GROWTH Step 6      Harness Your Strengths and Release Control

Make the change stick by using your natural strengths instead of overcompensating for your weaknesses

There’s some meaty stuff in the heading for this step. Let’s carve into it.

At first sight, the name of the step almost doesn’t make sense. How can you harness your strengths and release control?

As ambitious, achievement-oriented people, she says, we sometimes get caught in the vicious cycles of trying to control situations, and often what we think works is the opposite of what does. Control is paradoxical, and letting go of ineffective control is the key to change. If you’re unwilling to experience discomfort,you’ll probably have more discomfort because you’ll try to control it with actions that end up increasing it. If you try to make sure that something will not happen, it is more likely to happen.

It is coincidental that this book follows the last Book of the Month, Immunity to Change, which is all about how our subconscious stops us from doing what we know we need to do.

Our natural tendency to over-control not only impacts ourselves adversely, but can also adversely affect our staff. Ever heard of a practice called ‘micro-managing’?

Like anything, control is useful in moderation, but you can have too much of even a good thing. When you are exerting a lot of effort, but not getting the results you want, it may be because you are trying too hard. When you are outside your comfort zone, you’ll be tempted to do what you’ve always done, which will give you the results you always get. Remember that Peter Drucker defined insanity as doing the same things and expecting different results. Joe Vitale in The Attractor Factor (2007) suggests you should focus on what you want, but be prepared not to have it.

A couple of months ago, in relation to another Book of the Month, The Differentiated Workforce, we made some observations about performance appraisals, one of which was the over-emphasis on areas for improvement. In Immunity to Change, the authors make the same point, and so does Larina Kase here. Maybe we should ensure that in the performance appraisal documentation, we include a section on strengths, which would identify what the appraisee does well – and should do more of.

This step seemed to have more grey boxes than the others. But then, we did say that the grey boxes were one of the strengths of this book.

In the next postings we’ll quickly explore Part 2 of the book, which is about turning problems into opportunities. We all have plenty of problems, so even if we could turn half of them into opportunities, what a wonderful world it might be!

Stay tuned

Bob