The anxious micromanager

I recently came across a HBR article that dove deep into what makes a micro manager. The opening paragraphs were an important reaffirmation that the words we use at work determine how our teams go about doing the work.

Here is an example from the article:Managers say to their team members: “I want you to take total leadership on this project—just make sure you run everything by me first.” These messages send conflicting signals to the team and cancel each other out. Naturally, the confused team members wonder: “Wait, am I supposed to be self-starting or permission seeking?”

Managers are thus asking their team to ‘hit the ground running’ but are restricting their progress. No wonder these managers feel that the work never gains any momentum and start to micro-manage all the work being done by the team.

So, the next time, you are delegating work to your team, carefully craft your message, read it back to yourself and ensure that your words are not sending conflicting messages. Also, ask your team to relay their understanding so that you can have the confidence that they have understood what you have wanted them to understand.

Good luck!

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