Micromanagement – Don’t be a jack-in-the-box

Sue was like a Jack-in-the-Box.  She would sit at her desk chomping noisily on her Jaffa Cakes and then bang, she would bounce up out of her chair to check how the team were doing. She would swirl across the office floor speaking with her team, checking on case updates and of course double checking whether they had done the tasks she had given them that morning. After she was satisfied, Sue would scoot back to her desk and jump back into her box for another 30 or so minutes, before springing back out and starting all over again.

In Sue’s head, she was managing her team effectively.  She knew what everyone was up to and felt she had her finger firmly on the pulse. In reality, Sue’s team thought she was a real pain in the backside and thought she was a complete control freak.  I’ve no doubt Sue’s heart was in the right place.  In her head, she was trying to support and help her team, but in doing so, she was unknowingly creating a culture of complete distrust and disharmony.

Sue needed to put the brakes on.  She needed to take a step back and implement some of these tips:

• Updates – Instead of hovering over people, agree pre-arranged update meeting times with individuals in the team. Stick to the times agreed.
• Empower the team – Hand over accountability and responsibility for certain tasks and projects to individuals. Be there to support them if they need you, but definitely don’t interfere.
• Ask the team – Ask your team/individuals how they want to work. Do they want quick regular meetings, or one a week? Fit in with their needs instead of your own.
• Assess the team – Don’t treat everyone the same. New people will need more handholding, whereas the more experienced members of your team will need less attention.

If Sue had implemented these steps, she would very quickly have started to nurture a culture of mutual trust and respect within the team. Undoubtedly, over time, the atmosphere would change for the better and as a result, individual and team performance would see improvements too.

Don’t be like Sue!

Book Recommendation 

If you are looking develop your micromanagement skills you’ll love; Moving From Micromanagement to Masterful Leadership by Rhonda Geddis. 

Pic by Charles Barsotti