Do these two words create a dichotomy in the work place? Can you have both? Or are they mutually exclusive?
I'm just asking the question here but allow me to paint the picture. If we have an environment that maximized productivity, then do we have to relinquish control of that environment to reach that high level of fresh productivity? If we desire an environment of high control (or any control for that matter) then are we diminishing the opportunity for higher productivity?
I believe the solution is quite simple, but the ideologies surrounding this are difficult to accept. What do we believe are the benefits of control? Have we ever measured higher productivity because of controlled environments? Maybe we should ask it like this... are we honoring people well in creating controlled environments?
The goal here is really quite simple... it is the productivity of our team. That's the goal or at least it should be for our companies. But we're forced to ask two very difficult questions. (1) Does control actually give us any greater productivity results? (2) Are we more concerned with control (as a measure of productivity) over true productivity?
I'll ask again... productivity and control... are they mutually exclusive?
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Hey Will,
Sorry I haven't been able to keep up with this better. It's been a little crazy. To your post let me ask, are incentives a form of control? I think control can be effective if they are appropriate. Simply requiring an 8 to 5 day and a 40 hour week is a control that in no way guarantees productivity. However, if incentives are your controls and if they are adequate in relation to the desired outcome, then yes, I think your controls will greatly benefit your teams productivity. There is a saying in soccer that I think carries over well to life. "Play with a purpose" don't just do random things and hope they work to accomplish your goals. I think the constraint of a work day or a work week could be compared to kicking a soccer ball as far as you can in no purposeful direction. But properly focused incentives ... goal.
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