Powers in the Workplace!!

Hi friends,

        Everyone has power.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.