POWER AND POLITICS

INTRODUCTION
Power was once considered a taboo in nursing. In the earliest years, the exercise of power
was considered inappropriate, unladylike, and unprofessional. Many decisions about nursing
education and practice were often made by persons outside of nursing. Nurses began to exercise
their collective power with the rise of nursing leaders and the development of organizations that
evolved into the American Nurses’ Association and the National League for Nursing. Power
gives one the potential to change the attitudes and behaviors of individual people and groups.
Power has a positive and a negative face. The negative face of power is the “I win, you lose”
aspect of dominance versus submission. The positive face of power occurs when someone exerts
influence on behalf of rather than over someone or something. Politics is the art of using power
wisely. It requires clear decision making, assertiveness, accountability, and the willingness to
express one’s own views.
DEFINITIONS:
1) Power is derived from the Latin verb potere (to be able); thus power may be
appropriately defined as that which enables one to accomplish goals.
2) Power can also be defined as the capacity to act or the strength and potency to
accomplish something.
3) Power is the ability to influence others through the use of energy and strength.

THE NEED FOR POWER:

 To provide competent, humanistic, and affordable care to people
 To participate in health care policy development
 To gain leverage proportionate with their numbers
 To ensure that nursing is an attractive career choice for all who want to provide care,
influence, and improve nursing, heath care, and health policy.

LEVELS OF POWER:
The power to be (being)- The maintenance of a purely vegetative existence requires
minimum force (exist).
The power of self-affirmation- Efforts to define self and establish significance require
greater force than that required for existence.
The power of self-assertion- Compelling others to reckon with one’s individuality and rights
requires greater force than that needed for self affirmation.
The power of aggression- Moving into and taking possession of another’s territory requires
force beyond that needed to define personal identity and rights
The power of violence-Application of harmful force against another person or property
reflects a disturbed definition of self, other, and property.

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 POWER PRINCIPLES:
There are principles to guide a nurse manager in obtaining power and preventing its seizure by
others.
1. Power is dynamic and elusive and must be continuously replenished.
2. Power can be obtained only through active means; that is, it must be expressed against
resistance and wrested from opponents.
3. A power oriented manager uses any means of control that will manipulate circumstances in
her/his favour.
4. To win in the game of organizational politics requires a person’s total commitment to goals.
5. Restraint is needed to use power appropriate. A person should use only as much force as
needed to achieve desired objectives.
6. Power relations in an organization are situational, that is, a person’s ability to apply force to
another is contingent on specific circumstances that would not exist at another place or time.
For example, a subordinate’s power over a superior may result from the subordinate’s having
held a leadership position in the past; having publicly defended the superior against attack; or
having knowledge of the superior’s unwise or unsafe behaviour in a situation that is unknown
to others. A superior’s power over a subordinate may result less from their respective
positions in the official table of organization than from the superior’s membership on the
subordinate’s thesis committee or office in a professional organization that the subordinate
has recently joined.
7. Power has spatial dimensions. That is, the amount of a person’s power is relative to other
powers extant in the situation. A nurse manager who attempts to wield power forcefully will
encounter strong resistance from peers and subordinates, because excessive force engenders
counterforce as employees struggle for personal control and control over work life. This
counterforce limits the direction and distance through which the manager’s power attempts
are effective.
8. All agency employees desire clear definitions of power and control relationships among staff
members but are reluctant to discuss power and control issues publicly; especially in the
presence of persons with high authority. Consequently, health workers are unlikely to
ventilate dissatisfaction about power distribution and use during regular staff meetings.
Resentments concerning power abuse are likely to accumulate, fester, and explode
unexpectedly.

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TYPES OF POWER:
According to French and Raven (1959), the following are the types of power.
1. Reward power:
Reward power is obtained by the ability to grant favors or reward others with whatever
they value. The arsenal of rewards that a manager can dispense to get employees to work toward
meeting organizational goals is very broad. Positive leadership through rewards tends to develop
a great deal of loyalty and devotion toward leaders. Nurse Managers have a strong reward power
base.
2. Punishment or coercive power:
This is the opposite of reward power and is based on fear of punishment if the manager’s
expectations are not met. The manager may obtain compliance through threats of transfer, layoff,
demotion, or dismissal. The manager who shuns or ignores an employee is exercising power
through punishment, as is the manager who berates or belittles an employee. The focus of
coercive power is not to assist others to improve or contribute more to the work team, but instead
specifically to hurt and punish others. This manager has reward power but chooses to use it in a
negative way. This is an unhealthy power base and must be avoided by nurse managers who
wish to be successful.
3. Legitimate power:
Legitimate power is position power. Authority is also called legitimate power. It is the
power gained by a title or official position within an organization. Legitimate power has inherent
in it the ability to create feelings of obligation or responsibility. The socialization and culture of
subordinate employees will influence to some degree how much power a manager has due to
his/her position.
4. Expert power:
Expert power is gained through knowledge, expertise, or experience. Having critical
knowledge allows a manager to gain power over others who need that knowledge. This type of
power is limited to a specialized area. For example, someone with vast expertise in music would
be powerful only in that area, not in another specialization.
5. Referent power:
Referent power is power a person has because others identify with that leader or with
what that leader symbolizes. Referent power also occurs when one gives other person feelings of
personal acceptance or approval. It may be obtained through association with the powerful.
People may also develop referent power because others perceive them as powerful.
Some theorists distinguish charismatic power from referent power. Willey (1990) state that
charisma is a type of personal power, whereas referent power is gained only through association
with powerful others.

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 6. Informational power:
This source of power is obtained when people have information that others must have
inorder to accomplish their goals. The person with the most information is listened and
respected. We need to determine if it is legitimate information coming from the person who is
sharing it. The information coming from someone in a management position should be valued
and recognized as a source of power as opposed to information from someone who does not have
legitimate right to the information.

SOURCES OF POWER

Type source
Association with others
Referent
Position
Legitimate
Fear
Coercive
Ability to grant favours
Reward
Knowledge and skill
Expert
Personal
Charismatic
The need for information
Informational
Maturity, ego strength
Self

WAYS TO ACHIEVE POWER:

There are multiple ways to accumulate, or gain power. Methods to acquire power include the
following:
☻ Broad human networks: the more networks and the more extensive they are, the more power
potential.
☻ Broad information networks: the more diverse types of information controlled the more
power.
☻ Multiple formal and informal leadership roles: high engagement and visibility bring
increased power.
☻ Ability to assess situations accurately and to solve problems.
☻ Authority over others and resources via legitimate work organizational roles.
☻ Vision for the future and creativity
☻ Ability to grant services to others, which builds debts.
☻ Expertise that is sought by others.

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WAYS TO INCREASE EXPERT POWER:

 Participate in interdisciplinary conferences to broaden knowledge, develop skills, and build

networks.
 Keep knowledge and skills current to maintain and extend power. Continuing education
offerings, books, and journals are effective means.
 Earn higher degrees; education brings expertise and enhances credibility.
 Participate actively in professional associations such as the ANA, state nurses’ associations,
and speciality groups to broaden networks, hone expertise, and develop legitimate and
referent power.
 Participate in nursing research to develop knowledge and increase expertise
 Problem-solve with colleagues in nursing and other disciplines to develop expertise and
networks and to polish skills.
 Participate in nursing and interdisciplinary committees to develop and enhance expert,
referent, and legitimate power.
 Publish to develop expert power.
 Learn from mentors; be a mentor to develop expertise and connections or referent power.

EXERCISING POWER AND INFLUENCE IN THE WORKPLACE AND OTHER

ORGANIZATIONS:
To use influence effectively in any organization, one must understand how the system works and
develop organizational strategies. Developing organizational savvy includes identifying the real
decision makers and those persons who have a high level of influence with the decision makers.
Recognize the informal leaders within any organization.

Collegiality and collaboration:

An empowering attitude:
Developing coalitions:
Negotiating:

EMPOWERMENT:

Definition: Empowerment is a sense of having both the ability and the opportunity to act
effectively.

Empowerment is a process or strategy the goal of which is to change the nature and distribution
of power in a specific context. It is a group activity that increases political and social
consciousness, is based on the need for autonomy, and is accomplished with continuing cycles of

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 assessment and action. Nursing organizations seek to empower nurses; nurses endeavour to
empower patients to seek and adopt healthy lifestyles.

Empowered nurses have three required characteristics that enable them to participate in policy
development:-
1. The first is a raised consciousness of the social, political, and economic realities of their
situation or environment and society. They are aware of culture and diversity and of gender,
race, and class biases, prejudices, discrimination, and stereotyping that produce the need for
policy development or change. Such nurses can evaluate and understand the dynamics of a
situation or issue in which they themselves can more readily find or help to find remedies.
2. The second quality empowered nurses to have a positive sense of self and self-efficacy
regarding their ability to effect, or facilitate, change. They value themselves and have voice to
articulate and effect change. They can also contribute to the resolution of problems that affect
health at the community, state, and national levels.
3. Development of skills that allow active participation in change processes is the third
important characteristics. Empowered nurses know how to use traditional methods of power
and politics in policy making. Concrete knowledge and information are necessary, as is
understanding interpersonal communication skills, politics, and power and how to use them.
Empowerment ladder:
 Self-confidence
 Ability to control life situations
 Refuse to be a victim
 Value self and others
 Be a risk taker
 Be creative
 Resolve conflict
 Show initiative
 Become empowered.

The key factors contributing to one’s power image:-

 Self-image: Thinking of one’s self as powerful and effective
 Grooming and dress: Ensuring that clothing, hair, and general appearance are neat, clean,
and appropriate to the situation
 Good manners: Treating people with courtesy and respect
 Body-language: Maintaining good posture, using gestures that avoid too much drama,
maintaining good eye contact, and being confident in your movement.
 Speech: Using a firm, confident voice; good grammar and diction; an appropriate vocabulary;
and strong communication skills
 Belief in power as a positive force
 Belief in value of nursing to society

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 Career commitment: Having a career commitment does not preclude leaving employment
temporarily for family, education, or other demands. Having a career commitment implies
that a nurse views himself or herself first and foremost as a member of the discipline of
nursing with an obligation to make a contribution to the profession.
 Continuing professional education: Valuing education is one of the hallmarks of a
profession. The continuing development of one’s professional skills and knowledge is an
empowering experience, preparing the nurse to make decisions with the support of an
expanding body of knowledge. Returning to school for advanced degrees is also a powerful
growth experience and reflects commitment to the profession of nursing.

Additional personal power strategies:

 Be honest
 Always be courteous; it makes other people feel good
 Smile when appropriate; it puts people at ease
 Accept responsibility for your own mistakes and learn from them
 Be a risk taker
 Win and lose gracefully
 Learn to be comfortable with conflict and ambiguity; they are both normal states of the human
condition.
 Give credit to others when credit is due.
 Develop the ability to take constructive criticism gracefully; learn to let destructive criticism
“roll off your back”.
 Always follow through on promises

TOOLS FOR IMPROVING POWER IMAGE:

Communication skills- The most basic tool is effective verbal communication skills, which
help define a power image. These are same communication skills nurses learn to ensure
effective interaction with patients and families. Listening skills are essential leadership skills.
Manager who are good listeners develop reputations for being fair and consistent. Verbal and
non-verbal skills are important personal power strategies; the ability to assess these messages
is a critical power strategy. Experts in communication estimate that 90% of the messages we
communicate to others are nonverbal. When nonverbal and verbal messages conflict, the
nonverbal message is more powerful.
Networking: Networking is an important power strategy and political skill. A network is a
system of contacts that is developed, nurtured, and maintained as sources of information,
advice, and moral support. Networking supports the empowerment of participants through
interaction and the refinement of their interpersonal skills..
Mentoring: Mentors are competent, experienced professionals who develop a relationship
with a novice for the purpose of providing advice, support, information, and feedback to
encourage the development of another individual. Mentoring has become a significant power

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 strategy for women in general and for nurses in particular during the last 20 years. Mentoring
provides novices with expanded access to information, power, and career opportunities.
Effective mentoring in nursing can be characterized by certain attributes (Stewart & Kruger,
1996):-
Goal setting: Goal setting is another power strategy. Every nurse knows about setting goals.
Nurse may be expected to write annual goals for performance reviews at work. Goals help one
to know if what was planned was actually accomplished.
Developing expertise: must not be limited to clinical knowledge. Leadership and
communication skills are essential to the effective exercise of power in a range of nursing roles.
Education and practice provide the means for developing such expertise in any of the domains
of nursing: clinical practice, education, research, and management.
High visibility: the strategy of high visibility within an organization also requires volunteering
to serve as a member or the chairperson of committees and task forces. High visibility can be
nurtured by attending the open meetings of committees and other groups of which you are not a
member in the workplace, professional associations, or the community. Use opportunities both
before and after meetings to share your expertise, providing valuable information and ideas to
members and leaders of such groups. Share this expertise at open meetings when appropriate.
Speak up confidently, but have something relevant to say. Be concise and precise.

ABUSE OF POWER:
Abuse of power is the control of people by some kind of force. It is the use of power for
one’s own benefit and can be present in families, organizations, and all levels of domestic and
international government. It is always unethical. Poor developing nations around the world are
obvious examples. Dictators abuse their people often to the point of genocide. Industrialized
nations engage in unfair trade and often exploit workers.
POWERLESSNESS:
Powerlessness is a horrible state. Personal powerlessness is a personal nightmare. It
brings about feelings of frustration that generally lead to anger; it saps energy levels and leaves
the person in a constant state of exhaustion from fighting to alter the balance of power; it defeats
the spirit and soul of a person. A person who exhibits powerless behaviour is someone who
needs immediate attention. Powerless people do not function well in their jobs, they lose their
motivation and drive to do well, and they are a negative influence in any work environment.
Such people should not be eliminated from the environment; they should be assessed and worked
with in an effort to alter the situation.
A person becomes powerless when:
 Being threatened by the competence of others
 Accepting a job without sufficient training or experience
 Depending on others to meet own needs

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 Transferring feelings of inferiority to others while demanding perfection from subordinates.
 “Nitpicking” over small things
 Wanting to keep things predictable
 Being trapped by roles and stereotypes
 Devaluing the group process
 Protecting her/his own turf
 Blaming others to protect self

POLITICS:

Definition: It is a process through which one tries successfully or unsuccessfully to reach a

goal.
Political nursing: Political nursing is defined as the use of knowledge about power processes
and strategies to influence the nature and direction of health care and professional nursing.
Anderson, Anderson & Glanze, 1998
Political Action Spheres:
The process of influencing others in order to achieve ends can be seen in relation to four arenas,
spheres or domains. These spheres are-
The workplace
Professional organizations
Community
Local, state and federal governments

The workplace:
Nurses work in organizations with varied characteristics- private or public; profit, non-
profit, or charitable; large, small or medium; and in large or small cities, towns, small towns, or
rural areas. In the work place, there are many issues with which nurses are involved. Power and
politics may be necessary to resolve issues. Some issues that may be found in some workplace
include the following:
1. Mandatory overtime work requirements
2. A nursing clinical ladder program that rewards excellence with promotions and pay
incentives.
3. Work scheduling length of shift, evening and night rotation, vacation priority.
4. A smoking ban in the entire facility; designation of smoking areas.
5. Visiting hours in special care units.

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 6. Identification and security procedures.
7. Authority to delay discharge from or admission to special care units based on professional
nurse assessment.
8. Authority to refer patients to a home health care agency.
9. Decisions regarding substation of unlicensed personnel for Registered Nurses to provide
care.
Professional organizations:
Professional organizations have been essential to the “professionalization” of nursing.
The modern nursing movement began in 1873 in response to the changing role of women.
Pioneers of this movement worked for a new profession for women and for better health for the
public. These women used political power to open nurse training schools, organize professional
associations, and participate in social issues such as women’s suffrage, public health, and
integration. Professional organizations have made significant contributions in developing nursing
practice. They have set standards of practice, advocated for change in the scope of practice and
passage of nurse practice acts, and advocated for nurses in collective action in the workplace.
Such organizations have an ever-increasing role in the health policy development. A strong
professional or organization needs to be a visible force. Organizations can identify issues that
concern nursing and health care, bring them to public, and take a leadership role in advocating
for development of policies that improve health and ensure high-quality nursing care. To achieve
this, organizations need support of nurses through their membership and through their political
acumen.
Community:
Community is defined as a population, a neighbourhood, a state, a nation, and the world.
Nurses are members of a community with the responsibility to promote the wellbeing of the
community and its members. In exchange, the community provides important resources for
nurses’ work in health promotion and health care-delivery. Many of the people who live in a
community, such as health-care administrators, corporate managers, industrial leaders, elected
and career government officials, and patient have power. These people can, and do, participate in
community activities; they have status, expertise, and connections. By building relationships
with community members, nurses can gain supporters to achieve goals. The connections they
make can transform into networks, and the people in the networks can be asked to support
agendas. In exchange, nurses should support community agendas to work to improve community
life. Nurses can help mobilize communities on issues such as recycling, environmental clean-up,
safety, energy conservation, health screening, and the like. This can affect professional life with
increased skills, knowledge, experience, and power development. In addition, nurses who are
active and form connections in their communities become role models and represent the whole
profession.

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 Government:
Government affects most aspects of our lives. We must document births, deaths,
marriages; and mandatory childhood immunizations. Government is needed to ensure that what
we need to get done is accomplished. Government plays an essential role in nursing and in health
care. Government influences and supports the current managed care arrangement, which
provides for reimbursement for health and nursing care. To a great extent, government
determines who has access to care and to what type of care. Federal, state, and local governments
make decisions about major health issues in our society. Recent decisions include:
1) The kinds of foods and snacks available to children at schools.
2) Prohibition of smoking in some public places
3) Provision of meals for the poorest children
4) The health services available at schools and whether schools may provide sexual
and reproductive information.
5) Whether public funds can be used to distribute clean needles to intravenous drug
users to reduce the spread of HIV and AIDS.
6) Whether women can receive full information about reproductive rights and who
can provide that information.
7) Whether violence is treated only as a crime or also as a public health issue and
whether to regulate the use of hand guns.
8) Allocation of funds for housing development and maintenance.

THE FOUR STAGES OF POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THE PROFESSION

OF NURSING: (a model by - Cohen, Mason, Kovner, Leavitt, Pulcini, and
Sochalski, 1996)

1. Buy- in: Recognizing the importance of activism.

2. Self-interest: Developing and using political expertise to further the profession’s self-
interests.
3. Political sophistication: Moving beyond self-interests, recognizing the need for
activism on behalf of the public.
4. Leading the way: Providing true leadership on broad healthcare interests.

With the addition of an initial stage identified by Kalisch and Kalisch (1982), this
model can also be applied to the political development and activism of individual
nurses related to both professional and legislative political arenas:
1. Apathy: no membership in professional organizations; little or no interest in
legislative politics as they relate to nursing and healthcare.
2. Buy-in: recognition of the importance of activism within professional organizations
and legislative politics related to critical nursing issues.

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 3. Self-interest: involvement in professional organizations to further one’s own career;
the development and use of political expertise to further the profession’s self-interest.
4. Political sophistication: high level of professional organization activism (e.g.,
holding office at the local and state level) moving beyond self-interests; recognition of
the need for activism on behalf of the public.
5. Leading the way: serving in elected or appointed positions in professional
organizations at the state and national levels; providing true leadership on broad
healthcare interests within legislative politics, including seeking appointment to
policy-making bodies and election to political positions.

POLITICAL ANALYSES
Effective use of power and politics to facilitate strategy development for the policy
process requires systematic analysis of the issues.
COMPONENTS OF POLITICAL ANALYSIS:

☻ Identify and analyze the problem:

Identification and analysis of the problem or issue is the first step. The problem must
be understood in order to frame it in ways that will move elected officials to action. It
must be carefully crafted in terms that make sense. To frame the problem adequately,
state the scope, duration, and history of the problem. An important point is to be
explicit about whom this problem affects. Then collect all data that are available to
describe the issue and its implications. Identify any gaps in the data. Identify whether
more research might be useful and, if so, what types would help.
☻ Outline and analyze proposed solution:
Present possible solutions to public officials along with the identified problem. It is
best to develop more than one solution because costs, effectiveness, and durability
differ from approach to approach
☻ Understand the background, including its history and attempts to solve the
problem:
It is important to understand what attempts have been made to address an issue. The
history, including why and how previous attempts failed, will provide an estimation of
the potential success of the current proposal. Even in a workplace context,
understanding the background of an issue is important. If one believes that the staffing
on a unit needs to be changed to improve patient care, efficiency, and nurse
satisfaction, one must assess how the staffing was structured, why it was done in that
particular way, and why and how that format is outdated before one present one’s
proposal to the nurse manager or appropriate committee.

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 ☻ Locate the political situation and its structure:
After the problem and solutions have been delineated, assess and choose the
appropriate political venues. The choice is between the private sector and government.
If the decision made is to approach government, decide on the level and branch. There
are times when both the public and private sectors are involved, but in that case, only
one has the decision making responsibility. When all sectors have equal power, no one
sector has the responsibility to make decision nor the vested interest to prevent a
decision. Be sure to identify the political setting accurately, because making an error
can cause you a loss of credibility and a loss of power. For example, if nurse are
concerned about an aspect of patient care, the employer must be approached through
the organization structure. It is unfair and impolitic to go to public officials before
internal mechanisms have been exhausted. It is also imprudent to exclude the nurse
manager and go directly to the chief nurse executive or a supervisor. Again, so doing
will cause loos of face, credibility, and power.
☻ Evaluate the stakeholders:
The next step is to identify the stakeholders. Stakeholders are those who are affected by
or have influence over an issue or who could be recruited to care about it. Stakeholders
include policy makers who have proposals related to the issue, special interest groups,
and those with a position on the issue.
☻ Conduct a values assessment:
All political issues have or moral aspects. Human rights, international health law, the
right to health, genetic engineering, embryonic stem cell research, genetic technologies,
terrorism, abortion, and the death penalty are among the most visible moral issues
today. Issues necessitate that stakeholders assess their own values and those of their
opponents.
☻ Ascertain financial and personnel needs to attain goals:
Any effective political strategy must include assessment of resources needed to reach
goals. In addition to money, other needed resources include time, connections or
network, volunteers, contributors, and intangibles, such as people who are strategists
and those with creative ideas. The budget structure within an organization or
government agency must be considered. It is important to understand the budget
process, including how money is allocated to a cost center or line budget, who makes
decision regarding expenditures, how use of funds is evaluated, and how an individual
or group can influence budget development and implementation.
☻ Analyze power bases:
In any setting, assessment of power bases of both proponents and opponents is
essential.

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 POLITICAL STRATEGIES:

After the political analysis is completed, a plan of action with strategies is developed.
Strategies are the plans to achieve political and policy goals. To achieve goals it is useful to
follow these tactics.
 Persistence- Change takes time; conflict is almost always part of policy change. Policy
change or new policy development and implementation is a long-term commitment and
requires commitment and endurance.
 Look at big picture: Always prepare for the political process of policy development by
clarifying aspects of the issue. This includes knowing your position and possible
solutions supported by data, assessing your power base and that of others involved,
planning strategies, and knowing the opposition and their plans and rationales.
Understand the context of the issue.
 Frame issue adequately: Understand the stakeholders and target audience to present the
issue in ways that are congruent with their values.
 Develop and use networks: Use power that accrues through persona; connections,
which requires keeping track of what you have done for others and asking them to
reciprocate.
 Assess time: Consider carefully when is the most opportune time to act. Knowing when
the time is right requires accurate assessment of the values, concerns, goals, and
resources of those you have to convince that your way is best.
 Collaborate: Work with others to achieve policy goals. Collaboration usually achieves
goals more effectively than does individual action.
 Prepare to take risks: Do a risk – and –benefit analysis of an action. This analysis
entails considerations of the benefits gained or goals achieved in relation to the
expenditure of all resources, including personnel, money, time spent that could have
been used on another endeavour, and coherence with values.
 Understand the opposition: Put aside emotional positions, focus on the issues, and try
to understand the fears and concerns of the opposition. Educate the opposition to
appreciate the nursing position.

POLITICAL TACTICS
The effective functioning of an organization depends on the relationship between
individuals and groups. Effective use of politics in the workplace can facilitate achievement
of goals.
SKILLS AND TACTICS IN THE WORKPLACE:
The effective functioning of an organization depends on relationships between individuals
and groups. Often, problematic conflicts arise that are threatening to groups. Resolution of
these conflicts requires significant managerial skill. Effective use of politics can facilitate

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 conflict resolution and achieve goals. The following skills and tactics are useful and have a
high probability of success-
 Build your own team: Executives, administrators, and managers are often defeated in
their roles because persons from the previous team are unhappy, jealous, and disgruntled
and do not support, or actively sabotage, the work of the new boss.
 Choose your second-in command carefully. “An aggressive, ambitious, upwardly
mobile number two man (or woman) is dangerous and often difficult to control”
(McMurray, 1973).
 Establish alliances with superiors and peers. Determine expectations and motivations
of others before you form true friendships. Alliances with superiors and peers are needed
to achieve goals.
 Use all possible channels of communication. Develop and maintain open, effective
channels of communication to avoid isolation, pre-emption, and loss in power struggles.
Be fair, but learn to recognize aggressive, manipulative people.
 Do not be naive about how decisions are made. Learn and understand the preferences
and the way powerful people act in the organization in order to predict how they will
make a decision; then plan accordingly.
 Know priority. Know what the goals are and how the organization generally works to
achieve those goals. In other words, know the modus operandi.
 Be courteous. Treat others with respect. Respect can prevent feelings that can lead to
sabotage and retaliation.
 Maintain a flexible position and maneuverability. Identify what is ethically important
and nonnegotiable. Then you can maneuver confidently to change power.
 Disclose information judiciously. In order to work effectively, it may be necessary not to
disclose how power strategies are used.
 Use passive resistance when appropriate to gain time. Delay can be useful when time is
needed for gathering information.
 Project an image of confidence, status, power, and material success. The image of
weakness conveys a lack of power and decreases ability to act and achieve goals.
 Learn to negotiate and collaborate. Do not be ingratiating or conciliatory.

Meier (1999) recommended some basic strategies for political action-

 Join political organizations
 Build a working relationship with a single legislator
 Invite a legislator to a professional organization meeting
 Invite a legislator or staff person from the legislator’s office to spend a day with you at
work.

BY Mr. ARUN PIRAVOM ( arunpiravom1986@yahoo.in) Page 15

 Brendtro and Schwerin offered additional strategies for political action to shape policy:
Use power effectively
Always appear self confident
Empower others to work on policy issues
Build your visibility
Build relationships through coalitions and networks
Identify resources, human and physical, that can support your efforts.
Enhance the image of nursing in all policy efforts
Communicate message effectively and clearly
Develop expertise in shaping policy
Seek appointive positions or elective office to shape policy more effectively.

BY Mr. ARUN PIRAVOM ( arunpiravom1986@yahoo.in) Page 16