5 Warning Signs You Just Might Be A Micromanager

If you’re like most managers, you came into the role in one of two ways.

• You aspired to be a manager so you could move up in your company.
• You were just really good at your job, got things done and they made you a manager because of that.

Danger of Becoming a Micromanager

If you’re in the latter group, answer this:

Are you a micromanager? You probably think you aren’t, but consider these:

• Do you delegate work to your team or do you feel the need to do everything by yourself?
• Do you let your team work on their own and give you periodic updates, or do you hover and have to know what’s going on 24/7?

Still not convinced you’re at risk of being the dreaded micromanager?

Then take a look at these five warning signs (and heed the advice at the end of the story):

1. You ‘Think’ You’re The Best!

Can anyone on your staff do anything better, faster or with greater precision than you? If you answered no, then you’re a micromanager – unless you hired a bunch of idiots, which you wouldn’t do because you’re the best at hiring, right?

Admit you aren’t perfect. If you were perfect, you wouldn’t be micromanaging your staff. A “perfect” manager sets up staff to succeed. You give them opportunities to take responsibility for projects and decisions, and encourage them to succeed, because you know that’s how people learn and grow.

So let your staff have some control and let them make mistakes. They’ll learn from them, feel empowered and want to do a better job.

2. You’re Swamped and Still Fail to Delegate

Do you constantly feel stressed out, overworked and overburdened? If so, you need to be honest with yourself. You’re a micromanager.

The key to being a good and effective manager is delegating. If you don’t delegate, then you have to do everything yourself. And if you’re doing it all, you can’t possibly give everything 100%, so tasks aren’t getting done as well as you think.

The key here is to delegate like a superboss!

Give your employees tasks that match their strengths. And don’t just give up boring tasks that you don’t like doing – if you don’t like them, neither will your employees.

3. You Believe ‘My Way or the Highway’

In the rare case, you assign staff a special project, you give them step-by-step instructions, instead of giving them guidelines and allowing them to figure it out on their own.

You need to make sure it’s done right, and “right” in this case means your way.

Not allowing your staff to think for themselves stifles their creativity and growth. It also creates a very unmotivated staff, which doesn’t reflect well on you.

If there are certain parameters that must be met, tell your team what they are, then hand over the reins. You’ll have a much happier and more productive staff.

4. You Hold All Authority

Does your staff need to wait for your approval to move ahead with tasks? If so, you’re a micromanager. Especially, if things are delayed because you weren’t there to give your approval.

Take a step back and look at what needs your approval to move forward. Are they all decisions you need to make, or can someone else on your team handle them?

It’s very likely someone else on your team can give the day-to-day approvals, so you’re free to do the more important tasks and make the more important decisions.

5. You Admit OCD Tendencies and Don’t Sleep

Believe it or not, people with OCD are more likely to be micromanagers, as are people with insomnia.

People with OCD often have trust issues with people and situations, which is why they feel the need to control everything.

People with insomnia can’t leave things at work. They bring them home and obsess over them to the point they don’t sleep.

If you have OCD tendencies and/or insomnia, the best thing you can do is to pursue some help through your mental well-being benefits. A better, more relaxed you will result in a happier, more productive team.

Reform Is Possible

Whether you’re a full-blown micromanager or just have a few tendencies, don’t lose hope. Reform is possible.

The first step is to take a good, hard, honest look at your work behaviors and then face the fact you have a strong desire to control everything.

The second step, apologize to your staff. Let them know you’ve seen the error of your ways, and are bound and determined to change to restore a positive work environment.

Of course you’ll need help.

If you don’t feel your staff will be honest with you when you fall back into old habits, ask a trusted colleague to help keep you on track.

After you’ve apologized, get to know your staff, and identify their strengths and weaknesses. This way you can give people tasks that play to their strengths. Plus, if your staff feels connected to you personally and professionally, they’ll work harder for you.

Start with Baby Steps

Give your staff a small project with a few guidelines, and then hand over the reins. Let them know you’ll be there to answer any questions, but other than that you’ll be leaving it up to them.

Finally, stop looking over people’s shoulders. You don’t have to know what they’re doing every second of every day.

Set up a weekly 30-minute meeting where everyone can update you on their progress. Use this meeting to iron out any issues or problems, and then wash your hands of it – unless someone has a question – until your next meeting.

When you finally get your micromanaging tendencies under control, you’ll find you have a happier more productive team.

Filed under

• Performance Management