Management: the act or manner of managing; handling, direction, or control. 

Enablement: to provide (someone) with adequate power, means, opportunity, or authority (to do something)

Several years ago, I heard Steve Sanghi, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, Microchip Technology Inc., talk about how organization charts should be drawn upside down from the normal downward flow from CEO to employee.  He stressed that business leaders were more effective when they served those within their sphere of stewardship, rather than directed or controlled people. Leaders should enable their people to succeed, rather that dictate from above.

It occurred to me recently that this same viewpoint may apply to Identity Management (or should we call it Identity Enablement?).  The traditional enterprise viewpoint is to tightly control the assignment of access rights to individuals, while the  seemingly opposite user-controlled identity viewpoint would allow individuals to be in charge of their own identities.

Perhaps the two viewpoints could be more harmonious if we focus on enabling individuals to get the most value out of identities and relationships, rather than controlling the relationships.

Just a thought.