Use moderate controls. A key aspect of any manager’s job is to control people and work. If carried out properly, controls contribute di¬rectly to individual and organizational productivity. When controls are too loose, they fail to do their job. Substandard performance either goes undetected or proper corrective action is not taken when substandard per¬formance is detected. When controls are too tight, productivity also suf¬fers. Employees become less willing to take chances because they fear mis¬takes will be penalized. Controls that lead to productivity improvement point toward positive actions. They specify standards to achieve rather than mistakes to avoid. A positive control might state, “All deviations from standard of less than .001 inches are considered acceptable for ship¬ping.” A negative control might state, “All deviations from standard of more than .001 inches are considered unacceptable for shipping. Employ¬ees are to keep accurate records of any parts that fail to meet this quality standard.” Positive controls are often interpreted as challenging goals to attain. Negative controls are often interpreted as mistakes that must be avoided. Therefore they may inhibit action for fear of doing the wrong thing.
