Micro Managing
Do you want your employees to be an asset to the company and you?
How often do you do some task that belongs to one of your employees? When is the last time you said, "If I don't do it, it won't get done"? If an employee has their own way (different than your way) of doing a task, do you require them to change to your way? Even if the end result gets the job done? How often do your employees have to stop doing their job because you have interrupted to find out if they are doing their job?
Micro Managers may be insecure or they may be control freaks. Their ego may make them think only they can save the world or they may be afraid of failure. In either cases, it will lessen the effectiveness of your department and your employees. Bottom line is Micro Managing makes you look like a poor supervisor.
If employees have been given a clear set of instructions for their job functions and projects, you will not need to step in with additional instructions. If the employees have been given a clear set of deadlines, which may include scheduled updates, you will not need to interrupt to check. If the employees have been given a clear description of ramifications for failure to produce the product, then you will not need to threaten. If the employees have been given a clear statement of what the end result should be, you do not need to pound them over the head with prodding. You must also have clear performance guidelines and goals for the project that are doable. Setting your levels of expectation higher than is possible, will also prove you do not have a grasp on the realities of supervisory duties.
The clear set of instructions comes from you, their supervisor. That is why Micro Managing reflects on your inability to give clear instructions and your inability to keep out of the mix unless there are problems where you need to be involved.
Ah, there you go: "problems where you need to be involved." That is not an excuse to Micro Manage. It is where there are unforeseen circumstances or events. If your employees have a clear set of instructions on what to do when this happens, they will come to you. They will not come to you if they know it will open the door to your messing with the process instead of eliminating the unforeseen circumstance.
A Micro Manager creates more useless work, more frustration, more disloyalty, less actual finished products and more inferior products. Their employees spend more time complaining, regrouping, sabotaging and transferring out of the department.
I have also found most Micro Managers have a tendency to lie. They rationalize (yes, that is lying), push the blame to others (lie), make excuses (lie), and never take responsibility for their failure to mature as a leader (lie). Micro Managing is, in fact, leadership immaturity. In spite of the the Micro Manager's talk, sooner or later, their boss will figure out they aren't performing to the level of maturity they should for the company. They will finally realize it isn't an entire department of slackers but the leader of the department at fault. Isn't it better to recognize if you have this level of leadership immaturity and seek to grow?
Proverbs 23:3 "Through wisdom is a house builded; and by understanding it is established."
How often do you do some task that belongs to one of your employees? When is the last time you said, "If I don't do it, it won't get done"? If an employee has their own way (different than your way) of doing a task, do you require them to change to your way? Even if the end result gets the job done? How often do your employees have to stop doing their job because you have interrupted to find out if they are doing their job?
Micro Managers may be insecure or they may be control freaks. Their ego may make them think only they can save the world or they may be afraid of failure. In either cases, it will lessen the effectiveness of your department and your employees. Bottom line is Micro Managing makes you look like a poor supervisor.
If employees have been given a clear set of instructions for their job functions and projects, you will not need to step in with additional instructions. If the employees have been given a clear set of deadlines, which may include scheduled updates, you will not need to interrupt to check. If the employees have been given a clear description of ramifications for failure to produce the product, then you will not need to threaten. If the employees have been given a clear statement of what the end result should be, you do not need to pound them over the head with prodding. You must also have clear performance guidelines and goals for the project that are doable. Setting your levels of expectation higher than is possible, will also prove you do not have a grasp on the realities of supervisory duties.
The clear set of instructions comes from you, their supervisor. That is why Micro Managing reflects on your inability to give clear instructions and your inability to keep out of the mix unless there are problems where you need to be involved.
Ah, there you go: "problems where you need to be involved." That is not an excuse to Micro Manage. It is where there are unforeseen circumstances or events. If your employees have a clear set of instructions on what to do when this happens, they will come to you. They will not come to you if they know it will open the door to your messing with the process instead of eliminating the unforeseen circumstance.
A Micro Manager creates more useless work, more frustration, more disloyalty, less actual finished products and more inferior products. Their employees spend more time complaining, regrouping, sabotaging and transferring out of the department.
I have also found most Micro Managers have a tendency to lie. They rationalize (yes, that is lying), push the blame to others (lie), make excuses (lie), and never take responsibility for their failure to mature as a leader (lie). Micro Managing is, in fact, leadership immaturity. In spite of the the Micro Manager's talk, sooner or later, their boss will figure out they aren't performing to the level of maturity they should for the company. They will finally realize it isn't an entire department of slackers but the leader of the department at fault. Isn't it better to recognize if you have this level of leadership immaturity and seek to grow?
Proverbs 23:3 "Through wisdom is a house builded; and by understanding it is established."
posted by Diane Gibson at
2:24 PM
