Tag Archives: control

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Changing Direction

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Power steering makes it easier to change direction.   This catchy phrase is a little tongue in cheek, there is a point buried in here though, that is changing direction might not be a bad thing. 

As momentum builds changing course becomes more difficult, sometimes the wrong thing gets completed because it was being driven fast (I am sticking a lot of driving analogies in this post)

Canadian Gun Registry

The defunct Canadian gun registry is an example of a project that surged forward on momentum, stayed it’s course even though there were many signs a change was warranted. 

From a personal perspective gun control should be a high priority for our society, the gun registry was a poorly planned and executed idea to improve gun control and sadly rather than change direction to make it better and usable it was pushed forward in a form that ultimately imploded.  

Flexibility

The key to being able to change direction, even without the need for power steering, is the ability to adapt on the fly (in the moment as it were) but not without a conscious and clear understanding of motivation and impacts. 

Being flexible enough to recognize momentum as a powerful tool for driving activities to completion but it should not be allowed to cause a blind run for the finish line.  You could crash (auto theme again.)

Be aware of your environment, sensitive to ongoing changes and ready to adopt your approach to best fit what are often changing needs. 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

How do I know?

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I have found a very useful quality check hinges on the answer to a single query.  The question can be applied to a product, service or process.

First, identify the outcome.  For example, if building airplanes, one outcome might be the plane can fly to its destination without mishap.

Question then Validate

The questions become things like.  How do we make sure this plane can fly the expected distance?  How do we make sure things don’t break in flight?

The plan to test the answers to the questions and make sure they are correct represents validation.

This simple process of repeatedly answering the question, (i.e.., how, ………….? ) while not infallible is a very valuable technique to determining quality, efficiency and effectiveness.

High Quality Outcomes

This simple questioning process is a great way to ensure outcomes will be what you expect (proactive) and then are what you expect (reative).

Asking the “ how do I know …..?” question reduces risk and increases predictability.  Based on the answers we can be condident that the process,service and ultimately the products will be consistent, reaptable and issues or deliberate attacks will be identified and can be avoided or at least mitigated.

Objective Measure

How do I know this blog is readable?  I use automated grammar and spell check tools.  I read the post at least three times before publishing.  I use feedback to improve quality of future posts.

My list actually goes on.  The point is, I am able to consistently produce a high quality post because I am always validating the outcomes using the how do I know questions.

How do I know the topic is interesting?  Hmmm.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Governance

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Over the past twenty years I have found myself in governance roles.  That is I have had the opportunity to participate in both interaction and decision-making among the various stakeholders involved in the creation and  reinforcement, of organizational norms.

In simpler terms, this involves ensuring everyone understands what the boundaries are and adheres to them (whether related to processes,  policies or behaviours).

Bad Word

Frequently governance is viewed with distaste both by practitioners and victims ( at least they see themselves as victims).  So why do we bother?

To be clear, as a practitioner I personally found my own involvement in governance unpleasant regardless of the fact some viewed my role as the easier one.

Why bother?

The motivation for implementing and maintaining governance practices is  avoidance of cost impacts and  reputational risks. Governance leads to cost effective consistency and sustainability.

The downside mainly arises from the fact that governance is restrictive.  It is a control process.

We all love control

Not surprisingly, whether it’s an  editor  controling the consistency and clarity of a communication or an  auditor advising how operations are deficient and creating unacceptable risks, people grit their teeth and bear it, but seldom like it.

Who among us likes to be corrected.  Pick me, please pick me.  I think not.  Most people think who are you to say I am wrong.  Bloody control freak!

Emotional remonstration aside, the reality is this governance.control practices can guide us to success.  As distasteful as it may be to actually perform the role of editor or auditor,(policeman, bureaucrat , etc., without them anarchy would rein.  Quality would suffer greatly.

Sadly, we need to be governed for our own good.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Structure

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In its verb form structure is very much about creating an arrangement or organization of interrelated elements.  The structure forms the underlying foundation.

Unstructured activities are more on the innovative or creative side but have a greater risk of failure. When a structure is in place progress is planned, governed and results are far more likely to be both consistent and sustainable.

Governance

Rules, regulations, policies and processes are all structural components of any organization.  Without these in place to some degree, governance is not possible.

Governance practices are guided by the level of structure. The greater the flexibilty or lack of structure the harder it is to control the outcomes.

For example, if the plan is to complete an objective within six months or a year, versus a clearly defined exact six months, it is hard to measure,track and be confident the objective will be achieved as schedule. (It is hard to govern the result)

With the lack of structure the outcomes become a bit of a moving target.  Of course the flexibility increases the chance of being able to claim a successfull achievement.

Structured Process

How an activity or task is completed, the way the goal is attained can  be well defined or loosley structured.  If, for example, the structure requires documentation and validation the likelihood of producing consistent outcomes is enhanced.

To Structure or Not to Structure?

Sounds like structure has value, on the other hand the greater  effort, time and reduction in creativity can belie the positive benefits.

Like most practices a concious carefully balanced approach to the amount of structure exercised is ultimately the best approach.  One option, very structured or very unstructured and every thing in between, is rarely optimal.

Consider the desired results, pro’s and con’s and customize your structure to best feet the environmental requirements.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Leading Change

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Change can be good if effectively managed.  Change management is a critical skill employed to increase the probability of a successful change.

Submit and hope methods involve announcing a change and then hoping it proceeds without issue.  Changes implemented this way can work, but the risk of failure is high.

Communicate

The most important practice to ensure positive change is two way communication.  The message should be structured so what, why and how are clear.

Feedback is essential, as is responding to others ideas and comments including modifying approaches.  Successful changes require everyones participation.

Top down approach to change often leads to passive resistance.  Simply put, those affected by the change will outwardly accept it but in turn do everything they can to sabotage the result.

Plan and monitor

While ongoing two way communication is the key to success, as a practical matter, defining the approach and methodolgy (i.e., the logistics) and then monitoring the activities throughout the change is needed to allow for issue management.

The unknown and unexpected can and almost always will occur.  To avoid issues from derailing the entire change you want to identify and resolve them as they arise.

Validate the Result

Hopefully changes are not being driven based on some random whim.

The reasons for making the change (i.e., the benefits) should be freely and honestly shared (this is key to getting buy in) and those objectives need to be checked ongoing to confirm they are being achieved and allow for modifications if not.

This is the reason for making the change, after all.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

The value decision

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Everyday we make choices.  Some conscious while others we are less aware of, although in every case there is some internal influence.  One atrribute that is common to all other decisions is the value equation.

In simple terms, value is simply the importance or usefullness we atrribute to something.  Basically what is it worth?  Worth does not need to be in monetary terms.

Emotional or other intangible factors form a critical part of the worth evaluation.  For example,  sometimes what someone will pay for an object is less than another persons emotional attachment. So the value to each is different.

Assessing Value

When shopping in Walmart you notice your favorite brand of jeans are $50 for a brand new pair.  The last time you purchased these jeans, exact same style, size and brand you paid $75.

The previous day you saw these jeans (the exact same) in Hudson’s Bay where they were asking $80.  Your friend offered to sell you their there old pair (they are upgrading) for $55.

Of all these opportunities to buy a pair of jeans, it seems Walmart offers the best value.  Assuredly,  the importance and usefullness is the same, the cost to aquire is less, so it’s a good value.

However, although these jeans suit you, if you have no need or desire for more jeans at the moment you probably won’t make the purchase.

Making the Decison

While tangible value, how much the jeans cost is key to a aqusition decision the intangible things like need and desire play an important part of the decison process.

While, typically we do not conciously work our way through all the aspects of the value equation when making a decision, they are always present.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Taking control

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If you are not controlling the shape of your own destiny, who is?  If not you, who should it be?  That is, does it make sense to follow and let others drive? Probably, sometimes.

No Simple Answer

The amount of control you influence over yourself and others is best balanced carefully.  Too much control can disaffect others and lead to bad results.

Exercising too little control over events that can directly affect you can likewise cause frustration, anger, sadness(for both you and others).  While, exercising just the right amount can help you achieve the personal destiny you seek.

Control and Leadership

Leaders exercise control through reliance on specific behavioural attributes like strong communication and self awareness skills.  Exercising control through micro or direct management skills is not always the most effective methodology.

Control is simply the exercise of power (whether earned or granted)  to influence or direct people’s behavior or the course of events.  Events such as your own personal destiny.

The exercise of power in inappropriate ways can backfire.  Leaders recognize a careful balance of technique is more likely to achieve the desired results.

Exercising control through power can be effective whether you have been granted power (like an army officer) or earned it through indirect facilitation and advice.

Judging a scenario (self awareness) is critical to assessing the optimal balance of technique and earned versus granted power when exercising control.

Next time you encounter a situation where your input (control) can influence positive outcomes, or you want to influence the outcome,  give some thought to the best approach before leaping into the fray.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Exploring your anger

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I watched the Disney cgi/live action version of Beauty and the Beast on the weekend.  One of the notable features of Disney movies, often attributed to Walt’s legacy, is the clever, intelligent and philishopical dialogue.

Disney focused on family entertainment.  While that is still the case they do produce more more adult oriented features now than during their early days.

Even, with many of their features having a strong focus on  children, because they are generally smart witty and worldly, the adult audience is drawn in as well.

So what’s this about anger

A simple quote, spoken by the animated tea pot played by Emma Thompson (Mrs.Potts) really caught my attention.  So simple but so true.

“People say a lot of things in anger. It is our choice whether or not to listen.”

Sage wisdom from a tea pot.  Beauty and the Beast begin  their relationship from a foundation of stored anger that in fact was related to circumstances beyond their control.

By ignoring the anger, they are able to form a loving relationship.  The realty at the core of the plot is really what appeals to me.

That is the truth in fact;  Anger will not lead to love or friendship but get past it and the sky is the limit.

So kudos to Walt Disney and inheritors.  Keep on spreading the word.  Ignore angry words and most likely good results will be achieved.

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

It is all about Attitude

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If you belive it, then it is.  Nothing is out of your control to accept or deny.  Only you can decide how to react.  Even in moments of great stress.

When you experience stress, remember, you created the stress.  Yes, contextual circumstances do influence our abilities to control feelings and behaviour; However, regardless  of this fact; we feel, we act; not someone else.

Feeling Good -always

Given we have complete accountability for how we think and act it follows being constantly satisfied without exception is fully  within our control.

So why are people sad sometimes.? Why are there mass murderers and suicides?  It is all about attitude.  The foundation that underpins your ability to manage personal behaviour is attitude.

Who cares?

It begins with caring.  At the center of your being what do you care about.  This is in fact the purpose of your life.  It could be a God, seeking maximum pleasure or helping others or anything else.

Once you know what you care about crafting a positive attitude is easy.  If even a small part of you has doubt or questions what you care about, you will find maintaining the attitude becomes more difficult.

Mix and Match

A single purpose might not resonate with you and you might mix them.  For example maximum pleasure and belief in a God.

Ultimately though for this to work the core purposes cannot conflict.  You must be able to percieve their meanings as working in harmony.

Over simplified

One suggestion, before you convince yourself this is an unrealistic oversimlified approach, give it a try.

You might not achieve 100% personal serenity consistently, speaking from experience though you might be surprised at how close you come.