If the population decided collectively that they did not want to obey the laws of
a country, there is little that the police or the government could do about it.
Why, then do people generally do what the government wants and, within the
working situation, why do people do what their line manager wants, most of
the time?
The same applies to the role of Coding Specialist / Trainer while some of what
you suggest will be a legal or organisational requirement most things will not.
For most people complying with the requests of a manager or other person
with power in an organisation has two primary aspects to it. Firstly, there is
the concern about the consequences of not doing as asked. The organisation
you work for pays your wages. As a result, most people give their time and
effort to the job in repayment. In addition, however, a manager or other
person is often in a position to reward them with even more than their pay.
This ability to reward takes many forms, from praise and recognition, to the
opportunities for advancement and promotion. Furthermore, there is often an
interpersonal element to the relationship. The person may do as asked
because their relationship is good or they want it to be that way.
The easiest way to examine the concepts is through your own experience.
Practical Exercise: Power
Identify the people who have exercised power in your life. That is those
people who have been able to force you to do things against your will.
For some with power, the source is clear, their ability to remove your livelihood
is an obvious source of power, as is the fact that they are bigger or stronger
than you. For others, the power source is not as clear. You feel you have to
do as you are told but there is no obvious penalty for not doing so. It may be
helpful to think of power as coming from a number of sources, as follows:
Traditional Power
This is the power exercised by, for example, a member of government,
religious leaders or other ruling class. We listen to them because of who they
are and because of the traditional loyalty and respect we have for the position.
We also obey because they expect us to.
In addition the Coding Specialist / Trainer will have the power of the law on his
/ her side.
A further aspect of this relates to someone who is particularly good at his / her
job. In many cases, a manager is given that position because he / she is the
best at doing the work of the department that he / she manages. Some of
their power comes from that.
Sometimes fear of not obeying, comes not from what the person might do, but
rather from the fear of the consequences of the person withdrawing their
protection in other words, a fear of others
Power seldom comes from just one of these sources. Most people with power
have a mixture of all three. As a Coding Specialist / Trainer, what are the
sources of your power?
Identify a person who has influenced you, preferably, in your working life (no
names needed). If you choose someone from outside work, the exercise is
more likely to be successful if you do not choose your spouse or partner. The
person may still work with you or be a previous colleague or manager. Your
first line manager or a school teacher, are common choices.
Think of examples of things this person said or did that influenced you? In
particular, if this person helped to develop an enthusiasm or interest or a set
of values or standards that you may not have had otherwise
How has their behaviour been different from others, who were in a
similar position to influence, but did not?
Trust
Mutual Respect
Knowledge
Credibility
Clear Instructions
Constructive Feedback