Influencing Others With Eldred's Power Strategies

Welcome to Mind Tools' video learning series.

We all have to work with other people, and, for the most part, this is a rewarding and productive part of our jobs.

But sometimes things can get challenging when you work with people who've got more or less power than you, or a different set of goals.

This can lead to conflict, make it difficult to achieve your objectives, and create an environment of tension and distrust.

Eldred's Power Strategies can help you to deal with these tricky power imbalances.

Professor John Eldred identified four strategies people use to exert power: Collaboration, Influence, Negotiation, and Domination. By understanding these power dynamics, Eldred's Power Strategies can help you to exert personal power in ways that benefit everyone.

First, you need to assess the balance of power between you and a co-worker.

Ask yourself:

• Who has the most influence when you make decisions together?
• Who has the final say?
• Who's more likely to start important discussions?
• And who tends to lead conversations?

Then, have an open and honest discussion with your co-worker to compare and contrast your individual goals.

Do any of your objectives overlap? Or, do you have any shared interests or areas where you could collaborate?

Finally, you need to identify the most effective power strategy for your situation. You can do this by plotting your differences in power and goal alignment on the Power Strategies Grid. This will show you the most effective strategy for your particular relationship. The vertical axis represents the power balance between two individuals, and the horizontal axis represents the extent to which goals complement or conflict with one another.

When your goals are similar, and the levels of power are balanced, Collaboration is the natural strategy to adopt.

But, you'll still need to invest time and effort in the relationship, and promote the results of your work together.

Influence is the best strategy to adopt if your goals are well aligned but power is unequal.

In this situation, look for ways you can inform and support one another.

On the flip side, in situations where power is equal, but your goals are different, a negotiation strategy is the best course of action.

Start by identifying some common ground and seek to find a compromise. Remember to focus on the bigger picture, not just on your own goals.

Finally, when your objectives are different and there is a power imbalance, it's likely the person with more power will end up dominating the other.

This is a "lose-lose" position and can lead to resentment and stress.

Work together to redress the balance of power or find a way to realign your goals so that you can work on them collaboratively.

To learn more about Eldred's Power Strategies and how to deal with power imbalances, read the article that accompanies this video.