All about power
Some people obviously like and grab for power to be the one who makes decisions. Others try to create the impression they were on the same level as the other. Both attitudes are a misunderstanding.
Leading thinkers of system theory define power as an asymmetrical relationship. A person has power if others perceive his or her function as more important than their own function. A person is powerful if he/she is less replaceable for the other person than the other way around.
Power relationships in organisations
Think of the visionary CEO who wouldn’t achieve a lot without the COO who ensures consistent strategy implementation. An employee needs green light from the line manager to implement his/ her ideas. It’s a mutual dependency if the line manager needs the creative ideas of the team member to shine internally.
Also very frequent: the rainmaker who generates revenues and does not behave according to formal or informal rules just because others depend on the money he or she makes. Also, the personal assistant of the most important person in an organisation is very powerful, what many people experience when they ask for an appointment.
Power means not to be replaceable. At least not in that moment and not in that specific question. Others cannot proceed or be successful without this person.
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Power relationships in family businesses
To avoid unhealthy power relationships, most companies try not to depend on individuals. Because the purpose of the company must be in the middle, and not the personal interest of individuals.
In family businesses, people have important roles because they are unique as a person and because of their relationships to other people. The idea is to depend on each other. The social dimension is more important than the factual level. That’s why decisions sometimes can be hard: the people involved do not discuss just the facts but also negotiate the power to influence a topic.
Strategy workshop for an owner family
I am excited about the task to design (again) a strategy workshop for the owner family of a medium-sized company. I am grateful for the trustful collaboration, and conscious about the responsibility to create a safe space to reflect the subtle power relationships and emotional dependencies in this highly energetic group.
They want to better clarify roles, and we will do that on both dimensions, on the social dimension and factual dimension. Because if the emotional dependencies are clear, the executive team will collaborate smoother, the team will be more effective and perform better, meetings will be shorter and also more fun.
Digitalisierung für die Gesundheitsversorgung der Zukunft - innovativ, menschlich und nachhaltig
11 个月Wunderbar - ich k?nnte mir gut vorstellen, dass der Ansatz, auf der Beziehungsebene und der Wertsch?tzung der Qualit?ten der einzelnen auch in anderen Unternehmen gut funktionieren k?nnte- denn oft sind das ja die Themen, um die es eigentlich geht und die ansonsten unter der Oberfl?che weiterbrodeln.