ElementalTruths.Com ©

One interesting aspect of the control freak persona which can guide your intervention is that they rarely feel they are in control. They are ever nagged by the perpetual fear that chaos is just about to ensue and have the unreasonable belief that they are holding their world together by sheer force of will alone.

Due to this odd mixture of traits they often find themselves in leadership positions that they are ill equipped to handle. You will recognize them by their need to have their final seal of approval on every piece of minutia that leaves your department. The unfortunate result is a bottle-neck situation that creates a difficult environment for all.

What to do?

Demonstrate Respect. Remember, it is more important to these persons that others perceive them as being in control than it is for them to actually be in control.

Same Side. Make a conscious effort to this person to communicate that you are all working toward the same goal. Make good use of “we” and “us” statements as well as frequent references to “our progress.”

A Little Two Step. You may sidestep the power play by making quick acknowledgments of control when situations of conflict arise. For example, “You’re right. I know we want to be certain our work quality is paramount. What’s our next step?” This strategy keeps things moving and avoids the issue of challenge completely.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 15th, 2008 at 10:42 am and is filed under Elemental Truths. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.