Understanding Positional Power
This post is the first in the 10 Steps to Healthy Cultural Change series.
Every company, no matter how holocratic or dictatorial, has a social network and a hierarchy. Your social network and your hierarchy influence positional power in different ways.
Founders, leaders, and managers, people who have been promoted, people who “review” others, people who control the flow of funds or other resources–all have positional power. If you have any sway with who gets hired, fired, a raise, access to work, what work is selected, etc. you have positional power. No matter how friendly, servant-leaderie, or super-wonderful you might think you are, you have positional power.
It’s real. With positional power comes positional responsibility. This is often a shock. “It’s me … Jim!” you might say (if your name is Jim). But your words, your actions, and people’s interpretations of what those mean have impacts you do not expect.
This all comes to a head when we want to create or lay the groundwork for positive change.
If you have even an ounce of positional power and you are about to inflict change (no matter how wonderful and beneficial you may think that change is) you need to understand that you are not bringing Christmas gifts from someone’s list — you are bringing a big plate of unknowns that people must immediately process. Your gift becomes a rule, a law, even a dictate. People must react.
The larger the change combined with lower the trust in the organization, will directly impact the megatons of reaction.
No one wants the status quo if it sucks. But almost no one wants a plate of steaming change foisted upon them on Monday morning. “Here’s something with a million variables in it, isn’t it great?!”
When we combine unknowns inherent in change with positional power, you get people saying “yes” or “okay” — but not participating in their own change. They take your good words, interpret them as edicts, and immediately resent you for it. Even if you think you are just giving suggestions. Yay! Power!
What’s worse is, their perception of your positional power will directly impact their perception of your motivations for wanting change. Again, the lower the trust, the higher the likelihood of a perception of ill-intent.
This reaction is really bewildering for most leaders who in turn perceive that power-distance as an indication that people “don’t want to change” or “are lazy” or “just want the status quo.” Now misunderstanding and resentment flow both ways.
In order to help change along, you must first come to grips with the fact that your positional power changes the meanings of the words you say and the actions you take. Learn to tread careful.
Jim Benson is the creator and co-author of Personal Kanban. His other books include Why Limit WIP, Why Plans Fail, and Beyond Agile. He is a winner of the Shingo Award for Excellence in Lean Thinking and the Brickell Key Award. He teaches online at Modus Institute and consults regularly, helping clients in all verticals create working system. He regularly keynotes Agile and Lean conferences, focusing on the future of work.
