In Mixed Company Chapter Nine

1
In Mixed Company Chapter Nine

• Power in Groups
• A Central Dynamic

2
The Nature of Power No One is Powerless

• Power is group-centered, the power you wield is
  dependent on the relationships you have with
  group members.
• No group member is completely powerless, the
  interconnectedness of components in as system
  means that all group members have some influence
  even if it is to resist or to defy the group.

3
Forms of Power Competition and Cooperation
Revisited

• Dominance of power over others flows from a
  hierarchal structure or from differences in
  status among group members.
• Prevention, or power from the efforts of others
  to influence.
• Empowerment, enhancing the capabilities and
  influence of individuals and groups. Empowerment
  is power to accomplish your own group or help
  others achieve theirs through process of group
  potency, meaningfulness, autonomy, and impact.
• An effective leader actively seeks to increase
  the readiness levels of followers, thereby
  empowering them to accomplish tasks without the
  leader watching their every move.

4
General Indicators, Labeling, Following, and
Opposing

• Those who define others exercise control.
  Ordinarily we define people by attaching a label
  to them.
• Whose decisions are followed is a second general
  indictor of power in a group. The individual with
  the position of authority in a group may not be
  the person with the most power.
• Who opposes significant change is a third general
  indicator of power. Those who have been accorded
  power by the group are usually uncomfortable with
  chance that goes much beyond a little fine-tuning.

5
Verbal Indicators

• In general, group members who use more powerful
  language patterns are perceived to be more
  credible ,attractive, and persuasive than those
  using less powerful language.
• Verbal dominance is also indicated by competitive
  interrupting, contradicting, and sheer quantity
  of speech.
• Monopolizing conversation in these ways has
  obvious power implications.

6
Nonverbal Indicators Silent Power

• Space is the prerogative of the powerful (best
  offices)
• Posture and gesture communication are also
  markedly different for super-ordinates and
  subordinates.
• Touch clearly indicates power relationships in
  groups. The less powerful often feel required to
  yield to the touch of their superiors even when
  the touching triggers uncomfortable feelings.

7
Nonverbal Indicators Silent Power

• Eye contact is yet another nonverbal indicator of
  relative degrees of power.
• Nonverbal symbols include a wide variety of
  objects and tangible materials large desks,
  windows, leather chairs, company cars etc.

8
Power Resources

• A power resource is anything that enables
  individuals to move toward their own goals or
  interfere with another's actions. Five resources
  to group situations
• Information
• Expertise
• Punishments/ Eewards
• Personal Qualities
• Legitimate Authority

9
Information Restricted or Scarce

• Information assumes value or usefulness when it
  is perceived to be unavailable.
• Information becomes unavailable primarily from
  restrictions and scarcity.
• The competent communicator can capitalize on
  information as a power resource
• Provide useful but scarce or restricted
  information to the group.
• Be certain information is accurate, sharing
  information could earn you the hostility of the
  group.

10
Expertise Knowing and Showing

• Experts not only have valuable and useful
  information for a group, but they also understand
  the information and know how to use it to help
  the group.
• The group must be convinced that the person has
  the requisites skills, abilities, knowledge, and
  background to function as a real expert.
• The person who has been accorded status as an
  expert must demonstrate trustworthiness.
• Power is not derived from expertise if the group
  suspects that the expert will lie for personal
  gain.

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Expertise Knowing and Showing

1. Maintain skills, abilities, and knowledge
   currency.
2. Demonstrate trustworthiness and credibility.
3. Be certain of your facts before advising the
   group.
4. Dont assume an air of superiority.

12
Rewards

• An extrinsic reward motivates us to behave or
  perform by offering us an external inducement
  such as money, grades, recognition.
• An intrinsic reward is enjoying what one does for
  its own sake.
• An intrinsic reward motivates us to continue
  doing what brings us pleasure.

13
Rewards Punishments

• Punishments should be the last resort.
• Punishment should be appropriate to the act.
• Punishment should be swift and certain.
• Be generous with praise that is warranted.
• Determine what rewards group members value before
  offering any.
• Administer both punishments and rewards equitably
  and fairly.

14
Legitimate Authority

• Power can be derived from the shared belief that
  some individuals have legitimate right to
  influence and direct our behavior by virtue of
  the roles that they play.
• We are not inclined to comply with directives
  from those individuals acting authoritatively but
  who are not deemed legitimate.

15
Legitimate Authority

• Become an authority figure (appointed and
  emergent leaders)
• Gain Legitimacy (accepting group rules
  standards)
• Encourage participative decision making
• Act ethically

16
Compliance Group Power

• Compliance is the process of consenting to the
  dictates and desires of others. Compliance
  involves both obedience to authority and
  conformity to the group norms.
• Conforming to group norms can sometimes prove to
  be more powerful tendency than obeying authority.

17
Alliance Coalition Formation

• Alliances are associations in the form of
  subgroups entered into for mutual benefit or a
  common objective.
• Because coalitions can change the distribution of
  power in a group, coalition formation is
  typically adversarial, competitive, and
  contentious.
• Coalitions are formed not simply to advance goals
  of the allied members, but also to prevent the
  attainment of non-coalition members goals.
• Resistance is a covert form of communicating
  non-compliances and it is often duplicitous and
  manipulative.

18
Resistance

1. Confront the strategy directly.
2. Thwart the enabling process. We become enablers
   when we allow ourselves to become ensnared in the
   resisters net of duplicity. When we wait for
   tardy members, or perform their tasks for them we
   enable their resistance.
3. Give clear directions regarding specific tasks.