Power Balance and Goal Alignment
Initiative in the workplace is influenced by many factors yet ultimately comes down to the person being more or less: inspired • committed • compliant • complacent • incompetent.
An important aspect of working with and through others, is enhanced by addressing Power Balance and Goal Alignment. Consider these four situations where coaching makes a difference:
- Collaboration: power balanced, goals aligned
- Negotiation: power balanced, goals not aligned
- Influence: power imbalanced, goals aligned
- Domination: power imbalanced, goals not aligned
All four examples of power and alignment bring challenges. Not surprisingly, the most unstable is situation #4 where power balance and goal alignment are both low. When this occurs the party without the power feels dominated or oppressed by the other. Domination is obviously an extremely uncomfortable condition, with individuals and groups who are dominated tending to respond with behaviors like defensiveness and sarcasm. Domination is likely present if you notice colleagues are avoiding topics (give up), are cutting off communication (stonewall), are actively trying to make others look bad (sabotage) and seem to be aggressive (open conflict).
Ready to look closer at power and goal alignment
Descriptions adapted from: Power Strategies Model, John Eldred