No doubt somewhere in the past (or currently!) we have all had a micromanager. Someone who feels they need to watch over our shoulder and guide every task we do with step-by-step instructions. Maybe you have been one yourself in the past or currently are a micromanager. New managers in particular are susceptible to being micromanagers simply because they aren’t comfortable moving into a role where they need to delegate and are used to doing “hands on” work. These individuals are easier to move out of micromanaging to more delegating and “hands off” management through building their confidence in their abilities and providing them training and guidance in how to manage others. The trickier group includes those individuals who have been managing for a long time and are serial micromanagers. It is all they know and all they are comfortable with and not as easy to move them out of micromanaging mode. But it can be done!
Here are four ways to not be a micromanager:
- Delegate. To effectively delegate you must understand the skills, experiences and competencies of your team. You also need to be comfortable with their capabilities and trust them to get the job done. Delegating and then telling them specifically how to do the task you delegated is not appropriate and is micromanaging your employees.
- Build relationships. Through building strong working relationships with your employees, you’ll feel more comfortable in letting them do their job without interfering in how it is getting done. And, you’re more likely to hear from them when they have questions or need help. Employees are more apt to be comfortable asking for help when they have a relationship with you and trust that you’ll provide guidance but not micromanage them.
- Set specific end goals. Provide employees with an end goal to reach and provide them the support and resources they need to reach that goal. Everyone is going to have their own way of getting to the end result. As the manager, be concerned that they reach the end goal, not how they get there (unless of course they are doing something illegal or unethical.)
- Address problems as they arise. If you find yourself feeling the need to micromanage one or more of your employees, ask yourself why. Do they not have the required skills? Do they not understand your expectations of their role? Are you just not comfortable with them yet and confident in their abilities? Don’t fall to micromanaging; rather address the situation so that you can rely on them to get the job done without feeling as if you need to overlook their every task.
