Sources of Power and Methods of Managing Conflict

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Please see response attached.

1. Identify the source(s) of power available to you as the marketing assistant.
Example 1:
Knowledge is your personal power in today's workplace. Knowledge, skills and experience are your power as the marketing assistant (i.e., conflict management skills, personal knowledge, relational power, marketing knowledge, etc.), as well. In other words, knowledge of yourself, knowledge of handling conflict, knowledge of the group that you are working with, effective communication skills, etc. Clearly this ties into the two questions addressed below, as conflict management skills and communication skills are the types of knowledge that give you power as the marketing assistant. Good communications skills provide you with power by effectively communicating your needs to others, help you manage conflict effectively, help to communicate your opinions to other's etc. Managing conflict effectively and negotiating with team members (using the skills discussed below) give you power. Decision making power comes from having these skills at your disposal at all times.
Personal power comes from within. Fully understand what you want, desire and seek from your position as marketing assistance. Create and maximize your career advancement opportunities. Market yourself more effectively within your company and beyond. Gain insight and leverage the fundamental differences between what motivates individuals and organizations. Promote your ideas and unique value within your work environment. With absolute clarity, understand and separate who you are from what you do. Self-confidence and self-mastery skills are very important (http://www.perfectagent.com/PAWeb/PA/NLI/knowledge_NLI.shtml). In other words, your power as a marketing assistant is the ability or capacity to act in the right way and at the right time.
You also need general marketing knowledge (and perhaps experience).
Example 2: General Marketing Knowledge & Experience
• Understanding of marketing concepts/processes
• Awareness of the importance of data quality in a marketing process
• Familiarity with organizational charts and business functions within private and public organizations
• Experience in related area of assignment preferred.
Competencies
• Very precise and structured
• Analytical, creative problem solving skills
• Able to work autonomously and in team.
(Source: http://www.sas.com/offices/europe/belux/jobs/DB_Marketing_Assistant.html).

For example, if the situation calls for resolution of conflict within a project staff team, your power comes from knowledge of conflict management in a group: E.g. facilitating a constructive problem solving dialogue with key individuals or groups when there is a conflict. Clarify the consequences of not resolving differences, identify potential opportunities for compromise, and summarize the benefits of reaching a mutual resolution for everyone involved. Then go through the conflict management steps listed below: identify the problem; come up several possibilities, etc.

If the situation is dealing with a difficult staff member, your power comes from using the communications skills (as listed below) to effectively manage these people within the group to minimize the effect, and so on.

Example 3: Article (Excerpt - although these strategies are related to sales negotiation, some are also relevant to the marketing assistant)
Negotiating power plays a major role in every type of negotiation, whether it's a labor negotiation, political negotiation, or a buy-sell negotiation. Both the buyer and the seller have power in a negotiation. Power is each side's perception of its strength or weakness in comparison to the other. This perception of power affects the ability of each party to achieve its own goals, and the more negotiating power you have in comparison to that of your buyer, the fewer concessions you'll have to make. For each party in a negotiation, there are eight sources of power. These are need, options, time, relationships, investment, credibility, knowledge, and skills. To remember the eight sources of power just remember the acronym NO TRICKS.

N stands for need. The essential question here is: who needs this sale more, the buyer or the Seller? The more intense the buyer's need, the more power the Seller has. The more intense your need to make the sale, the more power your buyer will have.

The "O" in no tricks stands for options. What are the options for each party if an agreement is not reached?

A buyer who believes that your ...