5 Ways to Be a Terrible Boss: # 2: The Micromanager

       This 5 part series is about ways in which you can be seen as a terrible boss. I do NOT want you to be seen that way. This blog post along with the last one and the next 3 blog posts are going to be behaviors which are viewed as being terrible to your followers. It’s not too late to change…we all act like this from time to time.

     Oh the famous micromanager. Where would we be without these now famous managers in our world? From the comic strip Dilbert, micromanagers have become a part of organizational lore and reality all at the same time. When the dreaded micromanager is discovered, you are sure to second guess your job or decision to work at this organization. Surviving without throttling is now the goal for many of us in this situation.

Probably the most common behavior seen by our followers as the most annoying and life-sucking behavior, micromanagers create a frustrated work environment with what is seen as constant badgering, being treated like a child, and not letting employees do their job. This overbearing behavior also creates in employees a distrust of leadership because many feel they are not trusted to accomplish the most simplest of tasks without detailed instructions.

What is important for leaders to understand is that of the 5 ways, or behaviors, we are discussing in this series which drive our employees to believe we are a terrible boss, well…we all exhibit these at some time in our career. This can be a hard pill to swallow. I can give you examples of times when I have done all these things, many of them coupled together. Sometimes out of ignorance, sometimes due lack of knowledge or pride, and sometimes because that was the only way I knew to lead. This series is to help your work through all three reasons.

There are several classic behaviors Micromanagers exhibit. Typically, micromanagers are overbearing with constant, specific guidance on every task. Some of the guidance can be on menial tasks which are assigned to a staff member. When more complex challenges arise, the micromanager goes into overdrive with a step-by-step instruction for getting from point A to point M. No deviation tolerated.

Micromanagers also have the need for high information requirements and drive to share direction. The constant contact, asking about every detail of your day, what you are doing, and following you to verify seems a hallmark behavior of micromanagers. On days when micromanagers are not at work, they can require an end of day update of everything that happened that day, in detail, so they can evaluate, critique, and give additional guidance and corrections. Success to a micromanager is for everything in the unit to be done the way the MANAGER would have done it.

The withholding of information by a micromanager is the behavior which creates the most disturbing challenge for followers. This behavior is done out of the belief the follower does not need this type of information. A decision made by the manager alone. Additionally, micromanagers will also assign a task, but during working the issue, will return and take the task back to complete. They will also usually complain about task saturation but refuse to share or delegate tasks to lighten the load.

So are you a micromanager? As with the Hammer leader, self-assessment skills are going to be critical in looking at the 5 ways you could be a terrible leader. Terrible leaders are not what we want in our RN2Leader community. So, do you have the tendencies to take over every task, to take back tasks regularly, or do you withhold information as the gatekeeper of all information and provide it as you see fit? Is it possible your followers see you as this controlling of the unit?

The great opportunity for you now is to stop what you are doing and start working with and trusting your team. As the respected leader, and the person responsible, you cannot possibly accomplish all the tasks given to your unit alone and be successful. Likewise, you have a talented team, so use them! The behaviors of a micromanager lead to unit outcomes such as erosion of morale, poor effort by your followers, and ineffective work processes which then could lead to poor quality outcomes.

Fortunately there are 3 simple steps to help you get control of your micromanager tendencies and become more effective as a leader.

1. Evaluate your team for strengths and weaknesses and then hire to fill the gaps. As the leader, your job becomes the leader of orchestrating the mission, and hiring the correct people to do that is paramount to success. You should critically evaluate the unit and looking for ways to improve it and then hire for those skills. If you have a unit full of strong Type A personalities and there is an extreme competitive edge, then hiring a collaborator or peacemaker makes more sense. Creating more harmony and teamwork can improve the unit morale and create a trust for you in your staff that they can accomplish their jobs.
2. Trust your team to succeed. The outcome may not be what you would have wanted totally from a task. That is OK. It may not have gone the route you would have taken, but that is OK too. Building or rebuilding trust with your team benefits both of you. The team needs to know you have confidence in their ability to handle the job without hand holding. Removing that crutch encourages more independence and likewise more efficient and effective working on the unit.
3. Step back and let your team do their jobs. This is going to be tough. Please, stop them from making critical mistakes. But when the situation warrants, let them go and work an issue. Let them succeed and fail, and the build them up to work through those failures to success. When you take the time to let them develop better leadership skills, you can then give up more and more control. More than likely, you will want to give it up.

The work of a micromanager is a life killer. If you lead this way, you are more than likely do not fully enjoy your life or work. You are constantly battling deadlines, the feeling of being overwhelmed, and that you don’t have enough hours in a day to accomplish all of your tasks. There are times like this. Sadly, if this has become your norm, there is a high chance you are a micromanager.

It is time to stop, let your team go, and provide the required amount of guidance they need to be successful. Controlling every bit of their work life will not be successful. It is time to bring balance back in and it begins with you.

Leading with you!

Dean

“Like” and visit us on Facebook! For more information, visit us at RN2Leader.com!