Whether we are supporting teams and organisations on their path to self-organisation or reflecting on our own process at Socius: power is a recurring topic that, on the one hand, needs to be discussed urgently, but on the other hand often causes a great deal of discomfort. 

Power is usually held by „the others“; we prefer to call it „responsibility“. Power has something to do with hierarchies and we want to at least reduce it, if not eliminate it altogether; many of us associate the concept of power primarily with the abuse of power.

There are already many articles in which power is portrayed in a positive light: Creative power, shared power, decision-making power, power with others instead of power over them. Power brings freedom (and can restrict freedom). Or as Hannah Arendt puts it: „Power arises from the human ability not only to act or do something, but to join forces with others and act in concert with them. Power is never wielded by an individual; it is inherent in Group ownership and only remains in existence as long as the group stays together.“ She goes on to explain that the power of individuals has always been conferred upon them by a group. 

Dealing with our own power is part of the inner work that is so essential in self-organisation. 

It is important to use one's power responsibly. This is probably clear to everyone, and in self-organised teams we like to make use of the Working with roles and the role board to distribute both power and responsibility more evenly within the team. 

So we have a whole range of tools that can help us as a team to distribute power, reflect on power differences and find a conscious way of dealing with them. 

At the same time, both at SOCIUS and in the organisations and teams we support, we find that dealing with and discussing personal power is always a major challenge. 

Addressing structural power relations

For example, I still find it difficult to address structural power relations and imbalances, e.g. between men and women, when the men I would have to discuss this with are such kind, open-minded people, and I am concerned that they might feel offended when I “simply” want to reflect on a dynamic. 

The reason why I find this so difficult is usually because it is not about one (1) dynamic, but mostly about a multitude of them. And while we talk about the structural distribution of power between men* and women*, age, educational background, biographical experiences (of discrimination) and a number of other dimensions that structurally endow us with power (or not) may also play a role.
In organisations, in addition to personal and social structural factors, these often include functions/positions that are titled and associated with a prestigious status in society.
A few years ago, our team decided to do away with the terms "management" and "board members" because we realised that these terms not only have an external impact, but also an internal one. Today, all consultants who are members of the cooperative are authorised to represent the cooperative and thus have the same legal rights and responsibilities. At the formal/structural level, we have shared power within our organisation. 

Nevertheless, the challenge remains to make the socio-structural dimensions that affect us so personally open to discussion.
To make this challenge easier to master, the work on ranking by Arnold and Amy Mindell is extremely useful. 

Rank dynamics from process work

In process work according to Arnold and Amy Mindell, the term „rank“ refers to a dynamic position or role that people occupy within a system or group. The concept of rank is closely linked to the idea of power, but it refers not only to formal authority or hierarchy, but also to informal influences and dynamics.

In a group or system, individuals can occupy different ranks based on various factors, such as personal characteristics, social positions, specialist knowledge, biographical experiences or emotional expressiveness. 

People with higher status often have more influence or authority in a group, while people with lower status may have less influence or be dominated by others.

An important aspect of rank in process work is the recognition and awareness of the different ranks within a group. This is not about higher ranks being quietly acknowledged by lower ones, especially since there is no such thing as high/low rank anyway, but rather about recognising that we encounter each other in different ranks depending on the context. 

Problems can arise when differences in rank are not recognised or reflected, which can lead to conflict, oppression or exclusion. The perception of differences in rank is much more noticeable for people in lower ranks than for those in higher ones. It becomes particularly “confusing” when the ranks „interact“ dynamically with each other in different dimensions. 

When ranks play with each other

As a lawyer, I have experienced extensive recognition for many decades whenever I mention that I have passed two state examinations and worked in the field of family law. By making such a statement, I can immediately elevate myself to a higher position (e.g. in unfamiliar settings), where I feel more confident.

In the SOCIUS team, I get the impression that my studies play no role whatsoever in everyday life and that *my* perception of rank My colleague with a master's degree in organisational development is significantly higher than me in terms of education. However, because I have been with SOCIUS for much longer and have lived longer than she has, meaning that I have more life experience and more experience in supporting organisational development processes, she perceives me as being significantly higher in rank, whereas I think that, unlike me, she has worked for many years as a manager in a large state organisation and has professional experience that I cannot draw on. 

So we often both strive to perceive the other as being of lower rank. With this dynamic, we stand in the way of ourselves and each other when in doubt. 

One goal of process work is to make the dynamics of rank within a group conscious and thus discussable, and to create opportunities for people of different ranks to interact with each other respectfully and constructively. This can help to create a supportive and equitable environment in which all members of the group can contribute their skills and perspectives.

The aspect of dynamic position, which in living systems leads to many of us having different ranks at the same time and these „playing“ with each other. 

With its reflections on the topic of „rank,“ process work gives us a good opportunity to make power and hierarchies – which lie outside the formal sphere – conscious and discussable, and thus, especially in self-organised settings, to find a language for expressing the fact that ranks are still effective even when we are formally equal.

Rank types Description 

[Sources: Institute for Process Work … ]