Locus of Control

Sherrie Suski explores locus of control in business.

1. Locus of Control Do your employees make things happen?

2. What is Locus of Control? Locus of control is a psychological concept that refers to how strongly people believe that they have control over the situations and experiences that affect their lives. A person with an internal locus of control believes that he or she can influence events and their outcomes, while someone with an external locus of control blames outside forces for everything.

3. Locus of Control Internal External Combination of both The Basics Your locus of control can influence not only how you respond to the events that happen in your life, but also your motivation to take action.

4. Work hard to achieve what they want Report being happier and more independent Achieve greater success 4 3 2 1 Internal Locus of Control Are more likely to take responsibility for their actions

5. May need a great deal of assurance More successful if projects are broken down into steps Can be good collaborators 4 3 2 1 Combination Locus of Control May have a hard time accepting responsibility

6. Don’t believe they can change their situation Feel helpless and powerless Credit luck or chance for success and failure 4 3 2 1 External Locus of Control Blame outside forces for their circumstances

7. Easy evaluation technique Ask someone the question “So, why do you catch a cold?” The person with the external locus of control will answer “because someone infected me” and the person with the internal locus of control will answer “ because I let myself get too run down” or something similar.

8. Summary It is easy to see why a workforce that is primarily driven by those with an internal locus of control would far surpass one made up of those with an external locus of control. We all need to believe we have control to a great extent, of our destiny and be willing to take the responsibility that comes with that assumption.

9. Thank You!