By Kurt W. Mortensen
Have you ever known somebody that tears everybody around them down? No matter how well you do something, they never seem to acknowledge or appreciate it. These are people who have grown to rely on the 2nd Power Structure, or "Coercive Power." Instead of climbing the highest mountain, Coercive Power Players will climb the smallest one and blow up all the others so they are the only one on top.
This kind of power requires the least amount of planning and time; there is no need to convince someone with words when you get immediate results wit force or coercion. As the great mobster Al Capone said, "You can get more with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone!"
This type of power causes unwanted long-term Consequences. Coercive power is based on fear, and fear only lasts while the threat is present. This type of power does not require that belief or an inclination for true influence be created in order to work. I have seen coercion kill creativity, numb the human spirit, and create resentment and rebellion. Those who live by coercion die by coercion.
As you can probably tell, I don't advise using coercive power to persuade. It only works in the short term and will always come back to bite you. If you use blackmail, manipulation, and brute force to get what you want, you'll get yours back eventually.
For more information, contact John Page BCH CI at 435-256-0315 or visit www.lifeworkswest.com.
