![\"control](\"https:\/\/svapm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/01\/control-v-results.thumbnail.jpg\" "\\"control")
One critical choice project managers face is between control and results.\u00a0 Managers say they want results but actions speak even louder to say they want control. \u00a0Do onerous controls inhibit achieving the very results they were intended to produce? \u00a0Is control an illusion?\u00a0 \u00a0Is it possible for managers to pursue both control and results: up to the point where the two actually conflict?<\/p>\n
Managers want control AND results, but therein lays a paradox:\u00a0 does one need to give up actual or some sense of control to get results? \u00a0\u00a0Possibly even more important is the question:\u00a0 which value will you emphasize when the two outcomes conflict at the point of paradox?<\/p>\n
I’ve come to appreciate the power of observations and the questioning process.\u00a0 In response to the question: “Do you want control or results?”: most people, of course, answer results.\u00a0 But through observing what they actually do, it becomes clear that control is paramount. \u00a0The question about control or results prompts people to reflect upon their experiences.\u00a0 The preference is to have both control and results, but that is not always possible.\u00a0 Who among us has not secretly wished for the power of total control?\u00a0 However, the quest for control might be inherently flawed since it is not possible to be “in total control.”\u00a0 Is the search for control unwittingly blocking the attainment of results intended?<\/p>\n
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Producing unique project results provide the means to achieve business success. \u00a0Monitoring and controlling a project are core processes, especially during the execution phase of every project life cycle.\u00a0 However, when managers do not get desired results, careful observations show that they shift emphasis to increased controls.\u00a0 This is revealed in tighter metrics, more detailed status reports, and unilateral decision making, to list a few.<\/p>\n
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At its most basic, the choice on projects is between control and results.\u00a0 If control is more important, the cost is lesser results. \u00a0If results are more important, the cost is giving up some control.\u00a0 Getting more of one requires sacrificing a portion of the other. \u00a0Onerous controls inhibit achieving the very results intended because they demotivate and limit how people approach creative work. \u00a0Controls often express that managers do not trust workers, whether this is the intended effect or not. \u00a0When trust is not present, extraordinary results are missing as well.<\/p>\n
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We live in worlds of conflicting values or priorities.\u00a0 It takes courage to make the tough call.\u00a0 Resolve conflicting values and hidden dilemmas by engaging in dialogue with key stakeholders. Trust your judgment about what is most important. Take a stand on which value you choose at the point of paradox, that point where it becomes impossible to achieve both values. What is most important:\u00a0 Hero or planner?\u00a0 Control or results?\u00a0 Outputs or outcomes?\u00a0 You can then pursue both values up to the rare point where the two actually conflict; at that point you need to choose, and make clear to others, what is most important.<\/p>\n
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My experiences make it clear to me that we need to give up control to get results.\u00a0 It is at the point of this paradox where it becomes impossible to achieve seemingly contradictory values.\u00a0 Control, after all, is an illusion.\u00a0 Nature is firmly rooted in chaos.\u00a0 We try to convince ourselves, and our bosses, that we project managers are in control of our projects.\u00a0 We may come close to this illusion, and we usually are far more knowledgeable about the project or program than anyone else.\u00a0 Try as we may, however, the fact remains that far more forces are at work in our universe than we can ever understand or control.\u00a0 This does not relieve us of the obligation to achieve results.\u00a0 What should we do?<\/p>\n
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Focus on results and constant course corrections to stay on track.\u00a0 Capture the minimal data required to keep informed.\u00a0 Seek information that supports action-oriented decision-making.\u00a0 Just because we can capture every conceivable piece of information does not mean we should, nor can most organizations afford to do so.\u00a0 It is ill conceived luxuries that support “feeling comfortable” through excessive reports and metrics.\u00a0 Continuous dialogue with stakeholders and reinforcing intended results helps relieve anxieties.<\/p>\n
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Change your frame of reference and you have the opportunity to achieve greater results.\u00a0 Come hear Robert Lauridsen and me address “Control or Results?\u00a0 How to Manage the Paradox and Achieve Greater Project Results” on Thursday, January 8, 2009, in Sunnyvale, CA, for the IEEE SCV Technical Management Council, http:\/\/www.ieee-scv-ems.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n Randy Englund<\/p>\n