Are you a Control verb or a Control noun?

In a million years, I never thought I would write a sentence like this next one. There are a lot of words out there that can be used as a verb and a noun. I know. It's not such an exciting topic, so allow me to put a little spin on it. Think about how many words that can be used as a verb or a noun. There are tons of examples. Look what we did to the company named Google. Google started off as just a noun, but now we also use it as a verb. Go Google Google and see what you get.

So, what does this blog have to do with control? Well, let me tell you.

Control is another one of those words that can be both a noun and a verb. Most business owners need to be in control of their business. When the company is small, the owner is forced to do all the work necessary to remain in control. She/he is classified as a control verb.

As the company grows, typically the owner still remains a control verb by continuing to do the work. This is where many companies get stuck. A shift from a control verb to a control noun needs to take place.

So, what is a control noun? How is it different form a control verb? A control noun is someone that delegates, empowers, and has mechanisms within the business to be in control. Think about information that is brought to you that allows you to make better decisions.

Being in control by doing the work yourself is too time consuming. You need to be out there building partnerships, finding ways to grow, looking for acquisitions, etc. You need your team to be providing you with the right information on a timely basis so that you are in control. If you aren't big enough to have the team members with certain skills, there are folks on the outside that can help.

Next month, I'll discuss some things that need your control.

Mark Parent

MAP Advisors

Outsourced COO/CFO for companies under $10 million in revenue.