Picture the scene. Village pub alongside the picturesque River Severn. New Years Eve celebrations, big and burly farm workers and village lads mixing it up with plenty of cider.
Who would you want behind the bar?
- Caron – charismatic, magnetic and attractive or
- Tom – big and burly. Tattoos, tough and terrifying and 25 years a barman or
- Ivan – the proprietor. In charge, has his name above the door.
That was the predicament my son and I faced in the car last night as I brought him home after his pot washing stint at the Red Lion in Wainlodes. These three people were usually behind the bar at the Red Lion but not all the time. Tom and Caron both live locally and Ivan lives upstairs at the pub.
Who would be more persuasive and influential?
Caron would use Personal Power whereas Tom would use Coercive and Expert and Ivan Positional and Reward Power.
Let’s continue the scene just before mid-night. Trouble brewing. Two lads, both prop forwards for the local rugby club, begin bantering a little too loudly. It appears that one has been focussing too much attention on the others’ girlfriend. Recipe for chaos.
- Caron, would swiftly recognise and sense the tension, engage with them both, calming the scene immediately. A crowd would gather; there would be humour and goodwill.
- Tom would use his physical presence to intimidate them both, threatening to bar them if they carried on.
- Ivan would offer them both a drink on the house if they calm down.
All different but each persuasive. A demonstration of the 5 powers – positional, reward, coercive, expert and personal.
Who do you think would be most successful?
