Are You Sure You & I are Not a Micromanagers?

This is a question that I must answer very frankly. You also need to answer it frankly too? So if you’re like most micromanagers, you don’t even realize what you’re doing.

Some signs should make it clear:

• You’re never satisfied with deliverables.
• You get frustrated when you would’ve done something differently.
• You laser in on details and take pride in making corrections.
• You want to be Cc’d on emails.

But while you need to make sure work gets done, you don’t have to drill down on the details all the time. That only hurts your team’s morale and productivity.

To stop micromanaging, start letting go of the minutiae. This can be hard, and I completely agree, I am a good person to tell you. When I did a 360 degree appraisal, delegation was one of my weakness and I am working on it. It is a work-in-progress. I will be asking my team to read this article and rate me.

But the key is to do it a little at a time. Articulate what you want the final outcome to be, but don’t give step-by-step instructions on how someone should get there. Focus on setting people up for success. Provide resources and support, and give credit where it’s due.

Adapted from HBR

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