There’s a quote by Margaret Thatcher that says, “Power is like being a lady…if you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.” Personally, I find the study of power fascinating. Dictionary.com defines power as “a person or thing that possesses or exercises authority or influence”. So in essence when we use power; we’re utilizing our authority to get something.
Everyone has power. Everyone. And, I don’t believe that power is a bad thing. The issue becomes what kind of power a person has and how someone uses that power. Here are some of the common types of power found in the workplace.
- Coercive power is associated with people who are in a position to punish others. People fear the consequences of not doing what has been asked of them.
- Connection power is based upon who you know. This person knows, and has the ear of, other powerful people within the organization.
- Expert power comes from a person’s expertise (duh!). This is commonly a person with an acclaimed skill or accomplishment.
- A person who has access to valuable or important information possesses informational power.
- Legitimate power comes from the position a person holds. This is related to a person’s title and job responsibilities. You might also hear this referred to as positional power.
- People who are well-liked and respected can have referent power.
- Reward power is based upon a person’s ability to bestow rewards. Those rewards might come in the form of job assignments, schedules, pay or benefits.
Now, stop being modest and thinking to yourself…I don’t have any power. As you can see, there are lots of different ways power can manifest itself. And for that reason, it’s important to realize that power exists in all of us. It’s also possible that you have different kinds of power with different groups or situations.
Now, the two biggest mistakes I see with people’s use of power revolve around (1) trying to use power they don’t have and (2) using the wrong kind of power to achieve results.
To help you identify your ‘power zone’, take a moment and think about how you try to influence action from others. You could use the descriptions above as a pseudo self-assessment. Rate yourself on a scale of 1-5 in each of the different kinds of power. With 1 being not at all characteristic of you and 5 being quite characteristic.
This can be a (sorry for the pun) powerful exercise. If you’re honest with yourself, I hope you’ll find the results helpful. Not only for the way you tend to use power but in the way others use power with you.
Image courtesy of Ivan Walsh
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Hi! I'm Sharlyn Lauby, an HR pro turned consultant. I created the HR Bartender blog so people would have a friendly place to discuss workplace issues. And since, over the years, I've developed an appreciation for the culinary arts (translation: I'm a Foodie) you'll see some of that here too. So, pull up a stool and order your favorite drink . . . the bar is always open.
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Legit power is best called positional power
Thanks for commenting Animal. I’ve heard the term positional power used as well.
Great post, Sharlyn, on one of my “hot button” topics! Like so many attributes of leadership and life, power can be used negatively to promote one’s “I win, you lose” position; or it can be used positively to foster “win-win” outcomes for both individuals and the organizations. We need more of the later, less of the former!
Sharlyn – Terrific topic and thanks for posting. Power, particularly in business is access to resources.
Great post. Summarizes the whole topic very well.
Power is often an understudied skill. A good friend of mine recommended “The 48 Laws of Power” by Robert Greene to me over a year ago. It is a primer for learning about how power has played out in history and it helps you think about how to apply it today. I have written several articles on some of the chapters in my blog.
@Jane – Thanks for commenting. I agree the win-win approach is the measurement of success.
@Anne – The possibilities are mind-boggling if more professionals use their power for business outcomes. Thanks for joining the conversation!
@John – Thanks for the kind words. You’re the best.
@Lynn – Totally agree, more time should be spent exploring the use of power in the workplace. Thanks for the book suggestion (hope you don’t mind me adding the link.)
Great post, I think that power is very misunderstood in the workplace and that HR folks often have access to more power than what they think. I did notice that Jedi mind tricks was missing from the list though and that tends to be how I get things done. Have a good weekend!
-joe
Hi Joe. Thanks for joining the convo. I couldn’t agree with you more. This is one of those times when people need to dispense with their modesty and recognize their own power to bring positive change.
All power is not good and all power is not bad. It is how we generate and use it that is truly important!
Thanks again!
So true Benjamin! Like the Clapton song, it’s in the way that you use it…
Good summary post, Sharlyn. I’d like to add another kind of power that I’ve noticed doing social network analysis of organizations. It may already be there, somewhere between “expert power” and “information power,” but I think it should be explicit.
I’ve found people with great influence in their organization because of their relationships. I don’t mean “Listen, Officer, my brother knows the Mayor.” These people know how to find the people who will help you solve your problem.
One engineer, Phil, was a strong node in the network. He was knowledgeable and competent, but not enough to warrant that position. He was there because when you had a problem you called Phil. You said, “I’m doing this project and I need some help.” Phil would point you to two or three people who had experience or resources or friends who could help you.
I’ve been calling that relationship power and I bundle it with other knowledge that people carry in their heads, but use at work.
Thanks for joining the convo Wally. I’ve seen the example you describe. Almost like a match-maker. A person who connects people. That’s why having an understanding of what people in your network do…even if you might not personally use their services is important.
Power appropriately applied without coercion are respect and trust earned.
Thanks for the post! Understanding power in organizations is an important skill for any employee. Power and politics exist in any size group. I recently posted about power dynamics and organizational savvy. Brandon and Seldman have a book called Survival of the Savvy that does a great job covering these topics.
http://geeksgonepro.com/2010/02/24/reading-power-dynamics-part-1/
Sharlyn, the point that speaks to me most is the fact that power in itself is not bad. Power is something that can be used in different ways. When a person has an unbelievable amount of power and abuses it, then you have a problem. When the person is able to wield the power in order to achieve great feats that benefit a cause larger than themselves, then you have a positive outcome from the use of that same power.
Excellent and thought provoking!
Marguerite
@HRManagement – So true. Thanks for the comment.
@GeekCoach – Thanks for the comment and sharing the book link. I’ll have to check it out.
@Marguerite – Well said. Proper use of power can be very valuable to organizations. Thanks for joining the conversation.