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The “Not So Dirty” Five-letter Word: The Use of Power In Change Management

Guest post by: Joe Evans

Article Overview: It turns out that power, when applied appropriately, is exactly what it takes to promote action and make transformation happen. But it needs to be the right type of power. In this article on change management, we review the types of power available to organizations, referred to as "Power Centers" and discuss how to best leverage them. Potential change agents tend to possess power, but some “power types” are better than others when it comes to selecting change agents.

The “Not So Dirty” Five-letter Word: The Use of Power In Change Management



Why is it that most managers shy away from the “power” word? This appears especially true in a society where attitudes of entitlement prevail and empowerment is a popular leadership notion. The word “power” has negative connotations. Yet a dictionary definition of power is the “ability to act or produce an effect”. It turns out that power, when applied appropriately, is exactly what it takes to promote action and make transformation happen. But it needs to be the right type of power.

In this post, we will review the types of power, referred to as "Power Centers" and discuss how to best leverage them.

Potential change agents tend to possess power, but some “power types” are better than others when it comes to selecting change agents.



Coercive Power Coercive power is often held by an individual with the ultimate authority to fire subordinates. While the mere threat of coercive power may be enough to elicit a reaction from employees, it is insufficient to produce the type of “game-changing” change we seek from a change agent. Instead, coercive power often produces covert defiance and resistance among individuals – the opposite of what we’re looking for.

Formal Power Formal power gives an individual the power to change corporate structures, create new compensation systems, and allocate resources differently. While these elements are essential, when looking at strategic transformation it is not enough, in and of itself, to produce game-changing change.

Expert Power Expert power is a necessary ingredient in the transformation process, and one that we should look for in a change agent. These leaders tend to have a positive impact on staff members who believe recognize and respect the leader’s expertise and track record. These leaders as believed to have a unique ability to see the organization more clearly and understand problems more accurately than anyone else in the organization.

Moral Power Moral power can be another effective quality of a change agent. These leaders look to seize the organizational high ground by using inspirational language to define the organization’s vision. Of course, for a vision to be effective, a leader must embody its tenets. And the vision must be believable and authentic. It is not worthwhile to preach product quality when employees see that is really being rewarded is the number of products that are released.

Referent Power Celebrities, patriotism, and other well-respected people hold referent power. Wikipedia defines referent power quite appropriately as, “Individual power based on a high level of identification with, admiration of, or respect for the power holder.” Those with referent power inside your organization are excellent candidates to become change agents as their influence and leadership are driven by the value and respect others have of them.

Relationship Power Relationship power can also be an effective quality in a change agent. This type of power is derived from competencies such as humor, charm, and great soft skills. Relationship power is held by people in many types of relationships and is hallmarked by the, “do it for me” favor.

Six Ways to Effectively Use Power Centers

• Destabilize - Create a crisis or hire a change agent that will be empowered to shake people up.
• Communicate - Clearly articulate an inspired vision for the change and the overall organization.
• Defuse Resistance - Exploit channels of influence, like relationship power. Fragment old alliances, causing the organization to create new alliances and establish power at lower levels within the ranks.
• Be Deliberate - Know human behaviors - and do not overlook them. Understand the needs and self-interests of staff members. By using some power to satisfy a portion of those needs, it is possible to create alignment with the transformation process.
• Dominate Sequence - Use the power as leader to determine how the change / transformation process will begin.
• Create Definitive “Systems” - Leaders need to be at every level of the organization to champion the transformation process. Those who have been selected as transformation leaders will need the appropriate training to know how they should behave, what is expected of them, how to operate in the changing environment and how to use their own power to carry out the change sequence. ¹

^{1 - Brill, Peter and Worth, Richard. The Four Levers of Corporate Change, New York: 1997}

Suggested Reading Download our Guide to Change Management

Our guide to successful change management, called "Transforming the Organization", is a 17 page complimentary resource to help your organization initiate a successful corporate change management program, accomplish organizational transformation and make it stick.

In this change management guide, we cover the following:

• Defining change management
• Exploring why change management is a big deal
• Examining why change management is considered difficult to do well
• Describing how to do change management effectively
• Discussing what challenges to expect during the change process
• Setting expectations about what to expect if change management is done well

Download Transforming the Organization in PDF format now.

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For permission to use or reprint any portions of this copyrighted article, contact Method Frameworks at articles@methodframeworks.com.

About the Author:

Joe Evans is the President and CEO of Method Frameworks. Joe is a published author, frequent speaker and recognized expert in corporate strategic planning. To contact Method Frameworks about scheduling Mr. Evans about an upcoming speaking engagement, visit www.methodframeworks.com/business-speaker or email requests to media_relations@methodframeworks.com.

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Article Tags: business transformation, change agents, change management, change management consulting, management consulting, method frameworks, organization development, transformation
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