Power Play: Absence can be very powerful

Power Players know that sometimes not turning up can be more effective than being in the room. If there are people on the team who need refereeing and the Power Player they look to for resolution doesn’t turn up, they are forced to sort it out themselves.

Power Players are well versed in using absence wisely. Not only can it make the heart grow fonder, but it also proves the other saying: less is more. Power Players don’t need to be everywhere all the time. They limit their appearances to when it can make a powerful statement or to allow others to step up.

On the flipside of this, when you are in the room, be present. There’s nothing worse than a person who is physically in the room but is not really there. This is why Power Players choose absence wisely.

There’s always a reason and a purpose for their absence. And when they choose to be there, they really are.

The story

This works well out of the office as much as it does in the office, especially for family members that you’re not crazy about but have to see from time to time.

My friend has a really suspect mother-in-law who has perfected the backhanded compliment, professes to be an expert in childrearing and is full of useless advice. She is the classic know-it-all mother-in-law.

My friend has in return perfected what we call the ‘drive-by’. While she still has to see the mother-in-law, she does it in a way that limits exposure to her snide little comments. She’ll miss the first part of the family barbecue by arriving late, or focuses on her kids once she gets there. She limits her own comments, especially when she is baited.

Her absence, both physical and emotionally, works a treat. This makes her powerful and smart, and keeps her sane too!