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How many times have you walked into a meeting, group, or workplace where power dynamics were at play? Whether you are the person in a position of power, or the person with the least amount of power in the room, there are action steps you can take and questions to be asked that can promote a more healthy distribution of power. What might we do to plan intentionally for addressing power differentials? Let's begin with building trust. This takes us right back to co-designing and co-learning, which were featured in our November newsletter. Trust is built with consistent, dependable behavior over time. How might you reflect on your own practice in relation to trust building? Supporting two-way communication and cultivating opportunities for mutual consultation might appear obvious, but these are equally important to identify for all participants in a meeting. Is the communication one-way? What feedback loops have you established to facilitate two-way communication in your organization, especially for those with power? While we fully acknowledge that addressing power differentials could be an entire life’s work, and that these differentials may be deeply connected to implicit bias, there are some places to get started in understanding the most basic definitions. Additional resources: Article - Exploring Power Dynamics in the Workplace by Kate Stitham. Stitham is an Organizational Development Consultant and Coach and President of the consulting firm Integrative Inquiry. Our partners at the National Implementation Research Network cite her often, since she marries theory to practice.
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