Power and the Professional

No matter who you are or what you aim to achieve, power determines whether you succeed or fail. But while power dynamics permeate every interaction in the workplace, the concept is very poorly understood or managed in practice. Everyone has influence over some people and is under the influence of others, and must choose how to deal with these realities in daily interactions. This book offers a comprehensive and applied understanding of power in a professional scenario: where it comes from, how it moves and what that means in practice for how professionals work together.

Drawing on numerous recent case studies, this book offers a toolbox that anyone can apply, including explanations of the different forms of power, the two ways power can move between parties, the perils of power, how to create accountability, the intersection of power and ethics, and tools for maintaining power relationships with both superiors and subordinates. It provides employers and employees alike the means to understand, manage, and exert the power necessary to control their own circumstances.

Gordon W.F. Young is the principal of Ethilogical Consulting, offering training, governance, and strategic investigation and redevelopment to organizations of all sizes and sectors. He lectures on professional ethics at RMIT University, and sits on the board of Laneway Learning. He lives in Melbourne, Australia.

Gordon W.F. Young

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 253
Bibliographic Info: 15 photos, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2020
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7613-5
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3888-1
Imprint: McFarland

Introduction 1
1. The Nature of Power 5
2. The Seven Forms of Power 15
3. Power Dynamics 33
4. The Perils of Power 57
5. Power Versus Ethics 78
6. Accountability 108
7. Power in Practice 124
8. Managing Down 140
9. Managing Down—Structural Factors 160
10. Managing Up 174
11. Managing Up—Structural Factors 195
12. Conclusion 206
Chapter Notes 213
Bibliography 228
Index 241