Want more control? Do this.

Bill ran his team like clock work. At the weekly team meeting, he asked each team member to give a status update. Bill then promptly told the team member exactly how to fix the issue. Over the course of the year, Bill’s team became resentful. The team frequently talked about Bill’s controlling style, which made them feel inferior and unable to propose innovative solutions that were superior to Bill’s ideas.

Overtime, Bill’s team began to find new jobs. In one month over half his team resigned. Bill complexed to what was happening, ask one of his team members if they had any insight. The young guy, unable to look Bill directly in the eyes, said softly “You tell us what to do.” Our team isn’t allowed to make suggestions or propose new ideas. It is not a fun place to work when we get our own creative mojo on. Bill thanked the young guy for his honesty.

Bill sighed. He went home that night. Unable to sleep, he began to think about how he can go about this differently. The next morning, Bill was called into the CEO’s office. The CEO stated that another member of his team resigned. Calmly, the CEO asked, what’s going on? Bill, with a somber reserve, stated how he was telling people what to do instead of letting his team self-correct and work with each other to troubleshoot project issues.

To move anything forward, control only works on yourself. To be effective, collaborate with others.

Wishing you an abundant, joyful and prosperous day!