Micromanaging Sucks…or DOES it?
We often repeat mantras only because we’ve heard them so often that we believe they’re true. I mean, I read it on social media a bunch of times, so it must be true, right? Not necessarily!
Such is the admonition that micromanaging sucks. Please, pardon the vernacular, but it’s often how it’s referred to. Or something to that effect. Like so many things that we’re adamant about, maybe that proposition is true…maybe not.
Micromanaging can suck when it’s used to control or force people to perform at less than their peak capabilities. There are folks who apply micromanagement as their only tool to manage and lead. They suck! Again, sorry, for the vernacular, but you know it’s true. Aldous Huxley said that “We shall know the truth and it shall make us mad.” If you’re a manager or supervisor or consider yourself a leader and your default method is micromanaging, seek help. Like, RIGHT NOW! Know this, though. Your followers probably won’t tell you. They’re afraid to! And you may not know it either. Find someone whom you can trust to tell you the truth, not what you want to hear. You’ll appreciate them one day. They may appreciate you more now.
Okay, so what’s the value in micromanaging. First, it should only be applied for short periods, not forever. And it should serve the purpose of teaching or helping a follower empower themselves to achieve their peak performance.
You have a new teammate who has never done what you hired her to do. You saw great potential in her when you interviewed her, and she has a little training and experience. That’s all good. But this place, and how we do things here, is different. It always is, by the way. You send her to a training course. She finishes at the top of her class. GREAT! You have a choice now, you can assume that she can do the job, or you can ensure that she can do the job. How will you know? Watch her! If she actually CAN do the job to your expectation or better, let her continue. That will empower her. But if she CAN’T, manage her closely until she can. If you hired right, she’ll pick up on it quickly, then you can go do something else. That, too, is empowering.
Been there. Done that! I assumed many positions for which I had no training. I had potential. Yeah, RIGHT! Well, I was smart enough to know where to get the training I needed. But a new hire may not be that resourceful. Often, I received an incoming briefing, telling me what I would be doing and how. The trainer always asked if I got it. I’m not gonna be THAT guy and say no. Of course, I nodded my head, while my brain was asking, “What was that all about?”
Don’t use the term but practice the method. Stay close to that person and make sure they know how to do it right. Be there often to ensure she gets it. Once she does, go away. “Oh, I’ll give her feedback in a week, when it’s due,” you say. I don’t know about you, but I can really screw things up in a matter of a week. I’m an overachiever. I’ll quickly learn how to do it wrong, which will be difficult to retrain later.
Micromanaging sucks when you use it incorrectly. There’s value in it when you use it right.
Until next time,
Be GREAT!
You ARE!
¡HEIRPOWER!
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