Personal power in the workplace

Personal power in the workplace has no connection to position or rank. It refers to the power a person has to influence others using the personal traits and qualities unique to that person. Your personal power is that character trait or bit of knowledge that could possibly make you a valued member of the team. Personal power has been described as a confident, thoughtful use of your abilities.

Source of personal power

Personal power can be vested in personality traits such as charm, charisma or integrity. Someone with charm can easily win over colleagues to buy in, for example, on new policy, because people like him or her. Someone who is perceived as a person of integrity can convince others to buy specific products because of the trust that person’s integrity creates.

Personal power can also be vested in knowledge or expertise on a specific subject. Someone with knowledge of social media and the Internet will be an indispensable member of the team when a company wants to promote its products to a wider audience. A person with technical computer knowledge can make valuable and practical suggestions when the time comes to upgrade the office network.

Value of personal power at work

Personal power is a power that is mostly underrated. It can be a very valuable tool in advancing your career or even just for securing your work position.

The key is to recognise your individual talents or knowledge, and to have the confidence to share these with colleagues. This will allow everyone to benefit from what you bring, while cementing your value in the work setup.

Sources
Cautrey, C. Personal power and influence. Retrieved from https://www.learntoinfluence.com/personal-power-and-influence/
Johnson, S. The three types of workplace personal power. Retrieved from http://woman.thenest.com/three-types-workplace-personal-power-19670.html

(Revised by M van Deventer)