Have you worked with a control freak? The person who micromanages every aspect of your work to the point where you fantasize about binding them in duct tape.

Control freaks can make life and work unbearable.

But what if you apply that characteristic to your communication? You make sure every piece of business communication receives your stamp of approval before it goes out the door. Is that a bad thing?

Like most questions in life, the answer is – it depends.

The Communication Control Freak

Take one look at Merriam-Webster’s definition of control freak and you’ll want no part of it.

So, why would anyone strive for that kind of label? When it comes to business communication, control is a vital element. It can also cripple communication.

The following offers the Pros and Cons of being a communication control freak.

The Pros

Let’s look at three circumstances where you may want to wrap yourself in the control freak cloak.

#1 – Using third-party platforms

Social media and technology offer fabulous tools to help us promote our message. But if you are not a bit of a control freak, you could find those tools taking your business communication down with them.

LinkedIn demonstrated that to me more than once. I wrote about the danger of putting all your eggs in one basket. Recently, LinkedIn bit me again but this time I was better prepared.

Okay, so perhaps this is not so much LinkedIn as it is the nature of business. Platforms change.

• LinkedIn sold SlideShare to Scribid
• I have 59 presentations on SlideShare
• Presentations are embedded throughout my blog
• The slide functionality of the presentations has stopped working

And, of course, this is while I am working on a site redesign. Although correcting the problem will be a pain, the control freak in me is ready. The following steps can help you protect your hard work.

UPDATE: It turns out the SlideShare snafu is a browser problem. Apparently, it does not play nice with Firefox. Scribid advised it was a “known issue” and they are working on it. In the meantime, I’m still working on updating and converting the presentations.

Backup communication.

Fortunately, I have a copy on my hard drive (and cloud backup) of all 59 presentations.

Update regularly.

I already started updating old presentations, converting some to videos.

Have a Plan B.

Eventually a platform, plugin, or theme shuts down. I admit I’ve procrastinated dealing with SlideShare. But I have a Plan B in place to repurpose, use, or transfer those presentations.

LinkedIn is not the only platform that causes this problem. Almost any will at one point or another.

Be a control freak when using other platforms for your business communication.

Ask yourself, what will I do if those platforms go away?

#2 – Sticking to quality control

How many times have you skipped editing to get your business communication published?

• We all do it.
• And we all pay the price for it.
• Typos, grammar gremlins, and worse light up like a neon sign of neglect.

Whether it is a simple editing process or expanded quality control, stick to what works.

Be a communication control freak on quality or freak out later when mistakes happen.

#3 – Setting time parameters

I remember the first time I received a report of my Screen Time use. I gasped. And that’s just on my iPhone. I did not want to think about the total time if I threw in my desktop work hours.

Social media and other screen time can be a huge time suck.

Calendar.com offers 9 Ways to Avoid Getting Sucked Into Social Media and Wasting Time, including time blocking, timers, and logging off. Find what works for you.

I tend to rebel at restrictions. So, too much structure dooms me to failure, even when it’s for my own good. What works for me is to focus on what I want to get done, rather than what I DON’T want to do.

• What tasks do you want to complete today? Keep it manageable. Maybe it’s a blog post, or writing X number of words today, or responding to email.
• Factor in personal tasks. I am a caregiver for my elderly mother. Something as simple as preparing a hot lunch for Mom is a task I factor in. Another non-negotiable is my daily walk.
• Go play. Once I accomplish my tasks, I’m home free. I may hit social media or just chill.

Take control of your time but do not freak if your day does not go as planned. Life happens.

The Cons of Being a Communication Control Freak

Being a bit of a control freak improves your business communication. But releasing the full beast can crush your message.

Reign in that inner freak if you observe any of the following.

Perfection paralysis

In a past life, I used to write analysis reports for clients. While proofing the report, my boss agonized over every word and punctuation mark.

After multiple changes, she walked into my office at 10:00 at night (I am not kidding), saying, “I have a thought…” I cut her off and said, “And you need to stop doing that. Let it go.”

Did you ever notice how much easier it is to find the control freak in others? You’d never be like that, right? The following are a few ideas to overcome perfection analysis.

• Walk away. Put aside your communication and let it marinate (at least a day, if you can). Revisit it later with a fresh look.
• Release control. A tough one, for sure, but allow someone you trust to make the final editing decisions.
• Focus on the reward. Perfection paralysis wallows in negativity. Picture the rewards of moving forward – getting home to your family. Sharing an already great communication. Starting the next task.

Escalating bad feelings

Being a control freak is exhausting. Life and work become a tornado of negativity fueled by frustrations, stress, and anger.

Think about the last time you received a shot from the Grammar Patrol. That army of control freaks who love to assassinate your latest communication error in front of you and the world. I bet it torqued you off.

Tap into what you’re feeling. Business communication should make you happy. It is an opportunity to share what makes your business unique. Recognize when bad feelings are taking control and do something positive.

• Take a break
• Trust others
• Admit your mistakes

Communication Control Freak Fixes

Embrace the positive side of control – producing a better product, building trust and a better life from having a plan.

But if you notice that inner control freak getting pushy, try simplifying your life.

• Concentrate on your actions (instead of others)
• Believe in your business- it shows
• Recapture the joy in your communication

A mantra I developed during incredibly stressful times was asking myself ~

Is this worth the energy?

Ask yourself that question the next time your business communication is stuck. Is this worth the energy? What do you think? I would love if you would share your thoughts and ideas in Comments.

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