User:ToddHutchison

The CIA Principle is a frustration management technique developed by Todd Hutchison from People Rich. It stands for: Control, Influence and Acceptance, and is a simple tool used to deal with frustration and to help understand how to better focus one’s energies more constructively to cope with challenges. Basically when you feel frustration you are likely using the wrong response to dealing with the challenge:

C	Control	You can only control things that effect you, from your appearance, behaviour, professionalism, and manner, as well as your responses to challenges as they arise. I	Influence	When other people are involved, you can only influence them. In these cases, simply focus on the best and most effective ways to communicate and influence the people around you. A	Acceptance	In some situations we need to accept constraints for us to be able to move on. We don’t have to forget, but we do have to recognise when things may be holding us back. Life is like a book, we have to turn the pages to get to the end. Acceptance is not about giving up, rather it s about accepting a state or condition and then using creative thinking to look for alternate solutions.

Consider the Tasmanian (Australia) parents case study where their baby was born blind. They initially took the control path, blaming one another for their likely gene deficencies. They then shifted to the Influence trying to get the Medical Practitioner to “fix it”, but it was only when they accepted the condition of the baby were they able to focus their energies positively in providing the best possible environment for its future survival and growth.

The CIA Principle was published in My Journal in 2006 and can be read about further on http://www.peoplerich.com/goal_cia.php.