Power and Influence in Organizational Relationships

Bolaji Okusaga

Self -Concept• Each individual is unique with own

self-concept• View of self affects one’s ability to

function as well as health

Self-concept and self image

• self-esteem• self-actualization

Components of self-

knowledge

1. Understanding Self Concept and Relationship Building

IdentityD

efini

tion

An internal sense of individuality and wholeness. Who are you?Name, gender, race, religion, occupation, role, etc.

Evol

ution

Begins during childhood as parents provide role models Continues during adolescence as teens establish own identity

Self-Esteem

Emotional – Self Appraisal• The emotional appraisal

of self-concept. • How do you regard

yourself?• Feel about self?

Practical – Self Worth• Sense of worth or

value?• This appraisal is an on-

going process so…levels of self-esteem can change.

Continuum – Body Image • Body image is dynamic:

the body changes through normal growth and development.

• Cultural and societal attitudes affect body image

Self Actualization

• What is your role?• What do you want your role to be?

What is Your Role?

• A part of self-concept is the way a person perceives their ability to carry out significant roles

• How do you bridge the gap between Ideal role expectations and Realistic possibilities

How Do You Perceive Your Role?

Factors Affecting Self-concept

Health status: • illness, injury, loss of control, dependency on others

Role stressors:• overload, strained, feelings of inadequacy

Developmental transitions • aging

Personal “success” or failure history

Crisis and/or life events: personal and/or global

Self Esteem

The value you place on yourself

Your perceived worth

It is either low or high

Self Disclosure

Definition• Revealing information about

yourself to others that is normally hidden

• Think of Oprah Winfrey

Application: The JoHari Window• Open Self• Blind Self• Hidden Self• Unknown Self

Obansanjo’s int. with BBC HardTalk

GEJ’s Int. With Amanpour

My Oga at the top

PublicArenaOpen

Blind (spot)Bad BreathSalad Teeth

HiddenAvoidedPrivate

UnknownUnconscious

JoHari Window: How It Works

KNOWN TO ME UNKNOWN TO ME

KNOWN TO OTHERS

UNKNOWN TO OTHERS

The Benjamin Franklin Effect

THE BENJAMIN FRANKLIN EFFECT• People will like you

more if you ask them to do you a favour

Benjamin Franklin knew how to deal with haters.

Born in 1706 as the eighth of 17 children to a Massachusetts soap and candlestick maker, the chances Benjamin would go on to become a gentleman, scholar, scientist, statesman, musician, author, publisher and all-around general bad-ass were astronomically low, yet he did just that and more because he was a master of the game of personal politics.

Exploring the Benjamin Franklin Effect

The things you do often create the things you

believe.

How can requesting kindness cause a person

to change his or her opinion about you?

How can asking for a favour turn a hater into a

fan?

Interpersonal CommunicationD

efini

tion A process through

which people exchange information, feelings, and meaning through verbal and non-verbal messages: it is face-to-face communication.

Appl

icati

on

The use of languageThe use of Non-Verbal CuesThe layers of meaning that lie within or can be inferred from what was said or unsaid based on the frame of reference of the participants in the communication process

About Interpersonal Skills

…are sometimes also referred to as people skills or

communication skills.

Interpersonal skills are how people relate to one another.

It involves using skills such as active listening, tone of voice,

delegation, and leadership. It is how well you communicate with

someone and how well you behave or carry yourself.

The term is used often in business contexts to refer to the measure of a person's ability to

operate within business organizations through social

communication and interactions.

Listening Skills

Stop Talking

Prepare Yourself to

Listen

Put the Speaker at

Ease

Remove Distractions

Empathise

Be Patient

Avoid Personal Prejudice

Listen to the Tone

Listen for Ideas – Not Just Words

Guidelines for Interpersonal Behaviour

Be properly prepared for meetings, interviews,

etc.

Behave in professional and responsible manner, keep emotions in check.

Be honest, objective and constructive.

Avoid negative or destructive behaviour.

Be helpful, supportive and value everyone you

work with.

Show interest in other people, their work and

ideas.

Accept advice or help and be prepared to offer

same.

Show willingness to carry out your fair share of

work with timeliness and diligence.

treat other people the way you wish to be

treated.

Dimensions of Interpersonal Exchanges

BASIC DIMENSIONS

The verbal aspects of such one- to-one exchanges have two basic dimensions:

1. Understanding2. Agreement

STATES OF AGREEMENT

1. Understanding AND Agreement

2. Understanding WITH Disagreement

3. Misunderstanding with Agreement

4. Misunderstanding WITH Disagreement

Dimensions of Interpersonal Exchanges

Understanding ANDAgreement

(Yes it’s alright)

Misunderstanding WITH Disagreement

(No and not alright)

Understanding WITH Disagreement

(Yes but not so)

Misunderstanding with Agreement

(No but alright)

Communication and Interpersonal Relationships

Two people that share

communication in any form have an

interpersonal relationship

People who learn how to develop interpersonal

relationships with most everyone they

meet certainly experience more

success in life than those who don’t.

Effective and personal

communication stands at the heart

of every relationship

The Role and the Need for Relationships

Need for inclusion

Need for control

Need for affection

• The degree with which we establish and maintain mutual interest

• The need to establish satisfactory levels of influence and power

• The need to offer love to others, as well as receive love from others

Stages in Relationship Building

Initiating

Experimenting

Intensifying

Integrating

Bonding

Stages in Relationship in Disintegration

Differentiation Circumscribing Stagnating

Avoiding Termination

2. Power and Influence

Power Defined

Capacity• the capacity of a person, team,

or organization to produce effects on others.

Potential

• People have power they don’t use and may not know they possess

• Power requires one person’s perception of dependence on another person

Types of Power• Power of knowledge

• Here roles can sometimes be reversed between Bosses and subordinates

Expert Power

• Ability to impact others or effect change based on the strength of relationship between the leader and followers

• This power is based more on relationship than statusReferent Power

• Status and position backed power• This is usually official

Legitimate Power

• Potential to impact others based on control over the distribution of rewards or desired resources.Reward Power

• The potential to impact others or effect change through the administration of negative sanctions

• The court martial is a vivid exampleCoercive Power

Dynamics of Power

LegitimateCoercive Rewar

d

Referent

Expert

Positional Resources Personal Resources

Personal & Positional resources need not be mutually exclusive

Control over information Persuasiveness

Positional Versus Personal

The Role of Power

With power you can…

Intercede favorably on

behalf of someone in

trouble

Get a desirable

placement for a

talented subordinate

Get approval for

expenditures beyond the

budget

Get items on and off

agendas

Get fast access to decision makers

Maintain regular,

frequent contact with

decision makers

Acquire early information

about decisions and policy

shifts

Influence

Definition

The degree of actual change as a result of

power

DynamicsCan be manipulative,

inappropriate or dishonest

Knowing about these makes you aware of their use by others

Influence Strategies

Retribution

ReciprocityReason

Application

• Produces immediate effect based on rigid specifications• Creates resistance, resentment, alienation• Stifles initiative and innovationRetribution

• Produced result without friction• Depends largely on trust• May be time-wasting due to need for boss-subordinate

negotiationsReciprocity

• Relies on logic and principles to produce results• Demands time based on the need to set-up process for

establishing evidence and advance logicReason

Influence Tactics

Rational persuasion

Exchange of benefits

Pressure tactics

IngratiationAppeals to authority

(legitimating tactics)

Consultation

Inspirational appeals

Personal appeals Coalition tactics

Upwards appeals

Yukl, 89; Yukl & Van Fleet 92

The Confluence of Power and Influence at Play

Logical PersuasionEXPERT

Inspirational Appeals REFERENT

Appeals to authorityLEGITIMATE

Exchange benefits REWARD

Pressure Tactics COERCIEVE

Power and Information

Control over information flow

Based on legitimate

power

Relates to formal

communication network

Common in centralized structures

(wheel pattern)

Power and Organizational Politics

Organizational Power Plays

Trading Blames

Controlling Information

Forming Alliances

Cultivating Networks

Creating Obligations

Managing Impressions

Dynamics of Organizational Politics

The People aligned with

Power benefits

Those who know how to cope with

organizational uncertainties gain power

Develop reputation as expert

Time spent on relationship should be based on work needs

Develop network of resource persons who can be called upon for

assistance

Choose correct combination of

influence tactics based on objective and target

to be influenced

Communicate influence tactics effectively

5 Steps to Become an Influential Manager

Stemming Political Tendencies within an Organisation

Increase• Resources• Clear Rules• Shared

Information• Opportunity for

Dialogue

Decrease• Political Norms• Political Employees• Peer Pressure

Thank you