“Signs That You’re a Micromanager.” Muriel Wilkins. November 2014. Harvard Business Review.
“Absolutely no one likes to be micromanaged. It’s frustrating, demoralizing, and demotivating. Yet, some managers can’t seem to help themselves. The signs are clear:
You’re never quite satisfied with deliverables. You’re often frustrated because you would’ve gone about the task differently. You laser in on the details and take great pride in making corrections. You constantly want to know where all your team members are and what they’re working on. You ask for frequent updates on where things stand. You prefer to be cc’d on emails.
Wilkins suggest four things to reduce micromanaging:
Get over yourself. We can all rationalize why we do what we do and the same holds true for micromanagers.
Let it go. The difference between managing and micromanaging is the focus on the micro. Let go of the minutia.
Give the what, not the how. There’s a difference between sharing that expectation and dictating how to get to that result.
Expect to win. Be clear on what success looks like. Provide the resources, information, and support needed to meet those conditions. Give credit where credit is due.