How to Deal with Micromanagers
There are many management techniques that prohibit the development of leaders. Let’s talk about one style– the micromanager. As you advance in your career, perform a self-awareness exercise to make sure you aren’t developing poor management techniques. If you’re dealing with a micromanager, have patience, learn techniques for dealing with micromanagement and implement them.
Thoughts on “poor managers”- In business, I’ve learned that calling something bad or worthless isn’t valuable. The preferred way of saying something is terrible is to say that there is an “opportunity for development.” It puts a positive spin on something negative. Semantics aside, even if you have a poor manager, there may still be things you can learn from them. You can learn from poor managers by seeing what they could do better and learning from them.
What I’ve learned from micromanagers-
I came across an article recently entitled Micromanagement is Mismanagement. Most micromanagers don’t know they micromanage (everyone else knows, though!). It’s hard to be a leader when you are being micromanaged but I learned some things from dealing with one. Sometimes, you have to micromanage back. Providing frequent updates to micromanagers helps them to relax which in turn helps you to focus and get your job done. From the article:
Micromanagement is damaging to employees and eventually to the manager. In addition to creating stress and discontent among employees, the micromanager’s style has two critical effects:
- It inhibits employee development. No effort is made to challenge employees with learning situations. The micromanager delegates nothing of consequence, thus depriving employees of opportunity for growth. Because the micromanager often punishes mistakes, employees learn to hide their mistakes and avoid taking risks. The micromanagement style creates “yes men” or “yes women,” as employees discover it’s easiest and safest to go along with the manager.
It limits the manager’s promotional possibilities. The manager who is perceived as poor at delegation is often not considered for promotion to a level where delegation takes on even greater importance. Also, a manager who has done nothing to develop one or more potential successors is usually a poor candidate for promotion.
Micromanagement is Mismanagement also states:
The micromanager takes essential management practices to extremes and interferes with employees’ ability to do their jobs properly, while creating undue stress for them. Outstanding examples are evident in the area of performance feedback. All employees need regular feedback on performance, though some need more detailed feedback more frequently than others. From the micromanager, however, feedback tends to be constant and detailed and often excessively focused on procedural minutia rather than on overall performance, quality and results.
How do you win with a micromanager?
Communication is key. Depending on how open the lines of communication are with your manager, have a private discussion with them. I recommend this because if you do nothing, you might want to explode. Exploding is not good. Deal with the situation before it escalates. It’s not good for your personal brand or for your working relationship. Also, when talking to your manager, take precaution with how you are talking to them. You don’t want them to be defensive but you do want to improve the situation. They will feel like you are on top of things and they may be less likely to micromanage just by communicating more. Ask your manager questions in the beginning to understand budgets, deadlines, and expectations.
Provide frequent updates. Nothing pleases a micromanager more than knowing what is going on. Providing status updates to managers will make them feel more at ease not being in control. This may seem like “over updating” to you but to a micromanager, it’s peace of mind.
How have you overcome micromanagement? Let us know in the comments!
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Like I wrote...
May 24th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Like you said, I’ve found success in “micromanaging back” at the micromanager — providing frequent updates on projects. To your list of suggestions I’d add giving explicit action items, directing him with specific tasks that he is needed to accomplish, forcing him to focus on his responsibilities, which both keeps him from looking over my shoulder and enabling me to get more work done because he’s doing his job and opening more opportunities for me.
May 26th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
My very first boss was an extreme micromanager and, as a creative, independent person, it drove me crazy. However, as I look back years later I can see how my manager’s high expectations forced me to always to do my absolute best every single time–a work ethic I continue to live by.
Luckily for me, after 9 months on the job, my boss decided to step down and I got promoted into her job!
May 27th, 2008 at 7:45 am
Alex- I love the idea of giving the manager action items. This is a great suggestion to help focus direction on where it should be.
Office Newb- I think you bring a good point up– extreme micromanagers can help you stay on your toes. This can make sure you are always performing as well as you can. Congrats on the hard work, and patience, working to your advantage.
May 27th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Here is one of the ways I try to deal with any management issues I run into:
Boss problems? Don’t Leave, Train Your Manager!
May 29th, 2008 at 7:30 am
Here’s a radical idea: just tell the person that you don’t like being micromanaged. If your relationship isn’t good enough to tell them this, then work to make it better. You could also make a proposal. Ask for one week of non-micromanagement and then have a feedback session at the end of the week. Show them that you can perform without the constant babysitting.
May 30th, 2008 at 11:46 am
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