Holding too Tightly

ARE YOU.....

• Being constantly checked by your boss?
• Do your boss ask you to copy him in each and every email?
• Is he reluctant to delegate?
• Breaks projects into small tasks that make employees feel that their contributions are insignificant?
• Checks and double-checks on deadlines and asks for frequent updates, even about small tasks?
• Rarely asks for your input?
• Applies the same level of intensity and scrutiny to every task, failing to prioritize??
• Is never quite satisfied with work?
• Takes great pride in correcting or changing people’s work?
• Is subject to extreme mood swings?

Then welcome to the club, you are dealing with a "Micromanager". They hold teams too tight and are alway afraid that they will lose control. This fear of losing control comes from their insecurities. These micromanagers are obsessed with constant updates, over complicate instructions and belief that no one is capable.

The impact of having micromanager(s) in your organization is that they only covert the team boss-obsessed rather then customer-obsessed. These teams are only worried about what boss will think. Not mission, not revenue and not customers.

Here's the difference between micromanaging and great coaching:

Micromanaging creates a transactional relationship in which the manager fixates on minor mistakes and focuses on a person's weaknesses and work style. Great coaching, on the other hand, is an ongoing relationship of support and trust that emerges out of a rhythm of collaborative conversations, leading to teamwork and shared accountability.

Micromanagment can also be created by the Top Management or Senior Management of the organization:

1. They withhold context and keep their subordinates in the dark.
2. They take control in an inconsistent way that leaves followers wondering if they should act before receiving their orders.
3. They don't give public praise and recognition to their team.
4. They spend too much time on decisions that others could handle.
5. They don't listen to the opinions of their team.
6. They focus on criticizing what people do wrong rather than on developing their strengths.

Here are a few ways to address micromanaging in your organization

1. Create a company culture of trust and shared accountability.

How do we build relationships? How do we work together??When shared ownership and great teamwork exist, micromanagement only slows things down and deteriorates outcomes. Define "how we get work done" for your organization, and live it.?When leaders, managers and teams are expected to take ownership of the work and build trust, people behave differently. They want to do work that matters and be good teammates. Free them.

2. Focus on strengths.

Who should do what??Performance potential starts with assigning the right person to the right task and right team. Sir Richard Branson's famous tips for delegating work start with: 1) Know your strengths and weaknesses, and 2) Know your teams' strengths and weaknesses. When people are assigned to the right work and partners,?magic happens. And micromanagers only get in the way.

3. Shift from old-school performance management to modernized "ongoing conversations."

What should expectations and success look like? How do we get there??Old-school performance management focused on annual goal setting and reviews, evaluation and pay. None of those things work when they're only discussed once a year.?Set clear goals in collaboration with employees, and adjust them as work and priorities change. Be a great coach: Communicate, communicate, communicate. And teach your team to communicate. Make employees share accountability for the goals they help set, for team building and performance, and for customer impact.

4. Prioritize development.

How do we get better??Organizations only improve when their people improve. Continual improvement requires an employee development plan. Agility and innovation require development. Employees require development -- if you want to engage them and build a bright future for them at your company. That means employees want new responsibilities and to be stretched. Professional development happens through opportunity and delegation of the right work -- not through micromanagement.

5. Be mindful of what you recognize and reward.

What do we celebrate??Leaders may hate the stagnant micromanager culture they've created and yet continue to feed that culture formally and informally through their individual praise, corporate communications, internal awards and performance management systems. If organizations want to de-emphasize micromanager tendencies, they need to shift their awards, rewards and recognition toward team collaboration, cross-team partnerships and outstanding individual contributions.

Organizations start to die when they begin to focus more on pleasing themselves than pleasing their customers. When leaders and managers create a "boss-obsessed" culture, it may feel like the organization is strong -- but it's actually calcifying from the inside out.

Healthy, vibrant organizations are constantly improving and innovating in response to the market. They do not expect to be doing business the same way next year. They recognize that in order to survive, they need ever-improving individuals and teams who take ownership of their work and future. That requires great coaches, not micromanagers.

A boss who micromanages is like a coach who wants to get in the game. Leaders guide and support and then sit back to cheer from the sidelines. ~ Simon Sinek ~

Inpiration and Extracts taken from article The Ultimate Guide to Micromanagers: Signs, Causes, Solutions by BEN WIGERT?and?RYAN PENDELL