 Micromanagement has a bad rap and deservedly so. Yet when people are struggling performers or new employees, you have to do it. Frequent one-on-ones, help with priorities, lists of tasks and follow-ups are all hallmarks of good management for staff in these categories. In addition, I’ve had leaders who took on new teams that had been so poorly managed, the new leaders needed to track them closely in order to try to shape things up.
Yet in general, if your staff is constantly complaining about being micromanaged, you need to listen.
When I speak with leaders about this feedback, their take on the situation is frequently that they have to manage people closely because when they give them more responsibility, they make mistakes or sometimes even create disasters. As an outsider trying to evaluate the whole situation, the truth may be hard to find.
“…if your staff is constantly complaining about being micromanaged, you need to listen.”
What Should You Do? 
- First, if you’re a leader who is accused of micromanagement — or an outsider trying to discover the truth about a team — listen. Ask open-ended questions (who, what, where, when) until you understand what the critic is suggesting. Don’t become defensive or shut them down without truly understanding the situation.
- Second, ask whether letting your people have more responsibility is really such a bad idea or simply your own fear of releasing the reins. They may well make mistakes but there’s no other way fr them to learn. Try to break tasks down into manageable bites so that if they do miss the mark, you can give them feedback and they can integrate your suggestions, but an entire project doesn’t go awry.
- Third, consider whether your staff is really incapable of taking on more responsibility. If, after honest reflection, you find that they are, you may have a bigger problem. Perhaps you’ve kept people around for too long who are simply incapable of progressing and growing in the way you need them to advance. If this is the case, you may need to put them on a performance plan and ultimately – and ideally, gently – move them along to greener pastures. If you’re avoiding this path because you don’t want to face what it would take to honestly evaluate performance and institute consequences, you’re not doing them or your organization any favors.
 Did You Know
Balancing between micromanagement and leadership is something we address in all our management and leadership workshops.
For more information, call or write us at: 303-216-1020 or Lynne@workplacesthatwork.com
Learn more about our training offerings and check out our team members at: www.workplacesthatwork.com
Be sure to read Lynne’s book “The Power of a Good Fight” –
Embracing Conflict to Drive Productivity, Creativity and Innovation.
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August 21, 2017
