Some prefer autonomy and others do not. With autonomy we are able to fully engage in the shared production of our work, but understand that this comes with additional personal responsibility and accountability. With control, we tend to disengage from the shared production of work, preferring to abstain from any responsibility or accountability for the outcome.

In balance of autonomy and control, it is rarely one precise way or the other. There is a blend of both that are best communicated and negotiated among all of it’s participants to attain the best results. Autonomy is more of a joint venture comprised of shared-value objectives to conduct the work within an establishing pattern of actions that work best together. Each knowing their responsibilities and accountabilities and relating with one another to arrive at the outcome together.

Autonomy should be discovered and evolved together to have been earned and not randomly assigned. Control is simple, autonomy is complex in that it requires choices be negotiated so that they will lead to far greater engagement, satisfaction and personal accountability for outcomes. It requires that all proactively learn together and act to resolve from applied experiences any deficiencies and discrepancies along the way.

When there is confusion between control and autonomy, there is disengagement and dissatisfaction. When there is clarity, there is the chance for engagement for excellence and sustaining satisfaction. Know and earn your position with autonomy.

“Autonomy is different from independence. It means acting with a choice.” — Daniel Pink —

MITM