Positional power results from a manager’s title or role in the company hierarchy. In today’s workplace, power refers to the ability to influence other people and/or key business decisions.
Power relies on employee’s belief that the manager has the authority to tell them what to, and their willingness to comply. Many managers struggle to motivate performance using a myriad carrot and stick strategies, but employees have the free will to respond or not.
This is why strong managers lead people towards achieving successful outcomes with strong interpersonal skills. They learn that communication is a fluid process, which is situational. A managers intended message can be affected by the who, what, when, and where they choose to communicate. While managers are accountable to see activities are scheduled properly, goals progress, and assignments meet critical success factor(s), effective communication skills are essential to ensuring millennial employees buy-in or tune out. Managers who rely solely on flexing their positional power muscles may be disengaging a significant portion of their human resources.
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