Micro-management is a management style characterized by managers who closely monitor the work of subordinates, often adding their input and constantly changing the final output. Micro-managers are obsessed with the smallest details and are unable to delegate – they always need to do everything themselves. Micro-managers also tend to show a lack of trust in their co-workers and subordinates and generally also work poorly with others. Micromanagement is about excessive control and is often associated with a lack of freedom and creativity in the workplace.
Understanding Micromanagement
There are several ways to manage and lead a team. There are managers who work together with their team and delegate the task according to the strengths and weaknesses of each member of the group. Also, there are some leaders who trust his team entirely, who leave the entire organization and separate to the group; answer questions when asked, but in general, check only the final result of the team.
Regardless of the leadership style, the fact is that the way the manager directs his followers can vary a lot. However, the most prominent role of a good leader is to keep the team motivated, focused, and, above all, to deserve everyone’s respect because of your behavior. The leader has to earn and earn the team’s respect, not impose it. When managers run away from this concept of leadership with respect and motivation, their micromanagement pops up.Common attitudes include:
- Wanting to be copied in all emails.
- All activities need to be informed and authorized to be carried out.
- It removes all employees’ autonomy.
- Any purchase to be made has to be approved by him, even if it is of low value and routine.
- The team cannot participate in projects with other areas without the manager’s authorization.
Consequences of micromanagement
So far, you can already draw some conclusions. The first is that micromanagement is a pressing problem. And it goes further when there is no control. And the consequences are serious. Here are a few:
Mitigates productivity
Most managers have to deal with hectic work hours. They need to attend meetings, strategize, and put out unexpected fires. Therefore, they need a good volume of resources, such as time and energy. While micromanaging, managers stop focusing their resources on their obligations and start to use them in subordinates’ tasks. Therefore, they lose sight of what is strategic and start to occupy themselves with operations. This lack of focus reduces the level of productivity, causing the employee to deliver less and less. And, this negatively impacts work routines, the team, and, consequently, the company.
Increases employee turnover rate
The turnover rate refers to the percentage of talents that leave the company in a given period. They are the professionals who leave the organization, creating a shortage of labor. Working in a micro-management environment turns out to be toxic for some professionals, and they choose to leave the company as they don’t like the environment and prefer to resign. There is jargon that says “the employee resigns the boss, not the job”. In this case, it seems to have a practical application. Besides, with turnover, there are dismissal costs and friction that affect the employer brand.
Creates a toxic climate
The working climate is an essential element. In short, it represents the atmosphere of the workplace, which can be pleasant and stimulating. However, sometimes companies have an excessively toxic and unwanted climate. And, micromanagement increases the chances of internal conflicts (especially between leaders and followers) and creates a toxic climate. In turn, this climate affects the quality of life and increases the level of stress at work. Note that, in this case, micromanagement can start a vicious and extremely damaging cycle for the firm. In the end, the biggest losers will be the employers, who will see their well-being being eliminated.
Stop Micromanaging: Here’s how to do
As you can see, micromanagement is bad for the business. It undermines productivity, hinders talent retention, and hinders business efficiency. Below are some tips to help you manage this type of behavior. Check it out below!
Be a leader, not a boss
Bosses are usually seen as authoritative figures, and that is not within the reach of employees in general. On the other hand, leaders have several essential characteristics for the development of a good relationship with the team, for example:
- The leader is empathetic and encourages dialogue with the team.
- The leader is seen as an example by the team, that is, he is not sought to make final decisions, but to help.
- The leader encourages proactivity and dynamism within the work environment.
- The team sees the possibility of growth with the leader and the company.
Trust your employees
Trust is what holds a business together. You need to trust that your employees will do their job without you looking over their shoulder. If you always supervise them, they will be more concerned with making sure they’re working, rather than doing the things that work best. Once you hire the right person, you must trust them right from the start. Ideally, you can get to the same point that Laszlo Bock outlined in his book Work rules: In most organizations, you join the team, and you need to prove yourself.
For instance: At Google, there is so much faith in the quality of the hiring process that people join and, on the first day, they are trusted and full members of their teams.
When someone joins the team, show them you trust them on day 1. Give them access to all the accounts they will need, don’t make them gain that ability. Let them show you how they are capable of. Your company is not a fraternity, and this is not a hazing ritual.
It is not always simple to become an exemplary leader, but you need to go through a more arduous process to drop micromanagement.
