In today’s workplace, amidst sometimes turbulent market dynamics and unpredictable challenges, the mantra of “control what you can control” is significant. This idea is not merely about mitigating risks but includes a proactive approach for creating resilience, ensuring productivity, and nurturing peace of mind among employees, business leaders, and managers.
At its core, controlling what you can implies focusing your energy and resources on aspects within your circle of influence, rather than expending them on situations beyond your reach. In his book “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” Stephen Covey encourages us to focus on controlling what we can control rather than reacting to or worrying about conditions over which we have little or no control (becoming proactive, instead of reactive). We will then be able to focus our time and energy on things we can control. These are the areas that will influence our success.
For business leaders and employees, this translates into prioritizing tasks, setting realistic goals, and adapting to changes with agility.
For Employees: Navigating Professional Challenges
As an employee, you are often faced with pressures stemming from high expectations, tight deadlines, and workload management. Adopting a mindset of controlling what you can will help empower you to:
- Set boundaries: Understand and communicate your limits to those around you. Respect your well-being by not overcommitting. It’s okay to say no.
- Prioritize tasks: Distinguish between urgent and important tasks. Identify and apply your efforts where they can yield the most impact.
- Seek growth: Focus on personal development through skill enhancement and behavioral adjustments that will allow you to capitalize on your strengths and develop any areas of weakness. Your professional growth is within your control and will lead to increased competency and confidence.
For Business Leaders and Managers: Lead with Clarity
For those of you in leadership positions, the unpredictability of market conditions, evolving customer preferences, and the need for team motivation present significant challenges. As a leader, you can apply the principle of control in several ways:
- Cultivate a positive work environment: Fostering a supportive culture encourages teams to contribute their best, enhancing productivity and morale.
- Make data-driven decisions: Rely on analytics and insights to guide strategic decisions, minimizing a possibly biased influence of external uncertainties.
- Communicate transparently: Keep your team/workforce informed about upcoming changes and company directions. Clear communication with your team and extended workforce will reduce anxiety and build trust.
So, what’s the best way for everyone to incorporate and focus on the elements you can control?
Committing to focusing on your areas of control will require a deliberate shift in perspective and approach, both on an individual and organizational level:
- Identify what’s within your control: Separate concerns into categories of controllable and uncontrollable. Then focus your planning and efforts on the controllable aspects.
- Adopt a proactive mindset: Encourage a proactive problem-solving (solution-focused) mindset. Learn to anticipate challenges and prepare responses in advance so you’re not caught off guard.
- Foster flexibility and resilience: Equip your team with the tools and mindset (self-confidence, composure, toughmindedness) to adapt to changes swiftly and efficiently.
If you are a business leader, manager, or employee, the path forward involves recognizing what’s in your power of control, whether it’s personal development, strategic planning, or cultivating a positive work environment. By implementing such an approach and making small changes, you’ll be able to transform challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation.
Indeed, the most effective way to navigate through uncertainty is to control what you can.