Micromanagement – The Death of a Leader

Everyone who has worked in corporate America for several years knows what a micromanager looks like. The classic example here is the leader who assigns you a big assignment (estimated at six months in length for example) and tells you they have 100% confidence in your ability to do the project well. You have worked with that same leader for a few years and proven your ability to perform well over time and have gotten very positive reviews reflecting that same feedback. After getting the assignment, your boss checks in each day at 8am wanting a meeting or written status review on your progress thus far.

What’s wrong with this picture. A lot of things, right? This is not only frustrating for you as a good employee, it is also a time waster since you have to give daily reports on your progress. What can you do in this situation to change the scenario?

Here are a few suggestions for the employee:

Have an honest or crucial conversation regarding the frustration of having to do daily updates. Since you have worked for your boss for years and they acknowledge your good performance, just lay things out here and ask for their rationale for wanting these daily updates. Work with them to come up with a better option

Another approach could be to let your boss know you’d like to give them weekly updates since that would be more efficient for both of you. You can report a greater level of progress vs. doing the daily updates. Suggest a different option and let them be part of the solution.

Lastly, you can just grin and bear it, but that’s not a strategy, that’s allow the bosses micromanagement to continue. It also reinforces that you are OK with their strategy. You are rewarding bad behavior. You wouldn’t do that with your kids (if you have kids at home), therefore, why do it with your boss.
Here are a few suggestions for the boss: You need to closely manage and coach and monitor your newly hired employees in their first several months of employment, that’s not micromanagement that’s good management. As your newer employee becomes more proficient over the first several months, you loosen the close management and move into a more participatory style of management. You talk to them regularly and ask them where they need your help. As your employee gains more competence and confidence, you move to a more delegation style of management.
There is no one size fits all on the timing on this. It depends on the proficiency level they gain over the first 6 – 12 months and the confidence that they gain as they become better in their role. Depending on the role the employee is in and other factors, this could be 6 to 12 months or longer. When you fully delegate to an employee you still do regular check-ins or touch bases with them. Even your best employees want to spend time with you, not only for your support, but to get your feedback that they are doing a great job.

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Small and medium-sized businesses may not have the time or expertise to implement the necessary people strategies for business success. The ideas above can be easily implemented by you to help improve the performance of your employees which leads to increased employee engagement and increasing the bottom line. We are here to help you with the people side of your business: employee engagement, retention programs, performance management, vision, and strategic plans, leadership development, selection & onboarding, compensations programs, organizational design, employee handbooks, core values, and all things HR-related.