I begin with a confession. I micromanaged. I started a new
job managing a team of six plus four contractors, tasked with putting together
an event in five weeks that had previously taken four months of planning. This
was no ordinary, one-day event. It was a week-long, National Science Foundation
camp for students with disabilities that included recruiting 30 students,
creating a syllabus with teachers including anticipated outcomes, plus
organizing vendors, multiple speakers, lunches, scheduling halls, science
supplies and … you get the idea.
When the event took place, I raced around in an attempt to
be three places at once, maintained mobile contact with staff and volunteers,
ran through every presentation with the speakers a final time, and I was there
to see a break in the food line at lunch and hand out portions of the meals. I
did everything right, assuming I didn’t know anything about what I was
doing. I micromanaged. By midway through, I faced a mutiny.
The irony of micromanagement (mm) is that the most
organized, punctual, precise, want things to run smoothly types can create the
most disruption, chaos, and bad feelings. Did I mention – when I jumped into
the vacancy in the food line, I frustrated a volunteer who showed up a moment
later and stood behind me for minutes, waiting to do her job? Yes, that happens
when you micromanage.
No one considers him or herself an mm. We’re simply better
organized, right?
The only way to see mm in yourself objectively is to watch
for the symptoms.
Symptom One – The Moment I Turn My Back, Nothing Gets
Done.
Here and throughout this short article, I assume that you
are in a management position, so you have input in who gets hired, and that you
are competent in that. As such, your staff is qualified and competent overall.
Fellow staffers usually handle a slacker if you somehow made an error and one
of those sneaked into the mix. If things aren’t getting done without your
constant hovering, strong odds are that you have created an environment where
no one feels in charge of his or own piece and is afraid to act without
permission. At the least, human nature has kicked in and they see no point in
acting until directly told – again, no sense of ownership. There’s nothing like
an mm to sap your staff of pride and the motivation that comes with it.
Symptom Two – None of My Staff Has Fresh Ideas.
You read their résumés. You heard of their prior
accomplishments. You were diligent in hiring and had confidence in the energy
and intelligence you brought on board, so what happened? Well, maybe you happened.
Think of a time you suggested a vacation to a significant other. They loved the
idea! But the next thing you knew, they were hovering over you to make sure you
booked the right hotel at the right rate on
the right night, planned the dinners out at the right times
in the right sequence and – oh no, we don’t have time to relax
at the beach on Thursday, let’s bump that to Friday between 4:30 and 5:45 when
the sun isn’t so hot and.... Can you feel the joy getting sucked away yet? Will
you make another suggestion soon? Maybe, but with someone else!
Symptom Three – I’m Afraid to Take a Vacation.
And if you do, your check your work email and text
constantly. Maybe you’re just a workaholic. But that’s different than checking
for problems you believe only you can resolve. If you must
work, remember your position (and the next) and plan great things! That’s
different than checking in constantly because you believe only you can solve a
problem. If only you can, then you created the underlying issue yourself
through mm. I’m a strong believer in Market-Based Management where a major
tenet is “The person closest to the problem should have the skill, training,
and authority to resolve that problem.” That is common sense for any small
business owner, soldier, or nurse. If you hired and trained well and still
worry, then re-check Symptoms One and Two.
Symptom Four – I delegate tasks based on what I don’t
want to do.
Every job has its tedious times, whether you are a
receptionist or CEO. But when you frequently give assignments not based on the
skills and abilities of those you hire, it’s not just not poor resource
management (though it’s that too). It can be a symptom of mm. Think of the
flipside to what you are doing. By pushing off the mundane, you may be keeping
the high end work for yourself. Which can be fine – you are in that role –
until it turns into giving your MBA with an ethics degree and 10 years of solid
outcomes in business your email hit list and what to say – say it just like this –
because you believe only you can manage the new project in partner and funding
stream development. The great thing about hiring and trusting the best is that
they make you look good!
Symptom Five – Mutiny.
It’s almost too late. People call in sick. Everyone is
slacking on the job. You find a résumé on the hard drive and someone isn’t at
the desk who should be so you question them and – stop! You’re
doing it again. Beating up the symptoms won’t cure the disease, and the disease
is mm. It’s time for discussions with your staff. It’s time for meetings and
one, two, or even three won’t fix it. By now your staff feels too cornered and
distrustful for honesty. This is going to take a while, and may include after
work talk or even a staff retreat. It’s going to take a lot of listening and
introspection on your part. The alternative is to fire all those in mutiny,
keeping only those fearful enough to agree that yes, we’re better off with
those troublemakers gone. The problem will persist in the long run if you treat
these symptoms and not the disease of micromanagement.
Bryan Lindenberger worked 15 years as a freelance writer
with plenty of retail in the mix before 10 years in communications, marketing
and research, and grant management and writing for education, nonprofit, and
business. Please feel free to connect at
LinkedIn and visit
BryanBerg.net.
