TipsForSuccess: How to Take More Control, Part 4

 

 

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How to Take More Control, Part Four

If You Try to Control People or Things Outside Your Sphere of Operation,

You Get Problems

"However, control in itself is not an entire answer to everything, for if it were one would have to be able to control everything, not only in his own job, but in an office or on earth, before he could be happy."

"When an individual attempts to extend control far beyond his active interest in a job or in life he encounters difficulty."

"Thus there is obviously another factor involved than control. This factor is willingness not to control and is fully as important as control itself." -- L. Ron Hubbard

For example, when the manager of Department A tries to control employees in Department B, problems come up. As long as he sticks to controlling his sphere of operation, which is Department A, all is well.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed when you tried to control something that was not really your responsibility? If it is not your responsibility, why bother?

For example, a business owner was overwhelmed and stressed out. His consultant, who knew this technology on control, had him list all the things he was concerned about.

● Business income was down
● The roof was leaking in the office building
● His son was having problems at college in another state
● His community club meetings were irregular
● His quarterly tax payments were late

The business owner was trying to fix all of these problems without success.

The consultant pointed out that the first problem was the ONLY ONE within in his sphere of operation. All the other problems were outside his zone.

The landlord was in charge of the roof.

The son was twenty years old and now on his own.

He was not in charge of community club. He was the president last year, but no longer. He was just a member.

His accountant was negotiating a deal with the Internal Revenue Service and didn't feel the client needed to pay the overdue tax.

While it would be wonderful if the business owner could control all of these problems, he needed to change his mind and let others control them.

As soon as he realized this, he relaxed. He focused on his first problem, the income, and soon solved it.

Meanwhile, the landlord installed the new roof.

His son realized he was responsible for his own success, good or bad, and started doing better in college.

He decided to stop attending the community club meetings.

His accountant solved the IRS problem.

What to Do When Others Try to Give You Their Problems

People may try to make you control things outside your zone of operation. You must refuse. Three examples:

Someone asks you for a loan to pay his bills. You say, "I'm sorry you can't pay your bills, but I'm not going to pay them for you. You need to earn the money yourself."

Your sister sees your grandson watching television and tells you, "Don't let him watch TV." You say, "I agree he shouldn't watch TV, but he's my daughter's son, not mine."

Your boss asks you to go fix the sales problem with another department. You say, "Even though I'm the domestic sales manager, I'll be happy to fix the international sales department . . . if you promote me to Vice President of Worldwide Sales."

Recommendations

1. Make a list of areas in your life that are difficult for you to control.

2. Add a list of things that bother you to the first list.

3. Circle all the items that are outside your sphere of operation.

4. Decide to stop trying to control these circled items. Let them go.

5. Work on the remaining items on your list as you can control them.

For example, a coworker slurps his coffee each morning. It drives you crazy! You drop hints and make jokes, but he still slurps away.

You realize the coworker's noise is outside your sphere of operation and so you stop all efforts to make him stop slurping. You focus on your job instead. You soon realize you don't care about the slurping noise any longer. No more stress!

"How to Take More Control" parts 1, 2 and 3 can be found at www.tipsforsuccesscoaching.org.

 

Provided by TipsForSuccess.org as a public service to introduce the technology of L. Ron Hubbard to you. 

  

Copyright © 2013 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard.

 

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TipsForSuccess: How to Take More Control, Part 3

 

 

TipsForSuccess.org

How to Take More Control, Part Three

Your Control Problems Are Caused by Your Weaknesses with Starting, Changing or Stopping

"Franticness, helplessness, incompetence, inefficiency and other undesirable factors in a job are all traceable to inabilities to start, change and stop things."

"No business can succeed unless it has been properly started, unless it is progressing through time or changing position in space and unless it is capable of stopping harmful practices and even competitors."

"Thus the secret of doing a good job is the secret of control itself. One not only continues to create a job, day by day, week by week, month by month, he also continues the job by permitting it to progress, and he is also capable of stopping or ending any cycle of work and letting it remain finished." -- L. Ron Hubbard from The Problems of Work

To improve your control, you strengthen the part of control that is most difficult for you. To do this, start by identifying your weakest part. Which is most difficult for you: starting, changing or stopping?

Signs You Have Difficulties Starting Things

You have many ideas that you never implement. You make notes and even write down plans, but you never start them.

You may even obtain the material you need to do a job, but do not start it. For example, you buy the tools and materials to build a dog house, but never actually start to build the dog house.

You might have big goals, great plans or incredible dreams, but you never take that first step.

Signs You Have Difficulties Changing Things

You may take the first step on a work project, but you never get much done.

You might leave things incomplete. For example, you paint a wall with the first coat, but never get around to putting on the second coat.

You might follow the same routine you learned in school or have had for years, even though you know a better way exists.

You possibly make big resolutions every New Year and do well for a day or two. Yet you never really make the change.

Signs You Have Difficulties Stopping Things

You probably have bad habits that you cannot break. You might say, "I just can't stop myself."

You may hate to throw things away, even if they are useless. Your closets are stuffed with worthless junk.

If you force yourself to finish a project, you are likely to leave your tools lying around as you hate to clean up after yourself.

If you are a boss, you take too long to fire employees, even though they deserve it. Stopping people, who are damaging your operation, may be difficult for you. You may also have a hard time ending bad relationships or forgiving people.

When you give a job or object to someone, you have a hard time leaving him or her alone. You can't stop possessing the responsibility or the object.

Signs You Are Fixated on Start, Change or Stop

Control is also difficult if you are fixated or obsessed with starting, changing or stopping things.

For example, you are constantly starting new programs or projects. Every week or so you start a new project or two. Unfortunately, they do you no good as you or your group cannot complete all the things you start.

Or you are constantly changing things. You do not like the way things are. You are never satisfied. Unfortunately, you end up changing things that should be left alone.

Or maybe you like to stop things a little too much. Your first reaction to any change is to stop it or end it. If you are a boss, you fire people too quickly. You throw things away you later need. Or maybe you feel like a police officer and constantly try to stop bad things from happening. Unfortunately, you end up stopping good things, as well.

Recommendations

1. Determine your biggest problem: starting things, changing things or stopping things.

2. Write down how you can improve this weakness this week.

3. As you make these improvements, notice how your control improves.

4. Keep working on your weakest areas until you enjoy more success.

When you can easily and effectively start, change and stop things when they need to be started, changed or stopped, you are in control

To read Parts One and Two, go to
www.tipsforsuccesscoaching.org.

 

Provided by TipsForSuccess.org as a public service to introduce the technology of L. Ron Hubbard to you. 

  

Copyright © 2013 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard.

 

Sign up or learn more about TipsForSuccess at www.tipsforsuccess.org.

 

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