It continues to bemuse me, that there are still business owners/ managers who think that “controlling” and “managing” are synonymous terms. Newsflash: the meaning of the term “controlling” and the meaning of the term “managing” couldn’t be more different – particularly where the management of people is concerned.
I can also tell you that the culture of an organisation which practices the “control” of its people is very different to that of an organisation which practices “management” of its people. Here are the defining characteristics:
Work environment where a “controlling” leadership style prevails –
- The independent/ creative/ autonomous thinking of virtually every person who reports to the senior manager/ owner is suppressed – and people feel oppressed.
- Effectively a “dictatorship” situation exists.
- The senior manager/ owner considers that only they can conceive ideas/ solutions that will resolve the needs of the organisation – and such ideas are imposed on the balance of the organisation.
- Employees refrain from providing any input into the direction of the organisation – because they feel disconnected from it.
- Internal stakeholders generally do not aspire to apply their skills/ knowledge to the best of their ability.
- Employees feel no real sense of loyalty towards the owner/ senior manager and employment tenures tend to be short-lived.
- Most relationships within the organisation tend to be dysfunctional.
- Change is imposed on internal stakeholders – not “massaged” into place.
- Fear dominates.
Work environment where a “managing” leadership style prevails –
- Owner/ senior manager continuously looks for ways to empower those who report to them – to help these people become the best that they’re capable of being performing the given functions/ tasks/ activities that they are responsible for.
- Internal stakeholders feel that they’re a part of the “journey” – and can see where they fit in the “big picture” of where the business is heading.
- Internal stakeholders tend to apply themselves optimally to the functions/ tasks/ activities which are their responsibility.
- Employee tenures tend to be long-term – due to employees feeling a high sense of job satisfaction.
- Owner/ senior manager encourages the input from internal stakeholders into pertinent issues/ opportunities – particularly in respect of creating the company Strategic Plan.
- Change is carefully managed into place – and affected stakeholders are purposely led through a change transition in such a way that the given change causes minimal anxiety.
- Positive energy/ emotion prevails.
Those organisations that are fortunate to have leaders at the helm which promote a “managing” approach to people management tend to significantly outstrip the performance and achievements of those organisations that focus on “controlling” people. Happy people are productive people.
As I wrote in my first book, those “controlling” leaders who manage by way of “hitting subordinates over the head with a legal agreement” each time a subordinate performs an action which is even vaguely at odds with expected behaviour tend to have little-to-nil people management skills, are not aware of how to constructively draw the best from people who they manage and tend to be fixated on achieving deadlines and output targets far more so than being concerned about the welfare of others and building strong positive and enduring connections with other people.
Which style of leadership you choose to apply is completely up to you. Although I will say that performing as a Regional Business Advisor I found myself being the “ambulance at the bottom of the cliff” for businesses that reflected a “controlling” work environment, rather than those which were concentrating on developing strong people-orientated inclusive workplace cultures.