Page 241 - DMGT519_Conflict Management and Negotiation Skills

Unit 11: Gaining Leverage through Power and Persuasion

from the ORGANIZATION, e.g., they come with the position of manager, and each manager has Notes
at least some of each of the three “powers of office.” The remaining four, however, are in a
different domain entirely.

11.5 Personal Power

Expert power derives from having knowledge that is valued by the organization or individuals
with whom the person interacts. Expertise in a particular field or at problem solving or at
performing critical tasks are types of expert power. Expert power is personal to the individual
who has the expertise, hence it is different from the other three sources of power previously
mentioned. However, the possession of expert power may be the basis for rising to a management
position in the area of the expertise, now providing the incumbent with expert power as well
that legitimate, reward and coercive power.

Referent power results when the individual engenders admiration, loyalty and emulation to the
extent that the person gains the power to influence other. Charismatic leaders have referent
power. They have a vision for the organization that they lead, strong convictions about the
correctness of the vision, and great confidence in their ability to realize the vision, and are
perceived by their followers as agents of change.
Connection power is more commonly referred to as “networking” these days. It is who you
know, vertically and horizontally, both within and outside the organization. This may be referred
to in some circles as the “Old Boys Club” and represents many of the political dynamics that
make up organizations.
Information power is a power that can be either personal or positional. A manager should have
more information power than his or her direct reports but it isn’t always the case. As a result, an
individual that is actively involved in the “grapevine” often has more accurate information
than the manager. The “grapevine” is thought to be primarily rumor but, when studied, the
“grapevine” has proven to be about 80% correct. Therefore, the person in the organization with
the most reliable information is thought to have quite a bit of power.
A wise leader realizes that in order to be an effective leader he/she can not rely exclusively on
positional power. There is a delicate dance that must take place between positional and personal
power for a manager to be considered an effective leader.

The fascinating thing about power is that people who hold it are expected to use it or they risk
losing respect for not exercising power. When Reagan was president he was an example of a
person that totally fulfilled the role of the powerful president, almost like royalty. While at the
same time, Carter, who made a big deal out of carrying his own bags, was not perceived as
having a lot of personal power. It is a delicate balance but people do need to exercise their
legitimate power. Regardless of whether a person is the CEO or the secretary they are expected
to exercise their power. Power is a neutral tool, so exercising the power does not have to be a
negative action. Rather, an individual needs to use their legitimate power to do their job more
effectively.
I always appreciated the words of Harry Truman...”when your term of public office is over you
put away the tools (power) the public has given you since the tools are not for your personal use
but rather to help you do your job”...or words to that effect...this is my interpretation. I think
managers think they are the power in much the same way that politicians believe they have the
power rather than the “tools” to do their job. When managers think they have positional power
because of who they are rather than the position they hold in the organization, they are headed
for trouble.

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