Power and Influence
POWER AND INFLUENCE
If the population decided collectively that they did not want to obey the laws of a country, there is little that the police or the government could do about it. Why, then do people generally do what the government wants and, within the working situation, why do people do what their line manager wants, most of the time?
The consequences of refusing may be the most obvious reason. However, most requests, by a line manager, are not "sacking" offences and most people do not comply with the requests on the basis of fear of the punishment, if they do not.
The same applies to the role of Coding Specialist / Trainer while some of what you suggest will be a legal or organisational requirement most things will not.
For most people complying with the requests of a manager or other person with power in an organisation has two primary aspects to it. Firstly, there is the concern about the consequences of not doing as asked. The organisation you work for pays your wages. As a result, most people give their time and effort to the job in repayment. In addition, however, a manager or other person is often in a position to reward them with even more than their pay. This ability to reward takes many forms, from praise and recognition, to the opportunities for advancement and promotion. Furthermore, there is often an interpersonal element to the relationship. The person may do as asked because their relationship is good or they want it to be that way.
This two-pronged approach to management or leadership is sometimes referred to as ‘power and influence’ with power, being the exercise of the more negative aspects and influence being on the positive and encouraging side They are both present in the relationship between anyone in a management or leadership position and the person who works for them or is responsible to them.
The easiest way to examine the concepts is through your own experience.
Practical Exercise: Power
If the population decided collectively that they did not want to obey the laws of a country, there is little that the police or the government could do about it. Why, then do people generally do what the government wants and, within the working situation, why do people do what their line manager wants, most of the time?
The consequences of refusing may be the most obvious reason. However, most requests, by a line manager, are not "sacking" offences and most people do not comply with the requests on the basis of fear of the punishment, if they do not.
The same applies to the role of Coding Specialist / Trainer while some of what you suggest will be a legal or organisational requirement most things will not.
For most people complying with the requests of a manager or other person with power in an organisation has two primary aspects to it. Firstly, there is the concern about the consequences of not doing as asked. The organisation you work for pays your wages. As a result, most people give their time and effort to the job in repayment. In addition, however, a manager or other person is often in a position to reward them with even more than their pay. This ability to reward takes many forms, from praise and recognition, to the opportunities for advancement and promotion. Furthermore, there is often an interpersonal element to the relationship. The person may do as asked because their relationship is good or they want it to be that way.
This two-pronged approach to management or leadership is sometimes referred to as ‘power and influence’ with power, being the exercise of the more negative aspects and influence being on the positive and encouraging side They are both present in the relationship between anyone in a management or leadership position and the person who works for them or is responsible to them.
The easiest way to examine the concepts is through your own experience.
Practical Exercise: Power