Topics—Leadership
Control — Get Out Of The Way!
Over-control at the top can stifle productivity.
John ran into an unexpected problem getting his new California production plant up and running on time. There were the usual construction delays and a complex labor market. City politics and environmental issues were potential show-stoppers. To top that, John's well-intentioned boss, far away at corporate headquarters, offered daily suggestions—that soon became directives—pushing the project further and further behind schedule.
Dave, logistics manager for a large midwest retail outlet, had his hands full achieving his assigned goal—improving overall system performance. But his boss, impatient for results, launched a series of company-wide, cost-reduction and productivity improvement initiatives. These forced Dave to divert more than half his time to reports and meetings, in areas not central to his goals.
John and Dave, both hard-driving, forthright managers, found that their repeated requests for relief from the shower of "help" from above, were denied. As “Can-Do” managers, their personal ethic to get their job done overcame the unwelcome interference. They delivered on their goals, but at extreme personal costs. John suffered severe emotional stress, took medical leave, and then resigned. Dave, for the first time in his career, felt depressed, and considered accepting calls from the search firms he had previously rejected. He longed for a company where he could do the job he was hired for.
Controlling Managers Often Fear Involvement
Managers with a high need for control, tend to rise to the top, because those with a lower need step aside and allow it. This reinforces a control-centered culture that is uncomfortable when presented with data showing how involvement actually compliments productivity. Involvement means participation. Managers with a high need for control often think that participation means that their employees are in control—not them. This is threatening to managers who don't believe that employees are competent, or have the company's interest at heart, or if they themselves are simply afraid to let go.
Widespread Control Means More Control
But the reality is, when everybody
is engaged, i.e. when control is widely distributed, the company's performance
will be spectacular. As one previously controlling manager commented, after
building broad involvement and responsibility, and watching his plant's productivity
double, "I have more control now when I'm away from the plant, than
I had before when I was on-site.”