Managing a Micromanaging Boss

I still cannot forget those dreadful mornings when I was working as a product manager with a consulting firm. Like everyone, I had always hated micromanaging things and people. But the situation was completely reverse here.

My boss who was the vice president of the company had this habit of keeping a tab on everyone. Although most of us weren’t her direct reports even then she left no chance to pinpoint our team. One day one of my colleagues was late by 7 minutes so she straight went to him and said "Why are you late? You should have called and informed us about it”. This was so embarrassing for him to receive such comments in the middle of the floor from such a high-position person in the organization.

He made sure that he was never late for his office in the future. But the horror continued forever in our minds. At times, I used to skip my breakfast, morning exercise just to make it to the office on time. Every morning was no less than nightmare from waking up till being in the office on time.

But the story doesn’t end here. Meetings were no less than a horror movie with her. She pinpointed at every little thing during meetings. She had this tendency to know about everything in detail and have control over it. If someone gave her an idea, she would reject it and ensure that her idea is only implemented.

With such an overbearing boss who wants to control everything from accounting, finances, projects, party venues and menus, and every possible thing she could control, I really found it tough to spend the next hour in the office. There was a point in time when I really went ahead and asked if I should continue doing my job. I had started feeling so suffocated as if I had to literally ask for every next move at the office.

That day, I knew that nothing can be worse than having a micromanaging boss and thus I decided not to be one when I set up my own company. But micromanagement is a part of one’s personality.

Now that I am the founder of ProofHub, I still see managers and team leaders in my company micromanaging their teams. But this is something I keep on pointing them for. I always tell them to delegate the work to your team members and then let them pursue it on their own. But they have a sense of insecurity towards their work and don’t let their team members work peacefully.

So, I thought of talking to the team members directly. I knew many of them were unhappy with the micromanagement attitude of their immediate bosses. From my experience and learning, I made a list of few points and shared with my employees to help them deal with their micromanaging bosses.

If you are facing a micromanaging boss then this article will help you to deal with him effectively without destroying your peace of mind.

Know her Expectations Clearly

It is not possible for employees to answer back to the project manager or team lead directly. Many times, employees used to complain about the intruding nature of their boss. So, I just told them to ask your boss about her expectations from you. For instance, if you are working on a project then just ask your manager about the deadline till which we want you to complete your work. This will help you to live up to her expectations without getting disturbed.

Become Proactive

Once you know about the expectations of your micromanaging boss, it’s in your hands to deal with it. All you need to do is to become a little more aware and active. For instance, if your boss has asked you to complete a particular task by Thursday then make sure you do it by Tuesday. Show your progress report to your boss before she even asks for it.

For instance, if you have a meeting lined up then make sure you are well-prepared with everything including reports, data, facts etc. When you are fully prepared for your work, you will leave no room for interruption.

Share the Blame

There are times when things go terribly wrong while dealing with a micromanaging boss. The best way to resolve this is by discussing it over a meeting and finding out a solution for this. For instance, when my colleague was utterly late then he could have discussed with the VP again. He could have said, "I should have called up and informed about my being late”.

Likewise, there can be other ways to address the issue like, “I will ensure that I consider your opinion everytime I am presenting an idea in the meeting”. When you share the blame then you can easily move ahead with the micromanaging boss without troubling your peace of mind.

Move On

When nothing seems to work and your boss isn’t ready to compromise it out then know that it’s time to move on. But make sure you reach this decision after empathizing, communication, and being proactive.

Take your time and if you have finally decided then don’t hesitate to move and look out for a job. Consider a job in another department within the same company or look out for something better. The world is there for you.

I hope the above points will help you manage your micromanaging boss. Feel free to share your experiences as comments below.

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About Author:

Sandeep Kashyap is the Founder of ProofHub - a leading project management and collaboration software. A passionate leader, Sandeep is always on the lookout for innovative ideas about filling the communication gap between groups, teams and companies. He is also a featured writer on LinkedIn and contributing author at YourStory. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Also follow our company page @ProofHub to get the recent updates about our tool, published articles, motivational quotes & presentations.

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