The Power Structure

  The Power Structure
There are frequently two elements of the power structure in any organization.
These elements are the organizational structure, reflected by
the organization chart hanging on the wall and the infrastructure that
is never written down.
Ostensibly, the organization chart reflects the power structure of
the organization it represents. The closer one is to the top, the more
power he or she has. Power, usually meaning the ability to give orders,
is directed downward. However, in many organizations, the power
structure is not the same as the organizational structure. Indeed, it is
sometimes amazing to see who in the organization has the true control
of what goes on.
The infrastructure is a loosely gathered network of people involved
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Getting Settled 179
in information and activity flow. It is always interesting to find who the
king or queen of this network is. Frequently, the person resides among
the secretaries and the clerks. But be careful. If you listen to this network,
you must also have a ‘‘rumor filter.’’ You must be able to filter
out what is rumor and what is fact. Over time, you will be able to
distinguish between those who think they know what’s going on and
those who really do.
All these things create the organizational dynamic, and you must
learn what makes the dynamic move and get things done. If you don’t
understand the dynamic, you will be treading water while others are
succeeding. Every good project manager keeps his or her finger on the
pulse of both the organizational structure and the infrastructure.
These things are very subtle. As I mentioned in the story about going
to headquarters earlier in this chapter, the power structure can be among
the clerical staff. Do they give the orders? No, but they do control work
flow and who gets what and when. You are either in or out. Sometimes
you may be tolerated. Can you do anything about it? Let me tell you a
story that circulated about Lyndon Johnson when he became president
of the United States. On his way up, some functionary in the Interior
Department made a change to the application of policy that radically
affected his ranch in Texas. Johnson was furious. Some months after he
became president, one of his friends asked: ‘‘Did you fire that guy?’’
Johnson answered, ‘‘Fire him? I couldn’t even find the SOB.’’ That’s the
way a lot of these things are—very subtle.
In addition to the organizational dynamic, you must also understand
the organizational culture. In a new organization, the culture will
reflect the desires of the leader. In an old-line organization, the culture
will reflect a conglomerate of the desires of all the past leaders of the
organization and, to some extent, the people of the organization.
Even the culture of an old-line organization can be changed by a
dynamic leader, at least temporarily. When a new general manager,
CEO, or other ‘‘top dog’’ comes into an organization, it is normal for
that person to demand the organization follow his or her dictates. Depending
on the leadership and time of tenure, the culture of an organization
may be changed. On the other hand, the inherent strength of the
culture may render the new ‘‘leader’’ ineffective or it may return to its
roots as soon as this person goes away.
What does all this mean to you? Simply that you must keep your
eyes and ears open when going into a new organization. You can read
and understand the organizational policies and procedures, but you
must discover the organization’s dynamic and its culture. If you don’t,
you are in for a lot of frustration.
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180 MAKING YOUR CAREER MOVES