The 7 Power Types-originally coined by psychologists John R. P. French and Bertram Raven-remains a useful tool in characterizing 7 distinct forms of power in the workplace.
Experts have since observed that all power types can be effective, and none are inherently ineffective. However, each has distinct limits, goals, and perceptions versus realities — while some contribute more than others to the long-term health of an organization.
Professional relationship dynamics can also be complex, making it difficult to understand which power type you’re using or experiencing, as well as its effects on workers over time. …
To say “we’re a family” in describing a workplace is an understandable impulse. After all, your team ideally does feel a sense of belonging and mutual respect in accomplishing goals — much like a supportive family would. However, family doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone, and it only takes one out-of-touch colleague’s use of the term to sour the idea of a work family for everyone else.
That said, fostering healthy workplace relationships takes more than word choice. Especially at the management level, you can’t just switch from calling employees a family to calling them a team and expect…
While many of us apologize habitually for minor reasons (or no reason at all!), genuine apologies come from recognizing a harm that’s been done and working to repair it. That’s where the hard part comes in: an apology requires both parties to be truly vulnerable by addressing fault.
Showing vulnerability can be difficult enough, but with apologizing, we encounter conflicting narratives that make us even more reluctant to say sorry — or believe others when they do.
One reason for this is that we’ve all encountered a fake apology. Studies have shown that people are more skeptical to believe apologies…
When management values solution-focused practices, employees feel heard, secure, and motivated to do their best work. Plus, your entire team can learn to communicate and collaborate by your example — which results in productive, efficient workflow.
Management styles vary across industries, corporate structure, and personal value systems, but anyone can incorporate these 4 techniques into their day-to-day leadership to create an open, inviting workplace environment.
Let employees know you’re available with an established, open-door communication policy. That way, internal conflicts can be resolved before they grow into a larger issue. Start with the right tone:
Set office hours or appointment…
When it comes to communication, you might think in terms of what to say and how to say it. Many people are naturally solution-oriented, so we tend to rush ahead in conversation; to plan and prioritize our personal points first.
Think about it: if you’re focused on what you’re going to say next, can you truly process what another person is saying? Without listening, you can’t inform your responses, and uninformed responses come off as they are: vague, rehearsed, counterintuitive, or worst: offensive and uncaring.
Active listening is exactly what it sounds like: meaning each party actively engages with the…
We’ve heard the term, “unprecedented times” so often in recent months that we’re all totally over it, but it is true: even if we’ve experienced a crisis before, we haven’t experienced an event exactly like this, and none of us all have all the answers.
Still, our work requires us to come together and collaborate each day. In this “new normal,” that means communicating with a wide array of digital tools. We’re being asked to employ these tools as efficiently, productively, and seamlessly as possible in lieu of in-person contact.
For the most part, we actually have been dominating the…
It requires toggling between the subjective and objective; identifying a truth known to you versus a truth known to someone else. It also requires an ability to observe all of those truths as impartially as possible. (That’s the really tough part.)
Transparency relies on passive acts, too: like listening, adapting, and collecting “data points” as they vary from person to person (or team of people!). Simply put: it takes a great deal of time and effort.
In this article, we’ll explore transparency on individual, team, and organizational levels. …
In addition to the fact that we’re pretty much socialized to avoid direct conflict at a young age, we have real, physiological responses to conflict that cause us to think or react on a much less evolved level than we’re actually capable of. The body is responding to a perceived attack or threat before the mind has a chance to think about it rationally.
What’s actually going on in our bodies when we’re faced with conflict? Why do most of us tend to dislike and avoid conflict so much, even when we know it’s better to deal with it directly?
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The bright side? We’re all in uncharted territory together. Managers, HR departments, and team members will have to work together to keep business going — not as usual, but as effectively as possible. This requires every level of business using their best judgment and individual talents to help ease the transition overall.
Generally, learning to do your job in a different environment is the easy part. The challenges come when you throw in communicating, holding people accountable (when you can’t swing by their desk), collaborating virtually, and coordinating across departments and teams.
Many of us were taught through behaviors modeled — perhaps by our parents, family members, bosses, and/or leaders — that being agreeable is important — especially at work.
Get along with your colleagues.
Be friendly.
Collaborate.
Don’t shut ideas down.
Don’t disagree with someone above your pay grade.
Try not to be the “squeaky wheel”.
Which means: we’re essentially taught that it’s better to ignore a problem and let resentment build than to address it directly and be seen as impolite and, therefore, unprofessional.
(Cue emphatic sigh.)
Luckily, things are changing. We’ve all (hopefully) seen it — if not in…
Workplace Conflict Coach, Trainer, and Mediator. Owner of ONE EIGHTY. To learn more, visit oneeighty.io