The Control Freak

This little bandit often has very high standards coupled with a need for speed. Do they trust other people to complete tasks on time and to their satisfaction?  Reader, you be the judge! 

Nobody does it better (to quote Carly Simon) and so they find it difficult to let things go.  

This “My Way or No Way” approach often means The Control Freak is still hanging on to part of their old job even though they were promoted a year ago.

The world of a Control Freak can sometimes be a lonely place, as they forge ahead alone, carrying the full burden of the project, from idea generation right through to implementation and evaluation.  Workplace relationships can be difficult, which probably doesn’t worry this bandit, who believes that the workplace is just that: a place for and of work and not somewhere for forming bonds or friendships.  To a certain extent, I agree, but there’s nothing wrong with a little human companionship and, dare I say it, some fun along the way.

I admire people with high standards, but those standards are tricky to maintain when the pressure is piling on. There comes a point when even the Control Freak will need some help; it’s impossible to take on every little task and hold on to every responsibility with each move up the ladder, so other people suddenly become important, but with few relationships it’s hard to know who to trust and fellow bandits haven’t necessarily been receiving the experience or development they need to be able to help out effectively.

Let’s hope the Control Freak reads this and realises it might be worth starting to involve others now before they need to rely on them.  Starting by delegating simple or small tasks will help to develop confidence in both parties and over time a relationship built on solid foundations of trust and respect will form.

Succession planning?

There’s nothing wrong with having high standards and if the Control Freak could only let go sometimes and delegate some tasks then it would give other people the opportunity to develop their skills.

The Genial Host

Need help or advice?  Go to the Genial Host.  Always happy to help, often to be found chatting with Harmony Seeker, the Genial Host welcomes distractions; they brighten up a boring day.

They love meetings, workshops, training days, anything that takes them away from the pile of work on the desk for a few hours.  Often to be heard saying “let’s do lunch” or “let’s meet for a coffee and discuss it” and suddenly a 5 minute discussion turns into a 30 minute chat over coffee (plus the time it takes to get there and back).

Meetings tend not to have agendas – that’s all a bit stuffy and formal.  After all, meetings are a great way for people to catch up with each other, aren’t they?

If you have a Genial Host in your gang, they can be very distracting; you might need to bring out the big guns of assertiveness!  If they come into your office, stand up, fail to offer them a coffee and be careful not to build too much rapport during the conversation and the chances are, they’ll soon tire of you and leave you to get on with your day.

Social interaction is important – teamwork can make a big difference in achieving the task, but the Genial Host takes it to extremes.  If you feel that you’re required to attend too many meetings, perhaps you’re dealing with a Genial Host.

If you think you might be the Genial Host in your gang then maybe it’s worth noticing the body language of those around you – is your attention really welcome?  And as for your own workload, how are you doing?  Struggling with a full inbox (physical or electronic)?  Tot up how much time you spend away from your desk and work on gradually reducing it.  Set time limits and draw up agendas for meetings that you call and stick to them.  Allocate certain times during the day for more social interaction and stick to them. Set specific tasks to achieve each day and, yes, you’ve guessed it, stick to them!