Breaking Out of Micromanagement - MAC095
It consistently ranks as one of the worst attributes in a boss year after year…..and yet, there are still many bosses who are micromanagers. This week, I'm going to look at how you can break out of the micromanagement pattern.
It's the bane of everyone's existence. You may feel like your manager is always hovering asking for status constantly. Maybe everything you do is redone by your leader. Or maybe your manager gives you no freedom in what you do or how you do it.
Regardless of the form that it takes, micromanagement is frustrating and demoralizing. Managers who micromanage are doing so from a position of fear or anxiety. Whether they are doing it intentionally or not, they do it because they do not trust their team to get done what needs to be done when it needs to be done.
What's worse, is that if you find yourself the target of micromanagement, it can completely derail your career progress. If your leader feels the need to micromanage you, whether your fault or theirs, that display of lack of trust will lead to worse reviews and delayed promotions.
Managers who are new to the role may be more used to "doing" instead of "leading". Their micromanagement tends to be treating their team as an extension of themselves. They know what they would do and how they would react, so they are trying to make every member of their team follow that same game plan. They haven't learned how to properly delegate and to let go, but that can come by building trust.
In Episode 031 (https://managingacareer.com/31), I asked the question "Does Your Manager Trust You?" If you find that your leader micromanages due to a lack of trust, that episode can help you break out of the pattern. Work to understand how they think in order to make decisions that align with those that they would make. Learn how to communicate and escalate appropriately so that your manager does not regret assigning the task to you. And lastly, to build trust, deliver; when you are assigned a task, follow through. As you build trust, your manager can shift their focus to other activities and provide you with more freedom.
If managers aren't micromanaging because of lack of trust, it could be because of pressure to perform. Pressure can be driven many different factors. Are they responsible for a high visibility project with tight deadlines? Or maybe they or the team has had a recent failure and they have already been given a warning about their performance?
When your manager is facing addition pressure, no matter the source, they might resort to micromanagement in order to gain some level of control over a situation where they don't feel like they have any. When you encounter this form of micromanagement, the best course of action is to reassure your leader that they can relinquish control. You can do this by communicating often. Episode 044 (https://managingacareer.com/44) has additional guidelines for Reporting Status. In addition to clear communication, work to identify potential issues and proactively raise them to your leader. When he feels less like he will be blindsided, he will be more likely to loosen the reins and give you more freedom.
The final driver for micromanagement is fear of failure or dealing with imposter syndrome. This speaks more about the confidence of your manager than it does about you, but when your leader is struggling with their own responsibilities, they may look to inject themselves into tasks that align with areas that they already feel confident. Most leaders were previously experts in the "doing" role and will revert back to that mode in order to boost their self-confidence.
When your manager is lacking confidence in what they SHOULD be doing, look for ways to shift the dynamic by reframing their requests. When they try to dictate too much of the details of how you should work, instead, ask questions that bring the focus to broader topics that emphasize why over how and guidance over direct supervision. Focus on the outcomes and alignment with priorities over processes and specific activities.
Micromanagement is one of the most despised attributes in a leader. If you find yourself a target of it, reacting emotionally won't help. Work to provide clear, proactive communication and build trust with your leader. Change the conversation from the details to the big picture. And if necessary, use your network of allies to provide yourself a layer of protection.
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