Is Micromanagement Ever the Answer?
You hate being micro-managed, but are you the reason you’re being micro-managed? It’s not you? How sure are you that you’re not the cause?
Is Micro-Management Ever the Answer?
There’s quote that says that you should strive for excellence and not perfection, that’s a good theme to set for the micro-manager discussion.
Realistically is there anyone out there who likes being micro-managed?
Maybe you’ve had the micro-manager who sends a 3-page email at 3 in the morning detailing every error in your latest work, or the one who follows up with you every 5 minutes on something due way in the future.
If you’re being micro-managed its cause your manager clearly doesn’t trust you, sometimes that’s justified, and sometimes its not.
Here’s a quick quiz to help you figure out if you’re in need of some micro-management:
Try answer with never, seldom, sometimes or often to these questions.
1. How often do you miss your deadlines?
2. Do you communicate road blocks as soon as they become apparent?
3. How often is your work below a reasonable standard?
There are two types of micro-managers, micro-manager by necessity and micro-manager by desire.
The micro-manager who hates micro-managing
This manager likely feels that their team is not able to deliver what is required in time or to the required quality. They might have trust issues, but these issues are founded on experience.
If you answered seldom, sometimes or often to the above questions then you’re probably contributing to your own misery. If you answered never to the above then refer to the other type of micro-manager.
If you are a contributing factor here are some tips for keeping on track.
1. Communicate, communicate, communicate — someone is responsible for managing delivery and customer expectations, tell them there’s an issue as soon as you know about it, most hitches when communicated early enough won’t derail delivery. Issues communicated when the deadline is imminent are going to be a problem.
2. Make lists — and use them, write it down, with pen and paper and keep referring to it.
3. Compartmentalize tasks — block work units together so that you can avoid context switching often.
4. Isolate where necessary — if you need to get into a quiet space away from the hustle and bustle of the open plan work space then do it.
5. Do you like what you’re doing? — if you hate your day to day tasks then you’re probably not performing them very well. Try find the way back to your motivation, see if there are other opportunities within your team, or if you can shift the stuff you hate to someone who might be better suited.
The micro-manager who loves micro-managing
This manager thinks that no one else can do the work as well as they can. No one else’s work is good enough. Possibly perfectionistic, and maybe they even have some serious trust issues.
If you genuinely feel that you are doing nothing to deserve being micro-managed then maybe this is the manager you’re dealing with. That doesn’t mean that you must suffer, there are ways to deal with them, and in the long run they will probably make you better at your job.
1. Pay attention to what you’re doing — attention to detail will help you meet their high standards.
2. Keep them updated — If they have to come looking for an update they’re going to demand all the detail, if you pre-empt this inquisition you control the narrative and can organise your time as you see fit, and obviously meet the deadline — it’s kind of like building trust.
3. Use their micro-management to your advantage — you know that they’re going to follow up with you 100 times, use it to as milestones or reminders to stay on track.
4. Push back — sometimes a well-timed no is the best way to delineate boundaries.
Although I may not have enjoyed it at the time, the micro-managers I have worked for have been among my best teachers.
What have your micro-managers taught you?
