Many managers believe that it is their responsibility to exert as much control as possible over their employees to create the desired results. In reality, is it truly possible to control another person? As we look at the things in life that we can control and the things that we cannot control, people typically come to the conclusion that the only thing that they can truly control is themselves. Ultimately, people can only control their own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, everything else is essentially out of their control.
If a person is only capable of controlling their own behavior, how can they create results through their employees? The answer is through influence. Influence is the middle gound between control and can’t control. Influence is the area that is affected by a person’s actions but is not 100% under their control.
While you may not be able to control what an employee does, you may be able to influence their behavior through training, education, and the use of positive and negative consequences among other techniques. To the extent that the other person understands and agrees with what you want them to do, you can influence them to enact certain behaviors. You can influence others to satisfy your own needs by giving them the opportunity to satisfy their needs.
The above diagram illustrates the Control-Influence model. Arguably, each of us is the center of our experiential universe. In the diagram, the center circle represents our sphere of control. Beyond our sphere of control is our sphere of influence, which is typically larger than our sphere of control but is much smaller than the final sphere, representing what we can’t control or influence.
As you look at the Control-Influence model, you can easily see that there is a lot more that is out of the manager’s control than what is within their control and influence. However, the larger the sphere of influence, the greater their ability to achieve desired results.
One source of frustration for managers arises when they confuse their sphere of influence with their sphere os control. When a manager assumes that influence is the same as control, employees are often taken for granted and their needs ignored. By recognizing the difference between control and influence, managers can respect the power of each individual employee and can focus on cooperation rather than coercion.
Filed under: Buy-In, Communication, Employee Buy-in, Management | Tagged: Business, Can't Control, Communication, Control, Control vs Influence, Influence, Job Satisfaction, Management, Work
