Project Communications and Human Resource Management

1
Project Communications andHuman Resource
Management

• Unit 6Power, Authority and Influence

2
Agenda

• Quiz 2
• Power, Authority and Influence
• Definitions
• Types of Power
• Methods of Influence
• Personality Types

3
Introduction

• Power, authority and influence are fundamental to
  how work gets done in organizations.
• However, they can have negative connotations
• Fundamental to a project managers success is the
  understanding and effective management of each of
  these concepts.
• Power, authority and influence are often used
  interchangeably, with many definitions available.

4
Definitions

• Power
• The resource allowing for influence
• Influence
• The use of power to achieve objectives
• Authority
• The use of power that is legitimate or officially
  backed

C. Handy, 1993
5
Definitions, another view

• Influence
• Interpersonal transaction that achieves the
  intended change in behaviour.
• Control
• Successful attempt to influence
• Power
• Referred to potential actions, capacity to
  generate influence
• Authority
• Legitimate power, related to the role in the
  organization

Katz Kahn
6
Definitions

• Power, influence and authority are related to
  decision making
• Decisions are adjusted based on the amount of
  power that will be required to implement them
• The use of power guarantees the execution of a
  decision
• Humans tend to variability and unpredictability
• The use of power reduces this variability
• Obedience feeds power

7
Types of Power

• Position (Legitimate) power
• Reward power
• Personal power
• Expert power
• Reference power

C. Handy, 1993 J. Pinto, 1998 V. Verma, 2000
8
POWER
Position
Expert
Personal
Situation
Reward/ Penalty
Reference
9
Types of Power

• Position / Legitimate power
• Based on the role or position in the organization
• Provides rights associated with the position
  (e.g. to control, make decisions)
• One reason why job titles are important

10
Types of Power

• Expert power
• Based on the acknowledged expertise of the
  individual
• One of the most sought after powers, but can only
  be granted/recognized by others
• Personal power
• Also known as charisma based on the person and
  their personality
• Often enhanced by position and expert power (e.g.
  the charismatic leaders power is decreased when
  he is demoted)

11
Types of Power

• Reward / Penalty power
• Control of rewards that are valued (e.g. salary
  increases, performance appraisals)
• Control of possible status symbols (e.g. granting
  membership to certain committee)
• Control and access to information
• Based on a persons connection to others within
  the organization
• Based on personal/business contacts and the
  exchange of favours to accomplish objectives

12
Types of Power

• Reference power
• Ability to gain support through attraction to
  project manager or the project itself
• Personal power
• Also known as charisma based on the person and
  their personality
• Often enhanced by position and expert power (e.g.
  the charismatic leaders power is decreased when
  he is demoted)

13
Methods of Influence

• Force/threat
• Rules/procedure
• Negotiation
• Persuasion

Success of each depends on Power possessed by
the Influencer
14
Class Discussion

• For each of method of influence
• What type of power would increase the
  effectiveness of the influence?
• For the project manager, what types of influence
  would be desirable?
• What are the implications of power, authority and
  influence to project managers?

15
Personality Types

• Many forms of personality tests and methodologies
• Many, including Jung Typology Test
• based upon Myers-Briggs (MB) model

16
Personality Types

• The Myers Briggs model is based on four
  preferences or dimensions
• Where, primarily, do you direct your energy?
• How do you prefer to process information?
• How do you prefer to make decisions?
• How do you prefer to organize your life?

17
Personality Types

• Where, primarily, do you direct your energy?
• Extrovert (E) to the outer world of activity and
  spoken worlds
• Introvert (I) To the inner world of thoughts and
  emotions
• Extroversion Introversion social private
  expressive quiet many few broad
  deep interaction concentration outward
  inward action before thought though before
  action

18
Personality Types

• How do you prefer to process information?
• Sensing (S) In the form of known facts and
  familiar terms (information taken through the
  senses)
• Intuition (N) In the form of possibilities or
  new potential
• Sensing iNtuition facts possibilities
  experience novelty present future pract
  icality aspiration enjoyment development rea
  lism idealism using changing

19
Personality Types

• How do you prefer to make decisions?
• Thinking (T) On the basis of logic and objective
  considerations
• Feeling (F) On the basis of personal values
• Thinking Feeling
• analyzing sympathizing
• objective subjective logical personal c
  riticism appreciation onlooker participant
  decides on principle decides using values long
  term view immediate view

20
Personality Types

• How do you prefer to organize your life?
• Judgment (J) In a structured way, making
  decisions and knowing where you stand
• Perception (P) In a flexible way, discovering
  life as you go along
• Judgment Perception close open decide
  explore structure meander organize inquir
  e firmness flexibility control spontaneity
  

21
Myers-Briggs PersonalityTypes
Source P. Tieger, B. Barron-Tieger, 1995
22
Myers-Briggs - Benefits

• Understand your own personality type and
  implications to your management style
• Awareness of each team members personality type
  facilitates approach to motivating
• Team MB testing can be an effective team-building
  exercise
• Strive to balance a team with different
  personality types, as
• This will strengthen the overall team capability
• But may cause some increasing storming during
  early phases of the project

23
Myers-Briggs - Considerations

• Do not type-cast / assume negative stereotypes
• All individuals are unique, 16 personality types
  are indicators of personality, not definite
  predictors
• Myers-Briggs focuses on how you prefer to behave,
  not how you actually behave.
• Team roles reflect how we respond to particular
  circumstances
• Another indicator or your true preference may be
  the level of stress or enjoyment in a situation.

Your innate preferences influence the way that
you behave
24
Class Discussion

• Page 250
• 5-1
• 5-4
• 5-7
• 5-11
• 5-13

25
Additional Reference/Reading Material

• Enlightened Office Politics - Understanding,
  coping with and Winning the Game without Losing
  Your Soul
• Michael S. Dobson Deborah S. Dobson AMACOM
  Publishing
• Use Abuse of Office Politics how to survive
  and thrive in the corporate jungle
• Mark Holden, Griffin Press

26
Next Week

• Unit 7 Conflict Management and Performance
  Management
• Reading
• Text Chapter 7