?? The Psychological Effects of Micromanaging In The Workplace & How to Manage Leading More Effectively ??

Did you know in a recent study, almost 59% of the people surveyed could agree that they had experienced being micromanaged at some point in their careers? 55% of those shared that being micromanaged affected them negatively by hindering their productivity while 68% reported that it decreased their morale. Employees experiencing micromanaging shared it is one of the reasons they leave their organisation with 39% changing jobs to avoid this stressful problem.

??Signs & Traits Of A Micromanager

?? Overly involved in their employees workload.

?? Includes a lot of emotion in their decision making and actions.

?? Lacks boundaries.

?? Has a feeling of authority over others.

?? Has trouble trusting others to get the job done correctly.

?? Constantly checking in on employees requesting continuous updates.

?? Has resistance to delegating tasks to others.

?? Struggles to hear other peoples evaluation or perception of a situation.

?? Focuses on minor details excessively.

3?? Ways To Deal With A Micromanager

?? Set Clear Boundaries.

?? Use clear communication.

?? Speak with HR.

?? How A Micromanager Can Lead More Effectively

? Exercise open communication with the people you lead. Share your concerns and allow for feedback ahead of projects.

? Offer employees an opportunity to share their thoughts and concerns about the task at hand. This promotes a feeling of belonging rather than isolation.

? Work with a professional therapist to uncover where the need for control stems from and how this unconscious need is presenting itself as a mental and emotional block to trust others.

? Focusing on the creativity of others and adapt an attitude of learning from those around you.

? Check in with yourself how you are feeling mentally and emotionally when you feel the urgency to micromanage.

Most individuals who micromanage may be behaving this way unconsciously but have the idea they are helping positively. Without a deeper understanding of your own unconscious needs and fears, we will project them onto others leading to frustration, resentment and a collapse in communication.

?? If You Are Experiencing Being Micromanaged, Here Is How To Use This As An Opportunity For Growth

?? The people who experience micromanaging have more often than not become familiar with this toxic environment before. Many Parents unconsciously micromanage their children. This affects the child’s self-esteem, self-confidence and self-image. This mental and emotional wound desires to be healed and the only path to uncovering this primary wound is to have someone else activate it later on in life.

If you were micromanaged as a child, you may have believed that you did not have a voice. This belief affects how you think, feel and behave. As an adult, you can use your voice to express yourself and set clear boundaries. If this is a struggle for you, it is a clear sign that you may have a belief that 'your voice does not matter' which leads to further self-suppression and eventual burnout.

If confronting the individual micromanaging you is too daunting, bring a third party in to mediate the conversation such as HR. This offers you a safe space to share your thoughts and feelings.

You receive the oppurtunity to express and the person micromanaging can share their feedback while receiving an evaluation of their approach. An authentic conversation is born and co-working relationships can grow stronger.

?? Signs you have experienced being micromanaged when you were a child.

? You become emotionally triggered by the individuals presence who is micromanaging you.

? Outside of work the micromanager is still in your thoughts affecting you negatively.

? You role play in your mind approaching them sharing your frustrations.

? You are experiencing anxiety in and out of work as a result of this situation.

? You feel changing jobs is your only option.

? You struggle to set boundaries and express yourself.

??A Self-Inquiry When Being Micromanaged

Check in with yourself and reflect on your thoughts and feelings when you were being micromanaged.

Ask yourself questions like:

?? How old did I feel when I was experiencing micromanagement?

?? Where in my body did I feel uncomfortable?

?? Does this experience represent anything from when I was a child I.E. A parent/teacher etc

?? Do I fear expressing myself authentically

?? How well can I manage confrontation?

?? What Psychological Unconscious Needs Are Met For An Individual Who Micromanages?

??The need for control.

??A need to feel safe (If everything and everyone is behaving exactly how I need, then I feel ok).

??A need for validation through suppressing others.

?? A feeling of validation through helping others.

?? A need for power (This isn’t a conscious act to hurt others although it does). It is in alignment with feeling safe.

All of the above is a mirror of negative early childhood experiences.

?? Here Are Ways I Have Helped Individuals Who Micromanage

Setting up a safe space and creating a non-judgemental environment.

Compassionately Inquiring with questions that target the root cause of this behaviour.

Listening attentively and holding the space for the wounded parts to show themselves.

Offering my client insights that they may be over-looking as to how their early childhood experiences have created behavioural traits that are not supporting them positively.

Reassuring the client that they are not a bad person that these traits are simply adaptations to early childhood expereinces.

Setting up a blueprint for the client as they move forward with this new profound self-awareness and offering them the tools to navigate this process in their lives more effectively.

Using my therapy to assist in healing the primary wounds resulting in the client no longer feeling the need to micromanage again.

?? Here Are Ways I Have Helped Individuals Who Have Experienced Being Micromanaged

Compassionately listening and inquiring about their experiences.

Asking in-depth thought provoking questions that are aimed at connecting the dots between early childhood experiences and the present.

Helping the client understand the parts of themselves they have suppressed and offering them the tools and knowledge on how to navigate this moving forward.

Teaching the client that using their voice and setting boundaries is perfectly appropriate.

In some cases, I have had to help a client leave a toxic work environment by assisting them with an exit strategy while helping them to feel safe in their current situation with a focus on moving forward.

?? Questions For Leaders To Reflect On Heading Into 2025

?? How did I show up in the last 12 months as a leader?

?? How effectively have I managed my team?

?? Have there been micromanaging characteristics in my approach?

?? Has there been a pattern in my approach that has impacted others, myself & our work negatively?

?? What areas do I need to improve on to become a better leader?

?? What Has Your Experience Been Working With A Micromanager?