There are times when it seems that micromanagement may be necessary to achieve the goals we want and get the best results. But, the reality is very different, since this type of management only slows down the productivity of the employees and creates a negative effect on them.
“What your employees feel is what your customers will feel. And if your employees don't feel valued, neither will your customers."
sybil f. stershic
What is micromanagement?
When we talk about micromanagement, we are referring to a type of team management in which a leader controls and observes every detail of the work that employees perform.
It's very common in companies to see department heads walking around the office monitoring their employees' tasks and instructing them on how to perform them at any given time. It's also common practice to require a report or analysis of the project they're working on, in order to maintain even greater control.
There is a tendency to think that by managing and controlling employees in this way, the work will be done correctly and more effectively, improving the final result. But, as we have mentioned before, the only thing that is achieved is to decrease the productivity and motivation of the employees, as many studies show.
In addition, this type of management creates a tense work environment in the company, and the boss-employee relationship deteriorates.
Signs that your company is micromanaging.
We are going to take a look at different signs which can warn us that micromanagement is being created in the company. Knowing how to identify them will help us avoid this type of procedure in the workplace.
- Not knowing how to delegate We tend to think that for something to go well, we must do it ourselves. We do not trust that another person can do it, it is for this reason that we do not delegate tasks to third parties. This causes us to overload ourselves with work, increase our work stress, and leave employees with hardly any tasks to perform.
Learning to delegate is a very important step when managing a team:
– As a boss, it will decrease your work pressure.
– In your absence, another person can perform the task correctly.
– Increases employee trust with project managers.
– Improves creativity and self-esteem of the employee.
– Delegation is a way of recognizing the worker.
- Obsession in the details. One of the most common occurrences in micromanagement is to focus only on the small details and completely forget about the rest of the task. Most people who use this type of management are obsessed with having even the smallest detail controlled, leaving aside the most important objectives.
This obsession can lead to mistrust from the rest of the team. In addition, you will show insecurity and selfishness for wanting to be a participant in every detail of the task that is being carried out at that moment.
It is much easier and healthier to carry out the task in an organized way so that you do not have to obsess over each step, and thus improve the results and the work environment of the team.
- Curb employee creativity. When the leader of a project tries to monopolize almost all the tasks, or supervise every detail, the employee himself is left without the opportunity to exercise his skills, limiting his creativity. When the worker is left to make decisions, he works more efficiently, thus increasing his productivity and self-confidence.
In addition, having to explain to each employee how you want them to carry out the task, everything they have to take into account to carry it out, etc., will create problems in time management. When the employee makes decisions for himself, he gets the job done more efficiently.
- Forget the end goal. As we have mentioned in other points, project leaders or bosses tend to become obsessed with small tasks, which are also important, but they should not take up more time than necessary, since they can prevent the final objective from being fulfilled.
- Not knowing how to listen. In addition to all the previous points, an indisputable fact of micromanagement is not listening to the ideas or opinions of the rest of the team. The micromanager tends to think that the only valid way to perform a task is his way of doing it. Thus ignoring other suggestions by employees.
Obviously, this leads to a general lack of motivation within the team, as they lose any opportunity to showcase their skills and ideas for their work. They simply do what they are told, resulting in widespread discontent and a significant loss of initiative.
These are some of the most common signs that micromanagement is taking place in the company, but there are many others, such as: the need to know what employees are doing and where they are, why they are not at their workstation, how much time they spend on breaks, not leaving space and constantly interrupting to give guidelines to follow in the task they are performing, and so on.
What to do if you are the boss?
As a boss, if any of these signs ring a bell, it is very likely that you are using micromanagement, and that the time has come to change the way you manage, in order to improve the work environment of your team and therefore the results of the company. .
The most important aspect of the process is maintaining good communication with all your employees and clearly explaining the main objectives . At the same time, you should be open to listening to their opinions and ideas so they feel more involved in the project and develop a sense of ownership.
You must learn to delegate so that, in your absence, the rest of the team can continue performing tasks correctly . This will reduce workload and increase employee motivation, helping them develop new skills and knowledge.
En GumsUp, we are specialists in in loyalty platforms and commercial motivation systems. One of our main functions is to help companies to better organize the objectives by department or group, improving teamwork. Furthermore, our platform power the positive social interactions among team members, creating recognition and support systems among employees.
In conclusion, this type of management, at first glance, may seem normal within a company, but the only thing that is achieved is a total lack of motivation in the team and losing the initiative in all the work to be carried out.
“People want to know that they matter and they want to be treated like people. That's the new talent deal."
pamela stroco
