Key Takeaways
1. Shift from Outdated Boss-Management to Modern Lead-Management
Americans continue to use boss-management, a traditional system that has always produced a lot of work and was quite competitive as long as everyone used it and no one’s products were significantly better than anyone else’s.
The management crisis. Many American companies are failing to achieve the quality needed to compete globally, largely because their managers operate on outdated assumptions about human behavior. This "boss-management" style, characterized by telling, inspecting, and coercing, was once sufficient when all competitors used similar methods. However, it fosters adversarial relationships and stifles the intrinsic motivation necessary for quality work.
The Japanese advantage. W. Edwards Deming introduced "lead-management" to Japan, a system that implicitly aligns with Control Theory, emphasizing intrinsic motivation and continuous improvement. This approach transformed Japanese industry, enabling them to produce high-quality products that consumers now demand worldwide. The success of lead-management demonstrates that focusing on the workplace and how people are managed is far more critical than just focusing on the work itself.
The imperative for change. To regain competitiveness, American managers must abandon boss-management and embrace lead-management. This requires a fundamental shift in understanding human behavior, moving away from the common-sense, stimulus-response (S-R) psychology that underpins traditional management. Without this profound knowledge, attempts to implement quality initiatives like TQM (Total Quality Management) often fail because they are imposed coercively, contradicting the very principles of quality.
2. All Behavior is Chosen and Internally Driven by Our Brains
Control theory is just the opposite. It is based on the premise that all human behavior is caused by what goes on inside the heads of each behaving human being.
Beyond stimulus-response. Traditional S-R psychology posits that external stimuli cause our behavior (e.g., a ringing phone makes us answer). Control Theory, however, asserts that all significant human behavior is chosen internally. External events are merely information; we decide how to act based on what we believe will best satisfy our internal needs. This means we choose to answer the phone, or not, based on our internal motivations.
The power of choice. Recognizing that all behavior is chosen fundamentally alters the management paradigm. Boss-managers believe they can make workers perform through external rewards or punishments. Lead-managers understand they can only persuade workers to choose quality behaviors by creating an environment where such choices are intrinsically satisfying. This distinction is crucial because you cannot force someone to do what they don't want to do; you can only teach and encourage a better way.
Total behavior. Control Theory defines all behavior as "total behavior," comprising four inseparable components:
- Acting: The physical actions we take (e.g., moving legs to run).
- Thinking: Our thoughts and internal dialogue (e.g., planning a route).
- Feeling: Our emotional state (e.g., joy, frustration).
- Physiology: Automatic bodily responses (e.g., heart rate, breathing).
While we directly control our actions and thoughts, our feelings and physiology are largely involuntary responses to how well our chosen actions and thoughts are satisfying our needs. Managers should focus on helping workers change their actions and thoughts to achieve better feelings and outcomes.
3. Five Basic Genetic Needs Drive All Human Motivation
Together these needs, in a myriad of ways that each of us figures out, cause us to search for sufficient (1) survival; (2) love and belonging; (3) power or recognition; (4) freedom; (5) fun.
Intrinsic motivators. Our brains are genetically programmed with five basic needs that drive all human behavior from birth to death. These needs are not learned but are inherent to our biological makeup. While survival (food, water, shelter, sex) is fundamental, the other four psychological needs are equally powerful and often overlooked in traditional management.
The psychological core. For quality work, satisfying psychological needs is paramount. If a job only provides for survival, workers will do the bare minimum. Lead-managers understand that to inspire quality, they must create opportunities for workers to satisfy:
- Love and Belonging: Fostering friendship, teamwork, and a sense of care in the workplace.
- Power: Giving workers a voice, listening to their input, and recognizing their contributions.
- Freedom: Allowing autonomy, choice, and self-expression within their roles.
- Fun: Making learning enjoyable and celebrating achievements, as fun is the genetic reward for learning.
Beyond survival. When workers' psychological needs are met, they feel a sense of control and satisfaction, leading to higher engagement and a willingness to produce quality work. Conversely, frustrated needs lead to pain, resentment, and resistance, draining energy that could otherwise be directed towards productive tasks. Managers cannot satisfy these needs for workers, but they can create the opportunity for workers to satisfy them through their work.
4. Our "Quality World" Defines What We Truly Value and Pursue
In it we store what we have discovered that feels very good, much of it as pictures of people, places, and things and as word pictures of need-satisfying ideas or beliefs.
Internal blueprint for satisfaction. Each individual constructs a unique "quality world" in their memory—an internal album of highly need-satisfying people, places, things, and ideas. These are the specific, concrete entities we constantly strive to connect with because they bring us profound satisfaction. For a child, it's not "love" but a "loving mother" that satisfies the need for love.
The driver of behavior. Our quality world is the core of our lives; we actively seek to add to it what feels good and remove what no longer does. We listen attentively to people in our quality world, desire products stored there, and accept ideas aligned with its values. For a manager to succeed, they must persuade workers to place the company, its products, and the manager themselves into their quality worlds.
Accessing the quality world. Boss-managers, through coercion and indifference to worker needs, rarely gain entry into their employees' quality worlds. This explains why bossed workers resist quality efforts. Lead-managers, by being warm, supportive, and attentive to needs, build trust and gain access. This access is critical because once a manager, product, or idea is in a worker's quality world, that worker is intrinsically motivated to engage with it and strive for quality.
5. Behavior is Sparked by the Gap Between Our Desires and Reality
It is this difference between what we want, which is stored in our quality world, and what is now happening in the real world that is the specific cause of all our behavior.
The engine of motivation. Our behavior is not caused by external stimuli, but by an internal drive to reduce the "difference" between what we perceive in the real world and what we desire in our quality world. When there's a significant gap, we are motivated to act to bring reality closer to our ideal. For example, if our quality world contains a picture of a clean workspace, and our current workspace is messy, we are motivated to clean it.
Driving continuous improvement. For quality work, a lead-manager guides workers to compare their current output with their internal picture of "quality work" stored in their quality world. When a worker perceives a difference, they are intrinsically motivated to improve. This process is enhanced when the idea of "constant improvement" itself is also a valued picture in their quality world, as Deming emphasized.
The role of trust and creativity. This internal motivation for improvement flourishes when workers trust their managers and feel empowered to evaluate their own work. When the difference between desired and actual quality is small, creativity is unleashed, leading to innovative solutions and further improvements. Conversely, bossing stifles this natural drive, as workers use their creativity to resist rather than improve, leading to stagnation and low quality.
6. Cultivate a Warm, Trusting, and Non-Coercive Work Environment
If workers are to do quality work, they must believe that the managers care about their welfare.
The foundation of quality. The first and most crucial condition for achieving quality work is a warm, supportive, and trusting work environment. Trust means workers believe their manager genuinely cares about their well-being, not just their output. This assurance of job safety, fair wages, and a share in profits fosters loyalty and commitment.
Eliminating coercion. Quality cannot thrive under coercion or antagonism. Threats of punishment or offers of divisive rewards undermine trust and create an adversarial atmosphere. Lead-managers actively avoid these tactics, instead focusing on encouraging cooperation between managers and workers, and among workers themselves. They present problems to workers for solutions, demonstrating that their input is valued and taken seriously.
Beyond fair pay. While fair compensation is part of the first condition, psychological incentives like trust and usefulness often outweigh money as motivators, provided the pay is adequate. Deming famously stated, "Pay is not a motivator." When managers foster a sense of belonging and empowerment, workers are far more likely to invest their best efforts, leading to quality that transcends mere compliance.
7. Empower Workers Through Self-Evaluation and Continuous Improvement
But a worker’s quality work is never the product of the evaluation of others, it is always the product of self-evaluation and continual improvement.
The shift from inspection to self-assessment. A cornerstone of lead-management is empowering workers to evaluate their own work for quality. Traditional boss-management relies on inspectors and external evaluations, which only encourage workers to do "just enough to get by." When workers are taught to inspect and improve their own output, they become personally invested in achieving and surpassing quality standards.
Quality as a dynamic process. Quality is not a static state but a continuous effort to improve. Lead-managers teach workers that standards are temporary and can always be raised, as long as it remains cost-effective. This mindset fosters a culture of constant learning and innovation. Deming's points, such as "cease dependence on inspection" and "eliminate annual ratings," directly support this principle, recognizing that external evaluation breeds distrust and stifles intrinsic motivation.
The power of "no evaluation." Deming's radical statement, "No human being should ever evaluate another human being," highlights the destructive nature of external judgment. When workers are freed from the fear of being judged, they can direct their energy towards genuine self-improvement and collaboration. This trusting environment allows for open discussion of problems and collective pursuit of higher quality, moving beyond individual turf protection.
8. Lead-Managers Serve as Friends, Teachers, and Counselors
While I have so far limited my explanation of lead-managing to the manager-worker relationship, lead-managers must also learn to relate effectively as friends, teachers, and counselors.
Beyond the boss role. Effective lead-managers expand their relational skills beyond mere supervision. They cultivate relationships with workers as:
- Friends: By being approachable, sharing personal information (within comfort), and showing genuine interest, managers build rapport. This fosters a willingness in workers to go the extra mile, as people do more for friends than for strangers.
- Teachers: The workplace becomes a "quality school" where managers and skilled workers teach useful skills. Education is defined as discovering how learning adds quality to one's life and work, moving away from rote memorization and coercion.
- Counselors: Managers offer advice and guidance, especially when workers seek help with work-related or personal problems. This builds loyalty and addresses issues that could otherwise impact work quality.
Building rapport and trust. Managers should reveal aspects of themselves—their values, interests, and experiences—to become more human and relatable. This transparency helps workers understand and respect their leader, making them more receptive to guidance. The goal is to create a two-way street of mutual respect and understanding, where both managers and workers are willing to put each other into their "quality worlds."
The listening imperative. As teachers, lead-managers must listen intently to their "pupils" (workers). Workers are often the experts in their specific jobs and have valuable insights for improvement. By actively listening and acting on suggestions, managers reinforce the idea that workers' knowledge and skills are appreciated, further motivating them to contribute to quality.
9. Eliminate Criticism and Coercion to Build Trust and Quality
No matter how badly an employee performs, it is unwise to criticize his or her performance.
The destructive nature of criticism. Criticism, in any form—verbal, gestural, or even a look of disdain—is inherently destructive to quality. It makes employees feel a loss of power, friendship, and freedom, preventing the manager from entering their quality world. Even if "constructive" or warranted, criticism breeds resentment and resistance, diverting energy from improvement to defensiveness.
A no-blame policy. Lead-managers must commit to a "no-fault, no-criticism" policy. Instead of blaming, they focus on problem-solving. A manager might post a sign stating, "In this department, I attempt to help all employees solve all problems... but in doing so, I will not criticize, put down, or punish." This sets a clear expectation and encourages workers to evaluate their own work without fear.
Non-coercive supervision. Coercion, whether through threats or manipulative rewards, is equally detrimental. It forces compliance rather than inspiring commitment. Lead-managers replace "telling" with "asking," inviting workers to participate in finding solutions and improving processes. This approach respects workers' autonomy and fosters a sense of ownership, which is essential for quality.
10. Address Problems Collaboratively, Focusing on Solutions, Not Blame
He will ignore the idea of fault altogether and emphasize from start to finish that all he is interested in is solving the problem.
Proactive problem-solving. Problems, both work-related and personal, are inevitable. Lead-managers address them promptly and proactively, understanding that delay only exacerbates issues and impacts quality. They create an environment where workers feel safe bringing problems forward, knowing they will receive help, not blame or punishment.
The collaborative approach. When a problem arises, the lead-manager initiates a discussion by saying, "It seems to me that there may be a problem here and I would like to talk with you and see if we agree." The emphasis is on "we," not "you." If agreement is reached, the focus shifts to "what each of us can do to solve it," avoiding any intimation of fault. This approach encourages workers to take responsibility without feeling attacked.
Empowering self-resolution. The ultimate goal is to empower workers to solve problems themselves. Managers act as facilitators, teachers, and counselors, guiding workers through self-evaluation and planning. For instance, if a worker is chronically late, the manager might ask, "What do you suggest that we, each of us, both you and I, can do that will get you here on time?" This shifts the responsibility for finding a solution to the worker, with managerial support.
11. Unleash Inherent Creativity by Reducing Fear and Encouraging Input
Control theory teaches that we are all creative and that this creativity becomes most available to us when we feel as if we are in control or when there is only a small difference between the way we want to be treated and the way we are treated.
Creativity is universal. Contrary to boss-management's belief that creativity is rare and reserved for a select few, Control Theory asserts that all individuals are inherently creative. This creativity flourishes when people feel in control, their needs are met, and there's a minimal gap between their desired and actual experiences. A relaxed, supportive environment is a breeding ground for innovation.
Tapping into worker insights. Boss-managers stifle creativity by demanding adherence to "their way" and dismissing worker input. Lead-managers, understanding that valuable ideas can emerge from anyone, actively encourage workers to share their insights. They listen attentively, even to embryonic ideas, and provide tangible support for exploration and implementation. This demonstrates that the manager values their workers' intelligence and initiative.
The cost of stifled creativity. When workers are bossed and fearful, their creativity is not only suppressed but can be redirected into adversarial behaviors or even stress-induced physical ailments. This "physiologically creative" response to frustration leads to increased medical expenses, absenteeism, and reduced productivity. By fostering an environment of trust and psychological safety, lead-managers unlock a wellspring of innovation that is crucial for sustained quality and competitiveness.
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