You can have control or you can have growth. If you lead others, chances are you have heard this thought from somebody. Control is a natural tendency, whether it’s over others or situations and outcomes. Intellectually, this principle is easy to accept. When I bring it up with clients and in presentations, everyone nods their heads in agreement. Accepting it emotionally, however, is another matter. Try as we might, the temptation is too great, especially when we suspect what the outcome will be.
Here’s an example. Trista is a logistics director. She’s been with the firm for several years. She started out pulling product and making it ready for shipping. She’s been promoted to lead, then to supervisor and finally to shift manager. Her present responsibilities revolve around staffing, budgeting, compliance, forward planning. Yet she can’t resist the temptation to say something when she sees a mistake being made as she walks through the warehouse.
When she saw some stacking product incorrectly the other day, she stopped to admonish the person. This set off a cascade of conversations between the lead, the supervisor and the shift manager about who exactly is running the place. Trista meant well, but unintentionally stepped on some toes. Chances are, you have witnessed countless examples similar to this, regardless of the industry you’re in.
The other challenge presented by these situations is the impact they have on the growth of those around you. If you’re making all the decisions and corrections, they will be happy to let you do it. It removes the responsibility from them. They’ll just do exactly what they’re told and no more. As a result, you stifle the growth in critical thinking skills and creativity so essential to a firm’s success.
So, how do resist these tendencies? Keep three principles in mind.
#1 Trust. The more you attempt to control, the more you will demonstrate a lack of trust toward the people around you. You may think you trust them, but their perception of how you behave trumps any good intentions. Saying you trust them doesn’t prove trust. Actions or refraining from interfering do.
#2 Accountability. I can’t tell you the number of times I heard people say, “I just don’t know what he wants,” or “She tells me one thing, but expects something else. The inconsistency is driving us all nuts.” How clear and consistent are your communicated expectations?
#3 Engagement. Ask for feedback. It may not come at first. But once people conclude that you’re sincerely interested and not just checking up on them, they will begin to share. As a result, you will reinforce the trust and discover they have some great ideas that will contribute to organizational growth.
Ask any effective leader how they manage the tension between control and growth, and most will tell you it is an ongoing journey. But they have learned to hesitate before jumping into a situation without first asking whether it is best to do so and whether it is their role to do so. Most people are resourceful when compelled act independently. Sometimes you just have to get out the way.
How do you maintain the balance between growth and control? Put your thoughts in the comments.