Help For Micromanagers
Micromanagers can be the bane of many an employee's
existence.
These types of bosses figuratively breathe over
subordinates' necks. Unwilling to delegate, they feel
compelled to get involved in the minutiae of their staff's jobs.
They watch over shoulders, check and re-check work and
demand continual progress updates.
The message micromanagers send is that their staff can't be
trusted to do their jobs competently on their own. And these
managers end up costing companies in poor morale, lack of
productivity and ability to get a job done: Employees begin to
second-guess themselves and start to under perform. They
bring tiny issues and decisions to micromanagers rather than
moving ahead. Work slows down.
Furthermore, resentment can build among employees,
prompting them to avoid the manager. A micromanaging
cycle begins: If managers can't get the information they need
because staff are avoiding them, they begin to tighten the
reins, which leads staff to assume management believes
they are incompetent and untrustworthy.
Yet the fact is, micromanagers live in fear, often because
they are getting pressure from their own bosses. (This
pressure could come because the micromanager has
overpromised results. Out of a fear of inadequacy, and in the
hopes of demonstrating their competence, they are striving
to impress their supervisors). They worry that without their
constant guidance, important details will fall through the
cracks and that the results could be catastrophic, ranging
from the project failing to the ultimate disaster - that the
company will go under.
Many micromanagers believe everyone else is ineffective
except themselves, but their real concern is their own deeply
felt fear of incompetence. Rather than examine these fears
of failure and their sense of inadequacy, micromanagers
project their fears onto others.
Micromanagement can alternate between over-involvement
in others' work to abandoning and neglecting subordinates.
These managers may monitor staff incessantly then
suddenly back off when challenged. Rather than adjusting
their levels of management after realizing they are over-
involved, these people might hand over all the responsibility
for the project to a subordinate. In effect, the micromanager
abandons subordinates until they fumble.
It is difficult for micromanagers to find a happy medium.
Often, they cannot sense when to be involved and when to
back off. They lack a sense of perspective. They can't
adequately plan due to anxiety about the outcome. When the
worry becomes too acute, their micromanaging intensifies.
Focussing on process and rebutting catastrophic beliefs are
two key antidotes to micromanaging. For example, once a
manager understands what needs to be accomplished and
conveys that to staff, she can help them plan how it will get
done and monitor their progress in a less intrusive way.
At the same time, micromanagers must listen to their self
talk. They can catch themselves thinking, "I'd better check
Sally phoned the customer about the schedule change
because if she doesn't we'll lose the contract." It may be
wise to check with Sally. But instead of asking whether she
made the call, it would be better to ask her about the
customer's reaction to the schedule change.
A general rule for micromanagers is: Don't get caught up in
catastrophic thinking when asking for information from staff.
Pause and ask for the information you really need.
Recognize that some of these irrational fears are rooted in a
sense of inadequacy. If you are fighting thoughts about not
being good enough, take a few minutes to calm down.
Micromanaging may soothe anxiety or help you feel better
about yourself, but the results are temporary.
If you suspect you are working for a micromanager, ask
yourself whether you are making the manager nervous. If
you are not completing work, taking enough initiative or
omitting important details, you could be inviting micro-
management. If your attitude seems too casual, the
manager may feel compelled to make sure you have things
under control.
Once you rule out ways you might be encouraging micro-
management, you could conclude your manager needs help.
If so, make him or her aware of how the behaviour is
affecting you. Also, be sure to explain both parts of the cycle - what happens when he or she is looking over your
shoulder and what happens when he or she tries to correct
the situation but becomes unavailable.
Suggest meeting with the manager regularly to discuss
updates on a particular project to allay his or her anxiety.
You may be met with resistance since micromanagers often
say they are too busy (unfortunately, because they
micromanage). If this happens, suggest e-mailing regular
updates. File hard copies of the updates so you can offer
them to the manager if needed.
Ultimately, however, the issue is best dealt with by the
manager's superior. Micromanagement is a leadership
issue and must be addressed as such.
Above all, remember that bosses don't want to be
micromanagers. By getting help, they will improve morale,
speed things up and be a welcome relief for everyone -
including themselves.
Dr. Jennifer Newman and Dr. Darryl Grigg are registered
psychologists and directors of Newman & Grigg Psychological and
Consulting Services Ltd., a Vancouver-based corporate training and
development partnership. They can be contacted at sunmail@newmangrigg.com
Identifying information in cases cited has been changed to
protect confidentiality.