On Fri, 11 Oct 1996, jpomo@gate.net wrote:
> There is a problem with what you say because there are those who have a
> vested interest in promoting the word influence over control.
I wonder if you might explain the above. What might the vested interest of
let's say Mr. McMaster, or myself in using the influence concept vs.
control?
[Host's Note: It wasn't clear to me who Joan thought might have a vested
interest, but I suspect she's saying that for managers the idea "I can't
control this, I can only influence.." might be a cop-out to avoid taking
responsibility. Joan? ...Rick]
> "Control" means to regulate or to direct something, to have authority over
> it. It does not have any sense of extent.
I think the difficulty here is that we might use control to mean different
things, as a kind of shorthand, that is not shared by everyone (as is
often the case in language. I think it helps if we specify control of
WHAT. Perhaps that is what you are suggesting?
>The same is true for managers of people. They do control to a great extent
> the outcome of an assigned person's efforts and as Rol has so aptly
>discussed, his methods are designed to achieve and do achieve specific
>results.
This is where I differ, and I suspect it isn't just a semantic issue. I
see things the opposite way...that leaders and managers THINK they have
control over the outcomes of work, when in fact they do not. Then they
attempt to apply control strategies over people that ultimately fail,
because they lack the understanding of the difference between influence
and control, and that control tactics ultimately fail.
>But the point is that control implies authority and that
>determines responsibility and accountability.
I think perhaps, so does influence. Whether one calls what one does
control of influence, the question is what are the limits of effect on
employees. We begin, I believe by holding different assumptions regarding
staff. I have great faith and confidence that staff will function
according to their own motivations and beliefs and do not only respond to
leadership in a compliant way--that is a false belief that fits the theory
X notion of long ago.
The notion of passive, empty vessel staff that is implicit in Joan's
control concept seems to me to be one that learning organizations, quality
improvement organizations, and empowered organizations need to fight
against, with vigour.
Robert Bacal - CEO, Institute For Cooperative Communication
Internet Address - dbt359@freenet.mb.ca
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (204) 888-9290
Join us at our Resource Centre at: http://www.winnipeg.freenet.mb.ca/~dbt359
--Robert Bacal <dbt359@freenet.mb.ca>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>