The concept of “expert power” has been around since the early days of social science. Expert power is an important concept when it comes to making decisions, both in the workplace and in personal life. It is the ability to influence the behavior of others through one’s knowledge and expertise. This power can be used for both good and bad, depending on the situation. It is important to understand expert power and how it can be used to influence decision-making. In this blog post, we will explore what expert power is, and how it can be used effectively. We’ll also look at some examples of when expert power has been used successfully, and when it has failed. By the end of this post, you will have a better understanding of expert power and how to use it to your advantage.
Expert Power
What are the benefits of expert power?
The following are some advantages that expert power can bring to your workplace:
It can help motivate your team
This skill can help motivate your team if you are a team leader with expert power because it instills confidence in them. If the project manager uses their expertise to make knowledgeable decisions about strategies and goals, the team may be more enthusiastic about the project.
It can help further your career
Whether you are a team leader or not, your coworkers may pay attention when you demonstrate the greatest level of expertise in a field. This is especially true if the project or task at hand pertains to a field in which you excel. Your expertise demonstrates your capacity for productive work, and it can also boost your reputation personally, giving you more sway at work.
It makes your team more capable
Your team will be more effective when working on various tasks if you have more members with specialized knowledge. A team with a variety of experts is more assured because they can handle a variety of challenges with ease. This could also increase their manager’s confidence in distributing a variety of projects to the team because they can assign tasks based on the team members’ varying levels of expertise.
What is expert power?
Expert power is the capacity for an employee, regardless of level of seniority, to demonstrate expertise in a field or circumstance. For instance, if a particular employee is the only one in the department who is knowledgeable about how to use a particular piece of software, that employee will be considered to have expert power. A department’s ability to handle a variety of tasks and projects depends on how well-rounded its overall skill set is.
What are the drawbacks of expert power?
Although expert power can benefit any office department, there are a few disadvantages. The following are a few negative effects of expert power in the workplace:
Expert power diminishes the more you use it
Although having expert power increases your and your team’s effectiveness, using it will always reduce it. For instance, performing a complex audit in front of your entire auditing team several times per year will eventually teach them how to imitate your skill. Consider expanding your knowledge through ongoing research so that, even after sharing some of it with your colleagues, you still possess more knowledge than them in your field of expertise.
Expert power requires maintenance
By continually advancing your knowledge, you acquire and maintain expert power. This implies that your knowledge should advance as information does. For instance, a historian should remain informed about historical theory by reading material and staying current with academic discussions in this field.
Examples of expert power
Here are some examples of expert power in the workplace:
Expert power in team members
An employee who is the sole Spanish speaker in their department has expert authority in this situation, especially if learning another language opens up opportunities to take on new projects. The employee can work with clients whose first language is Spanish and translate documents using this expert power. When requesting a promotion to a new position or more responsibilities, an employee may take into consideration using this expert power if it is advantageous to the department.
Expert power in a manager
When taking on new projects for the company, a manager who excels at persuasion could help a department flourish. A manager with this level of expertise may be better able to present concepts to senior leadership and use their persuasion skills to better guide their team in various projects. Additionally, the manager might be able to handle potential disputes better or establish higher standards for the division.
How to develop expert power
Consider the following steps for developing expert power:
1. Choose a topic to study
Spend some time studying the subject, industry, or skill in which you are interested. If you want to become an expert coder, you might think about taking formal courses or learning this skill from online resources, then continuing to practice it on your own time.
2. Take workplace opportunities
Only if you display expert power at work can you use it. Try to confidently demonstrate your abilities when necessary throughout the course of your workday to demonstrate the knowledge you’ve acquired on the subject. Although it might take some time, practicing your skills is an important step in becoming proficient.
3. Develop leadership skills
Having leadership abilities may help you demonstrate your expert power. Your coworkers, managers, and external stakeholders can benefit from your expertise in a given area if you are confident and able to express your ideas clearly. If you eventually want to pursue a more formal leadership role within your workplace, leadership skills are also beneficial.
FAQ
Why is expert power important?
An individual on the team who is the only one in the area to understand a particular language, write code in a particular computer programming language, or has first-hand knowledge of the market or conditions is an example of an expert power.
What is expert power in politics?
According to management professor Gary A. Yukl, in order to effectively lead people, expert power is more crucial than reward-based or coercive power. Your team will probably be more receptive to your efforts to guide them if you have expert power, and you’ll find it simpler to inspire them to perform to their full potential.
Who can possess expert power?
Results. Expert power is the ability of a person to shape others’ opinions, attitudes, and behaviors through the dissemination of information as a result of having knowledge and abilities that are respected by others.
