Micromanaging bosses are rarely liked by their employees. Constantly being scrutinized and criticized over minor details of a project can be demotivating, leading employees to question whether their manager trusts their judgment, skills, and expertise.
To improve employee retention, one area to focus on is reducing micromanagement. While there may be times when more hands-on management is necessary, such as when training new staff or helping an underperforming employee, it’s important to set boundaries. Controlling all aspects of every project and demanding constant progress updates from your team will not benefit anyone.
Research has shown that micromanagement is one of the top three reasons employees leave their jobs. It stifles creativity, breeds mistrust, causes undue stress, and demoralizes teams. To avoid these negative consequences, here are some tips to help you stop micromanaging your employees.
What is Micromanaging?
Micromanagement or micromanaging, a management style often associated with negative connotations, is characterized by excessive supervision and control of employees’ work and processes, as well as limited delegation of tasks or decision-making power. According to Gartner, a leading research and advisory company, micromanagers tend to be overly obsessed with gathering information and hesitant to entrust their employees with making important decisions.
Why do some people micromanage?
There is no definitive answer to why people engage in micromanaging. The reasons for micromanaging can be diverse, ranging from personal feelings and emotions like:
- fear of failure
- an extreme need for control and domination
- inexperience in management
- insecurities
- unskilled team members
- unhealthy ego
- other more
Some individuals may engage in micromanaging due to issues in their personal life that spill over into their work.
However, the most prevalent and obvious reason for micromanaging is the lack of trust and respect for their colleagues in the workplace.
Signs that you are micromanaging
You always want to know everything
Micromanagers are often obsessed with knowing every detail of their employees’ work. If you micromanage, you may request detailed time sheets or access to your employees’ calendars to monitor how every minute of their workday is spent. However, this can be discouraging and frustrating for employees, especially when managers repeatedly ask for information that has already been provided.
You’re always checking in on your employees.
If you find yourself constantly checking in on your employees, asking for updates and progress reports, you may be micromanaging. While it’s important to stay informed about the status of projects, constantly hovering over your team can make them feel like you don’t trust them to do their jobs. Instead, set clear expectations and deadlines, and allow your team the autonomy to complete their work without constant supervision. Trusting your team can lead to increased productivity and a more positive work environment.
You’re not delegating tasks effectively.
One of the biggest signs that you’re micromanaging your employees is that you’re not delegating tasks effectively. You may feel like you need to oversee every aspect of a project, but this can lead to burnout for you and your team. Instead, identify the strengths and skills of each team member and delegate tasks accordingly. This not only allows your team to grow and develop their skills, but it also frees up your time to focus on other important tasks. Trust your team to handle their responsibilities and provide support and guidance when needed.
You’re not giving your employees room to make mistakes and learn.
Micromanagers often have a fear of failure and believe that mistakes will reflect poorly on them as a leader. However, not allowing your employees to make mistakes and learn from them can actually hinder their growth and development. It’s important to create a culture where mistakes are seen as opportunities for growth and improvement. Encourage your team to take risks and try new things, and provide constructive feedback when mistakes are made. This will not only help your team learn and improve, but it will also build trust and respect between you and your employees.
You’re not trusting your employees to do their jobs.
One of the most apparent indicators is a lack of trust in your employees. You may continuously check on their progress, scrutinize their work, or hesitate to delegate tasks because you doubt their ability to handle them. Additionally, you may excessively control their work and processes, offer minimal delegation of tasks or decisions, and focus too much on information-gathering.
It’s crucial to recognize that you hired your employees based on their skills and abilities to perform their jobs. Trusting them to carry out their work and providing support and guidance when needed can improve productivity and morale, demonstrating that you have faith in their abilities. Conversely, micromanaging can lead to disengagement, decreased morale, and higher staff turnover.
You discourage independent decision-making
One of the significant signs that you micromanage is the lack of space and freedom you provide your employees to make independent decisions. In the workplace, brainstorming with your team, making decisions, and getting creative to solve problems are some of the most rewarding aspects of working life. However, when you micromanage, you deny your team these opportunities by excessively controlling their work and processes, offering minimal delegation of tasks or decisions, and focusing too much on information-gathering.
As a result, your employees may feel stifled, disengaged, and unable to contribute their ideas and expertise fully. It’s crucial to trust your team to make independent decisions and provide them with the necessary support and guidance to ensure they succeed. By doing so, you can create a collaborative and supportive environment that encourages your team to take ownership of their work and contribute to the organization’s success.
You dictate how tasks should be done
Encouraging your employees to be creative and contribute their unique ideas to projects is key to achieving collaborative outcomes. However, if you don’t allow collaboration at work and insist on doing things only your way, you run the risk of being a micromanager. Remember, the best results often come from embracing diversity and allowing your team to work together in a collaborative and cooperative environment.
You over-complicate instructions
Micromanaging can cause an obsession with even minor details, leading to overcomplicated projects. Detailed and convoluted instructions can result in confusion and incomprehension, making even straightforward tasks difficult to complete.
You re-do the work after it’s already been done by another employee
Micromanagers tend to distrust their employees’ output, which can lead to harmful practices in the workplace. If you are micromanaging, you believe that the work produced by your team is below standard and choose to redo it yourself. However, this approach is not only ineffective but also a waste of time and energy for the team. It’s essential to trust your employees and give them the autonomy to complete their work. This not only fosters a sense of ownership in their work but also allows them to develop their skills and capabilities.
You don’t show trust in your team
Micromanagement is often rooted in a lack of trust, making it a clear sign that you may be micromanaging if you do not trust your employees. This lack of trust can manifest in various ways, such as doubting their ability to complete tasks or meet deadlines, scrutinizing their work excessively, or hesitating to delegate tasks.
You’re not providing clear expectations and goals.
Frequently, micromanaging arises due to unclear expectations and goals. When your team members are uncertain of what they need to do or what objectives they are striving for, they may feel disoriented or confused about how to proceed. To mitigate this issue, it’s crucial to convey your expectations and goals in a clear and concise manner, as well as offer ongoing feedback and direction to ensure that everyone is aligned. By doing so, you can help your team feel more self-assured and capable in their roles, which in turn can decrease the necessity for micromanagement.
How to stop micromanaging?
Practice Delegating
Effective delegation is crucial to avoiding unintentional micromanagement of your team. It’s essential to assign tasks that align with each employee’s strengths and goals, enabling them to learn and grow in their role.
Research from Gallup indicates that CEOs who excel in delegation generate 33 percent higher revenue. By relinquishing some responsibility, these executives empower their employees and boost their morale while freeing up their time to focus on activities that yield the highest returns for the company.
When delegating, remember that micromanaging involves telling your coworker step-by-step how to complete a project. Instead, focus on the desired outcome and ensure that they have the right resources, training, and authority to achieve it
Set Clear Expectations
Establishing clear expectations for a project is crucial to avoid setting up your team for failure. By clearly defining the project objectives, completion timeline, and success metrics, you can improve your team’s performance. Micromanaging often stems from a belief that no one else can complete a task effectively, but proper goal-setting and communication can give employees the opportunity to showcase their skills. It’s essential to emphasize that when outlining goals, the focus should be on what needs to be achieved rather than how it should be done.
Let Go of Perfectionism
To stop micromanaging, it’s crucial to recognize that there are multiple ways to approach a project or task. Encourage your team to experiment and test new ideas, and don’t be afraid of failure. Avoid the mentality of “It’s always been done this way” and reward creativity. Embrace the potential for mishaps as a growth opportunity and a lesson learned for next time. By being open to new ideas and letting go of perfectionism, you can create a work environment where micromanagement is less necessary.
Hire the right people
It’s important to hire the right people to avoid micromanaging. Hiring someone who is underqualified or lacks the necessary skills for a job increases the likelihood of micromanaging. Additionally, making a bad hire can result in a financial penalty and negatively impact overall productivity and morale if other employees have to pick up the slack.
Promote creativity
To avoid micromanaging, it’s important to encourage your employees to use their creative thinking skills and make independent decisions. By fostering a collaborative and diverse environment where everyone can provide input, you increase the likelihood of finding the best solutions. Don’t let great ideas go unheard because you’re not giving your team the space to creatively contribute to important projects.
Don’t hone your focus on tiny details
It’s important to trust your employees’ abilities and focus on the big picture. Once you’ve established clear expectations, resist the urge to nitpick minor details that have little impact on the project’s outcome. Give your team the space to make decisions and take ownership of their work. Remember that your role as a manager is to guide and support, not control every aspect of the project.
Don’t unfairly criticize others’ work
Constructive criticism is a crucial aspect of fostering a productive work environment. It’s important to select your words and timing thoughtfully and provide 360-degree feedback rather than simply criticizing. Instead of bluntly pointing out how something could have been done better, it’s better to learn to let things go.
Ask Your Employees How They Prefer to Be Managed
Build strong relationships with your team by asking how they prefer to be managed and communicating openly. While some may appreciate more guidance, most value trust and autonomy. Two-way conversations show respect and identify micromanagement signs while helping release assumptions.
Ask for feedback
Consider soliciting feedback from your team to demonstrate that you value their input and are attentive to their contributions. Doing so fosters a sense of camaraderie and significance among employees, while also encouraging them to vocalize any concerns they may have.
Develop your confidence as a leader
One of the main reasons why managers tend to micromanage is due to feelings of insecurity and a lack of confidence in their leadership abilities. However, before focusing too much on managing employees, it is important to work on oneself to become a great leader. If you aim to improve your management skills, consider pursuing Inner Work.