Being in control, or should I say feeling that you’re in control, is critical to your business’s productivity, your happiness and – as it turns out – your health. A 1997 landmark study conducted of 7,400 employees showed that those who believed they had no control over deadlines that had been set were 50% more likely to suffer with coronary disease, and that’s as high a health concern as having high blood pressure!
In another study, a selected group of older people living full-time in a residential care home were given the task of looking after their own plants. This small responsibility and sense of control within their lives not only made them feel happier but it actually reduced mortality rates when compared with others in the same home who didn’t look after their own plants and simply watched staff take on the task. Such is the importance of feeling in control that it can even prolong life.
So, it’s important for you and your team to set and feel in control of deadlines. Remember we mentioned previously the Zorro circles, well, make sure that you’re not only supporting your team in how you allocate deadlines, but also how you actually set out these tasks to be done.
Ultimately, if we can manage our distractions and take back control over how we spend our time, we can become far more efficient at what we’re doing. But – and here’s the fly in the ointment – if what we’re doing isn’t following the right strategy in the first place, we still won’t be getting anywhere, and we’ll just be a lot more efficient at not getting there.
That’s why developing an effective working business plan is so critical to your business and life success
By Alan Adams The Clinic Coach
