Power dynamics at work

I’ve been fascinated by power dynamics for as long as I can remember. 

It probably started in my political theory class where I first studied Foucault and his philosophy on power. 

📖A brief history lesson: Foucault’s key works came about in the 1970s. His philosophy differed in that he thought power was everywhere – not just held by institutions or individuals. He believed that power was distributed throughout society in things like relationships, norms, and even knowledge. He looked at modern institutions like schools, prisons and hospitals and how they exert control – not by force but by subtle techniques. His work discussed invisible forms of power and how societal structures can impact behaviors, identity and knowledge. 

You may be asking yourself, why is she telling me all this???  

Well because work is ripe with power dynamics… some very subtle and others somewhat invisible. 

Spoiler alert: those power dynamics impact the employees, their behavior, relationships and basically everything at work. 

Let’s look at types of power, how they show up at work and the role HR plays. 

5 types of power at work:

Power dynamics at work can refer to things like authority, control, or influence and how they are distributed amongst the employees and groups.  

Here are some examples of types of power at work:

1. Legitimate power: This comes from someone’s position or job title. It’s power that comes from someone being in charge. There’s authority over things such as decision making, setting direction and guiding a team. This is usually managers, leaders, and team leads. 

2. Expert power: This type of power stems from what someone knows – like knowledge or expertise in a specific area. Expert power gives influence and respect that comes because of the value being brought to the table. Maybe someone is an expert in data analytics or a certain coding language, others may turn to their expertise to make a decision. Boom, power. 

3. Coercive power: This type of power comes from the ability to create negative consequences for someone. It’s controlling people through fear. ICK!! This type of power leveraged long term can have negative effects on morale and engagement. No one should live in fear of negative consequences at work! 

4. Reward power: The opposite of coercive power – this stems from influencing behavior through positive incentives like raises, promotions, bonuses etc. 

5. Referent power: This form of power stems from who someone is – their personality, likability, and charisma. Those characteristics can inspire loyalty and even admiration. People with referent power can influence those around them because they are trusted and respected. 

👑Legitimate, coercive and reward power are referred to as formal power because they stem from the position one holds. 

❤️Expert and referent power are referred to as personal power because they stem from who someone is – their personality or the knowledge they possess. 

All those different types of power and things are bound to get tricky at work… 

Why power is tricky: 

 

Before I tell you about the role HR plays in navigating power dynamics at work, let’s look at what makes this so freaking tricky. 

TL;DR: Power dynamics are tricky because the influence and control of people’s behavior is often complex and unspoken. 

🔍Power is invisible: it can be in the way something is said, who is given authority and listened to, or even who makes decisions behind the scenes. That hidden nature makes it harder for folks to actually understand and recognize when power is being leveraged, misused, or abused. 

That usually leads to some frustration. We’ve all been there before when we FEEL something but can’t articulate into words what exactly… 

🪢Formal and personal power intertwine: It’s one thing to be given power because of your position (formal) it’s another when you’ve accumulated influence and power because of relationships and or expertise (personal). And when the two are intertwined it makes for some complication. 

Is there someone at your organization who isn’t a leader but somehow holds a lot of influence and is looked to regarding decisions? Been there! That gets confusing REAL fast… 

🌎Bias is everywhere: power dynamics are shaped by bias. Unconscious or conscious bias can influence who holds power and how it is used. Like if those in positions of authority all look the same that can lead to unconsciously favoring those that belong to that group. Bias within power dynamics continues to perpetuate a system of privilege and exclusion. It actually becomes more difficult for those from underrepresented groups to gain that influence or challenge the system to change. 

Fear of repercussions, lack of accountability, conflicting interests, social identity, and unclear boundaries are a few other reasons why power dynamics can be tricky to navigate at work. 

The role of HR:

 

We’ve all seen what happens when someone goes on a power trip… 

I mean having all that power can be intoxicating – just ask the venin in Fourth Wing. They literally become evil from taking too much power in. 

And not saying work is like a fantasy novel but it’s relevant to work, I promise! 

Uncontrolled power can escalate and have negative effects on your culture, environment and employees. Work venin, JK JK. 

And it’s not just leaders that are on the power trip, leaders who are unaware of their power can also be dangerous. 

So, what can HR really do? Hint: A LOT!!

You’ve heard this tip a dozen times already: write your policies. There’s no easier way to curb the power trippers and ensuring things like raises, promotions, and recognition is merit-based than having a clear policy for each of those things. 

🏀Bonus points if the organization is transparent and clear about these policies!!  

The second tip… realize that HR has power as well. 

Oftentimes, we can be viewed as or made to feel powerless. ICK. 

The reality is that we’re not… 

We can influence an organization in major ways. We might not have the final say on some decisions but that doesn’t mean we can’t stand up when someone is abusing power, making bad decisions with their authority, or creating a negative working environment for those around them. 

A major unlock for me was realizing that I could change things by simply speaking up and using my influencing abilities aka MY POWER. 

Now I know there is always the fear of repercussions when it comes to speaking up against authority figures so here’s what you’re going to do: 

1. Gather your data: what exactly is going on? Are only certain people being promoted, getting raises, being praised or is there someone who is given more leeway to behave a certain way? All common abuses of power but make sure you have receipts. 

2. Don’t make it personal: this is about the impact of actions, not the individual.  

EX: I’ve noticed a trend on your team where only certain types of individuals are being promoted. I’d like to discuss how we can ensure our promotions process is equitable so that everyone on your team has an opportunity to learn and grow here. 

3. Bring it back to the org’s values: How does this feedback relate to your culture or values? Chances are somewhere in your values it talks about behaviors. 

4. Propose a solution: this one might be tricker but there is the possibility to propose a solution like doing a talent review on a team, putting on a training about bias, recirculating the promotion criteria, etc! 

⚡Be prepared that when challenging power and structures it can be uncomfortable but stay rooted in your path and know that the only way to change things is to say something. 

A great place to start is with your managers…

Managers and power… 

There’s one group at work that may struggle with all that is asked of them: it’s your managers. 

Every quarter I love to dedicate a send to the group that needs a lot of our help – our managers. 

So next week I’m talking about common manager fail points and how to help them harness their power!