Control. Are you sure you want that?

“Control” has a negative connotation in the workplace for good reasons. “Mary is controlling,” is definitely not a complement. Used that way, “control” refers to trying to control others. In addition to not being an effective or sustainable way to manage relationships (at home or at work), controlling others isn’t good for the “other.” The person being controlled ends up stressed, and ultimately, resentful. We definitely don’t want to spend our time trying to manipulate or control others.

But in my world (of work system design), control has other meanings, and they are positive! In fact, they are vital for human health. So my answer to “Control. Are you sure you want that?” is YES! We want control at work, for all people – not over other people, but control over the work itself.

In terms of creating a healthy work system, the most health-promoting type of control we can give people is control over the resources necessary to accomplish their work. Here are just a few examples of what we might control at work:

budget, timeline, scope of work
what work you decide to do
when you work
how long you work
when you take breaks
how you do your work
who you work with
the tools you work with
the environment you work from
how/when your work is evaluated

The more choices we allow people, within reason (because the organization still needs to produce the product/service on time, within budget with high quality), the more people are able to self-regulate. That is, people can make choices that fit their capacities and preferences, which change over time.

When people have low levels of control over their own work, they are likely to experience higher stress levels. And if these higher stress levels continue over months and years, ultimately it erodes their health.

So – control, are you sure you want that? YES! We definitely want people to have as much control over their work as is feasible. We want to design work that promotes employee health while accomplishing the organization’s mission. It’s do-able. It will look different in each context and change over time, but the long term benefits will be human health and sustainable productivity.

To read about control from a c-suite perspective, check out my longtime friend & collaborator’s post of the same title, Control. Are you sure you want that? at patrickfarrellconsulting.com.

If you’d like to comment or contribute your own view on this title, please join us on LinkedIn at KatherineSandersPhD and PatrickFarrell.