hosted at the Tallahassee Leon County Civic Center: I responded to an email stating that I could help out: sacrificing my Tuesday night. I would not say that the tactics I have done have back fired but they have made me more aware that I should check my school calendar before I volunteer.
ReplyDeleteI 100% engage in social influence tactics every day. I compliment my boss, however my boss just nods of acknowledgement. My day is supposed to last from 8:30-5:30 on non game nights, but usually I am there from 8:15 till about 6 or 7pm. That is mostly because I have so much work I have to stay late to complete. When I work games I stay until the end no matter what. The other intern is not here anymore so it is just me doing the work, i.e. working more hours to keep up. I email my advisor at the beginning of each month and tell him the dates I have to leave & he respects those. I am always available to anyone in any department and sometimes that is almost too much work. I like to help everyone so I can connect with the most employees, but its a heavy load. Tactics of social influence can be usesul if your advisors are responsive.
ReplyDeleteI do notice myself purposefully engaging in social influence tactics. My conscious influence tactics include always being there early, as well as always picking up any extra shifts if someone’s out sick or something. Initially, I want to have a positive impact on the relationship with my supervisor in general. However, I feel that it also just looks good when you’re always on time. For instance, if I’m going to be late one day, he would completely understand because he knows I’m always early, therefore, it must be something unpredictable and really important. Also, if I were to call out sick, he wouldn’t even question it, since he trusts my word, not to mention the numerous times I have covered for others. I think my supervisor respects me more for being early, since it shows I’m responsible with my priorities straight, since I’m one of the few that do. These tactics have not backfired.
ReplyDeleteI notice myself engaging in so called influence tactics. But I don't think of it as positively impacting my relationship with my supervisor to get a promotion, I consider it doing my job. Of course i want to have a positive relationship with my supervisor, it makes work a lot more enjoyable. But picking up extra shifts, staying late, taking jobs that no one else wants, are things that i consider to set me apart from other interns. Always complementing my supervisors work I would consider something that is done just so that he/she has a favorable opinion of you. But I always like to be available for anything that he needs done whether it is running practice or coaching a JV game. I believe my willingness and enthusiasm to do these things has set me apart from the other asst. coaches. I would not consider these tactics to have backfired.
ReplyDeleteI engage in social influence tactics every day that I am at my internship. Doing those small things like staying later or volunteering is part of the way I work. I understand that I am on the bottom right now so I have to do those things. I think that not doing those things would definitely hurt you because other people would. Most of the time cleaning up is easy at my job because I am just picking up baseballs. That makes it easier for me to volunteer even though everyone else say they do not want too. I think doing these extra things has made my supervisor see me as a hard worker. I feel like it will always help someone unless they are doing it to the extreme.
ReplyDeleteI participate in social influence tactics every day at the office. I think part of it was the way I was raised and part of it is trying to get ahead and impress people. Anyway I can help my supervisors I will do. This is not something I am really conscious about I just have always done the little things no matter what level of work I am in. Some tactics I use at work is always asking if there is anything else my supervisors need before I go home or getting work done as fast I as can and not just by deadlines.
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ReplyDeleteI did not realize there was a term for that. The whole point for students to complete a practicum/internship is to really dig deep and learn as much as we can. Ask questions and volunteer for other duties if the daily tasking is not enough. Some days you might be overwhelmed and other days you might be counting paperclips. Completing an internship is to expand the knowledge base and as stated before to learn as much as possible. For me being retired military I have always done more than expected. Some individuals do just enough to get by and earn a paycheck. No matter what you do you should always go above and beyond and make an impression. Never stop learning because at some point you can be the subject matter expert at what you do. I was brought up and raised to be the best at whatever you do. My Dad would say, “I don’t care what you boys do, but be the best at what you do. If you decide to be a garbage man, then be the best damn garbage man out there.” Of course I didn’t want to go into that line of work but you get the point. I do the extras, show up early, stay late if needed, and work on reports in the wee morning hours to stay caught up. Overall I am doing what is expected and loving every minute of it. But I am sure if these tactics are used in a negative way, i.e. “brown nosing” then it could backfire. I do none of that, I am what you see, what you get, no nonsense guy that loves his job and very passionate about it.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the topic of your blog I started to realize I do this a lot at my internship. One way I do use influence is by always asking my internship supervisor if he needs a extra hand in doing something every time I am done with the work that was given to me earlier. I do believe my influence tactics has a positive impact on my relationship with my internship supervisor because I show him that I am a hard worker. One way my tactics has backfired is receiving too much work at one time, but that basically about it.
ReplyDeleteI engage in some forms of social influence tactics, but it isn't because I am looking for a promotion. Everyone I work with jokes around with my boss and always compliments her on doing a great job and saying stuff like "what would we do without you" and similar compliments. I also have bonded with a full time staff member, and him and I joke around about things a decent amount. Whenever he does something that is tough or just completes a task I normally tell him "That's why they pay you the big bucks", and he responds with a joke to it. I definitely think it has helped improve my relationship with my boss to have a relationship outside of just working. I am not looking to be promoted up within my job now, so it is strictly as a form of flattery and genuine compliments.
ReplyDeleteIn my internship I have taken a lot of notice of my personally trying to engage in social influence tactics. I tend to look at this in a way where I can showcase that I am always ready to do what is asked of me or will step up and do jobs that nobody else likes to do. I think my extra work is always noticed even if I don’t receive a thank you or a great job at the end of the task. Some things that I always do are stay late until I am finished working on my task. Also, I routinely volunteer for jobs that others might not want to do. Whether is it an early morning job that we have to be there extremely early, or just a very boring job that nobody wants to do, I try to step up and show initiative so that when I am done with my internship, I can feel extremely confident that I will have a positive recommendation and possibly get recommended for jobs that my boss might hear of that I don’t always see.
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