Power. For many of us, the word evokes a lot of negative feelings and associations. "We frown upon those in power", "the greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse" and "power is the source of all evil". These are just a few sayings that are used when referring to power.
The fact that power has a real impact on those who have it (and those who do not) is scientifically proven. There are studies that claim that sexual intimidation is the misuse of power. There is even a study by the university of San Diego that shows that the tone of one’s voice changes as someone’s power base increases. This is claimed to be the case with the late Margaret Thatcher. Power can really affect one’s being.
However we may feel about power, it plays an important role in organizational life. Decisions are made by those who have a certain amount of power. This may sound negative but it's a fact: decisions are made by those with a formal or informal power base; or by those with some sort of influence that is used to steer the decision process in a certain direction. Even in self-organized teams that are built around achieving group consensus there is always someone who uses his or her influence to affect the consensus process. Whenever two people meet, one will always influence the other. The one who is the most persuasive will always positively or negatively affect the other person.
So, when it's our objective to steer our organization in a certain direction - preferably the direction of our mission, vision and strategy - we must recognize the role that power plays in our organization. The sooner we recognize this, the sooner we can find ways to deal with it. This begs the questions: what can we do with power? how can we ethically use it? and what sorts of power get the best results?
What can power mean?
Doctor Jeffrey Pfeffer is known as the authority-figure on power. After writing 'managing with power', in 2010 he wrote the book 'power: why some people have it and others don't'. Pfeffer develops the argument that mere intelligence and performance will not buy you a seat at the table. In order to gain organizational status, more is necessary. He uses quantitative and qualitative data to make his case. If one wishes to rise to the top of the corporate ladder, one needs to master the tools and skills that are necessary to gain power. On an individual level, developing the skills of power can be considered a wise career investment.
Furthermore, building a power base is necessary to be able to define the direction your organization is heading towards. By doing so, you can increase your influence and get people to buy into your vision. This is indispensable when making the necessary decisions for implementing your plans.
Once you recognize that power exists in your organization, it can become a useful tool. For instance, you can use it to analyze which executive unit, department or business unit has the most power in your organization. You may find some interesting and surprising facts. By analyzing which executive gets the most decisions called in his or her favor or which business unit has the biggest budget, you can collect data on the distribution of power in your organization. You can use this to create buy-in for certain projects.
The attentive reader may think: there is no connection between the size of the budget and the power of a business unit. Not always, no. Yet, it is a good indicator. It is a perspective that is seldom used when looking at the distribution of power. At a subconscious level, these uneven distributions can be the source of a lot of frustration. By using this perspective and actively managing power, these frustrations can be substantially reduced.
How can we use power?
Of course, the aforementioned examples are just a few of the possibilities for which power can be used in organizations. What is perhaps more interesting is the answer to the question: how can power be used?
First and foremost, we would advise against the misuse of power. We encourage you to treat what comes next with a certain amount of caution. The tools and techniques that increase power can also be used to deceive and manipulate. Recent corporate history has shown this. Using power ethically and with respect for the wellbeing of your people and your organization is crucial.
Before we dive in, it's important to understand that there are different kinds of power. In general, power can be divided into two main groups: formal power and informal power. Formal power is exercised through authority (this is often linked to a certain role in the organization). Informal power is based on influence. Although both are necessary to have impact in an organization, in our experience, informal power can have a greater impact (and often leads to formal power). So, how do you expand your power base?
We like to look at it from a leadership perspective. John C. Maxwell states that leadership is influence and to grow as a leader, it is essential to look beyond your leadership position. You do this by increasing your influence. There are several ways to do so. Besides learning about Robert Cialdini's principles of influence, we suggest you invest in connecting with your people and those with power in your organization. This gives you access to those in power and allows you to learn from men and women who have walked the path to power before you. Make sure you gain visibility when doing so.
Furthermore, we suggest you build relationships with people in your organization who have access to important information and with those who are of great value to the organization but do not get credit for it. This allows you to quickly gather important information when necessary and this gives you a clearer picture of day to day organizational life. When you are looking for buy-in when change is ahead, this can come in handy. By treating people with respect, it will become easier to drive change.
You can use power to bend people to your will or to do good for your people and your organization. You have a choice. We suggest you learn about power and develop a respect for power before you actively start to use it in your organization. The consequences of misuse can be quite negative, even devastating. On the other hand, when using power in project or change management, gaining insights into the distribution of power can be a huge advantage. Not only does this help in finding strategies to deal with resistance, it may also shed light on the possible reasons for project or change initiatives failing in the past.
Obviously, this is just a small part of the wide range of reasons as to why power can be of importance in organizations, with insights into how you can deal with it and increase your power base. If you are still not convinced of the importance of power, we suggest you at least take a look at your own organization. Chances are, power plays a much bigger role than you might think.
