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In another article, I suggested that command-and-control management, like the manufacturing era, was gliding into decline (see Altering Employee Performance). The cause for this lies not only in the sea change in the nature of work itself and the tight talent market, but also in the inherent limitations of commanding and controlling anything. My final lesson in command and control came the hard way. As usual, it was entirely outside the realm of business. This time on San Francisco Bay.... My first year of sailing occurred during California's second "100 year's rain cycle" in three years (1996). Following a ten-day monsoon in February, I sailed out of San Rafael heading south toward the central bay lying on the other side of the Richmond Bridge. The bridge is quite high and there is plenty of space between the span footings. But as my little 19-foot sloop approached the widest open span, I was talking to my wife below deck and looking at her, not at the wind and water. Suddenly, the breeze died; the boat stopped moving in the water; but the water (with the boat on top) kept moving at six knots directly toward a concrete footing. My first discovery: you cannot control a boat that ain't moving, even if what it's on is moving. My second: whether the boat hits the bridge or the bridge hits the boat; either way, it's bad for the boat. The bridge pier lost two barnacles (maybe three). I gashed open my hand, delaminated the deck fiberglass, almost fell overboard, and drown my faith in the dominion of man-over-nature. The lesson I want to suggest to you about the inherent limitations of control is that you cannot control something (including a staff member) unless it is moving (doing something). And as soon as it (or they) stops moving (doing), you've lost control. Furthermore, your only control options are to constrain (slow down or stop what someone is doing), or redirect the activity. Also, when attempting to control, you have to be continually monitoring the action. By the way, every 'adjustment' you make diminishes speed. The bigger or longer the adjustment the greater the negative impact on momentum. I suggest every manager and executive needs to understand this, bone deep. However, I don't suggest that control has no value. It just has some inherent limitations and consequences. Control needs action as a prerequisite. It can only stop, constrain or redirect. Any stoppage, constraint or redirection requires added motivation to regain momentum. And all of this demands constant vigilance. If that is still hazy for one of your supervisors, suggest that he go down to the garage and control his parked car for an hour! While I'm on this rant, the inherent limitation of command is that it is ultimately only a request. And requests can be denied. Command works well when a threat is clear. Hence, it is viable in many dangerous situations, especially if everyone recognizes the danger. But, if the manager is the only thing that is threatening in a work scenario, an employee's subterfuge, lawsuit or resignation are far more likely than productive compliance. Command and control focuses a manager's attention more on what a worker is doing at the moment that might need to be corrected. In other words, what might be wrong? So much of the work effort can be compromised between producing the result and supplying the manager with enough information to adjust and redirect efforts. In this environment, the unspoken question for the manager is "Are they doing it right (i.e.: the way I think it ought to be done)?" The question the employee must constantly confront is "Am I doing this the way the manager wants?" Not the happiest of office environments! In an economy that applauds quick attention, flexible response and speedy results, this "lesson" might be incredibly valuable. Especially if one is in the habit of thinking about controlling a market or a customer. But I cannot dismiss control entirely. After all, it is very useful in many emergencies and dangers. I just need to remember that every time I control someone, I'm likely to slow him or her down, or confuse their momentum. And I probably need to add motivation to get them back up to speed. Let me suggest that we place command and control on a high shelf in our executive closet. Label it: "Danger! Causes severe friction. Use in extreme emergencies only." And for general purposes, we might start to practice more empowerment. Empowerment as a behavioral concept entered society with the enlightenment and self-actualization weekends of the mid-70's and early 80's. Unfortunately, the word still conjures a sense of spiritual self-searching and social communing that does not sit well in a proposal shootout, project specification, or board meeting. Even HR-folk shy away from saying it out loud. However, the word literally means "to give power to." And power is ultimately the ability to make something move or happen. The way power and empowerment were first described to me gave me a whole new approach to management. Power means the ability to move an idea, promise or intention into reality--to make a thought or commitment become a thing or action in the real world of things and actions. And empowerment meant making it easier for a person to create something. Empowerment was about removing distractions and barriers. It was asking the question, "How can I make it easier for you to accomplish something?" Frankly, I have a friend who does empowerment much better than I do. My "reptile brain" is still too addicted to the illusion of control. But in her quest, Deborah has gained some keen insights into empowerment and employee productivity. First, understanding breeds power. People who understand what's wanted and needed, and the context in which it's wanted and needed, are empowered. Second, most folks are more powerful when they can focus on one goal at a time. So, empowerment has to do with removing distractions. Every time a manager gives a worker something else to do or think about in the midst of a project, that action is dis-empowering. And if directions or goals do change, the most empowering thing to say to a worker is: "I'm sorry: this is a change. Listen up." (Even if you have to say it, over and over again.) Second, when Deborah is working with a client, or managing a team project, her attention is directed by one internal question: "How can I make it easier for this person to do what's wanted and needed?" I suggest this is a
masterful management question. Just fill in the "wanted and
needed" part: The most vital discovery in empowerment is simply this: You give power to what you pay attention to. If a manager is paying attention to an employee's mistakes, she's empowering mistakes. The more you pay attention to something, the more attached you become to it, and the more it seeks you out. The more you pay attention to how bored you are, the more bored and boring you become. The more you pay attention to how you respect your staff's work, the more respect you gain from your staff. While I still wrestle with my own control-freak-ness, I am optimistic. Empowerment has an edge. For I have never met a worker (from the loftiest executive to the lowliest bottle washer) whose major goal on the job was to produce poor quality and bad results. I never met anyone in business that truly wanted his or her work to make no difference. So notice what you are paying attention to. Strive to create understanding. Remove distractions. And remember to empower yourself. How can you make it easier for you to do what's wanted and needed? Try being out of control and into empowerment the next few days on the job. It just might be your executive edge. (NOTE: Allies Consulting offers a menu of programs that can help you become masterful at your performance skills, or your staff to do so. They will meet or exceed your expectations: they are designed to deliver real results. They also leverage our other programs, magnifying your ROI!)
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How can I make it easier for this team to finish the
software implementation on schedule and within budget?