Laura is a team leader of a marketing group. The group has met for many years, and the members know each other well. They also have the shared history and purpose of the group. However, the team is not performing at its peak because members do not commit fully to the team, which is a basic premise for successful group meetings. The team leader wants the members to be more committed to the group. To get the members more committed, Laura will need to use the five bases of power to lead within the group setting: coercive, reward, legitimate, referent, and expert (Finney, 2008). Each of the five areas of power can be manipulated by Laura to get the members more committed.
Coercion is one example of base power that Laura will comfortably use. There are two forms of coercion. One is to threaten, “If you don’t contribute to the meeting, you will be fired,” which is a strong motivator for most team members. However, this threat is risky. It might work but backfire because sometimes people do not respond to threats. The other form of coercion threatens the group (Finney, 2008). However, this may not be successful as the group is a mutual-self commitment, not just an individual-based commitment. Still, it can be a good plan. However, one must be careful to use it at the right time and in the right way.
Reward is another method Laura will use in getting the members to commit to the group. Rewards can be tangible, such as praise or positive feedback. They can also be intangible, such as social validation or recognition from outside the group. Rewards can also be monetary, which, because most teams are not self-funded, can be another way to get the members to contribute more to the group (Finney, 2008). Laura will reward the group members based on what they do for the team.
In addition, legitimate as a base of power is another one Laura may use. This shows the group that they matter and that their opinions are essential. To do this, Laura could bring in a presentable person to speak on a subject or have a guest speaker present a speech. Including all the members in this would be appropriate, or selecting a smaller group of members from the group. In addition, an expert is another power base that Laura will use to make the group more successful. Laura can share her skills and knowledge of the subject and other related subjects (Finney, 2008). It is also appropriate to share the personal experiences the group has had as well. It would not be out of place to tell a few personal stories, such as stories about a recent company event, which may have gone well, or stories about the group. Laura can also use her expertise. For example, Laura can tell the group about a book or movie that would be useful to them. Laura will also be interested in receiving ideas, suggestions, and feedback from the group.
Furthermore, this base power is based on charisma, such as Laura’s personality, being an authority figure, or being an expert. This is the most straightforward way to get the members to help the team because Laura can demand that they support and expect that they will respond to this demand. Laura can do this in several ways. First, Laura can be polite and treat the members well. This shows her ability to lead through referent power (Finney, 2008). Second, Laura can show the members respect and appreciation for what they have done for the team. This indicates that the members should feel honored and essential, so they will be motivated to help out.
Lastly, the expert is another power base Laura will use to make the group more successful. Laura can share her skills and knowledge of the subject and other related subjects. It is also appropriate to share the personal experiences the group has had as well. It would not be out of place to tell a few personal stories, such as stories about a recent company event, which may have gone well, or stories about the group. One method to get experts on board is to give them a “seat at the table,” allowing them to participate in the meeting. This will show the members that the experts are involved, giving them status and power because they are not just observers. The expert members will have more legitimacy and authority if they have a good influence on the team (Finney, 2008). This will make the team more likely to agree on what is best for them and give each member what they need. Laura can also use her expertise. For example, Laura can tell the group about a book or movie that would be useful to them. Laura will also be interested in receiving ideas, suggestions, and feedback from the group.
References
Finney, M. I. (Ed.). (2008). Building high-performance people and organizations (Vol. 1). ABC-CLIO.
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