You may not know you’re micromanaging, but you are.
You may consider yourself a hands-on leader who rolls up your sleeves and works in the trenches with your team.
You may feel that your consistent check-ins are merely following up with team members in the name of efficiency.
You may believe you’re teaching employees to operate in excellence when you highlight mistakes.
In reality, you are creating an environment
– Where employees don’t feel they have agency
– Where employees have a higher level of anxiety
– Where employees don’t feel like their efforts are genuinely acknowledged
Don’t worry, I got you!
I want to help improve your leadership skills in preparation for the new year.
You can reduce micromanaging by:
1. 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞𝐬 – you hired them because of their skills and competence. Let them have ownership of the work they do.
2 .𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 (𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 & 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞) – autonomy will help increase productivity. If employees feel interrupted by unnecessary texts, emails, and meetings, it can actually interfere with their flow, especially if you have an employee who is neurodivergent.
3. 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 – constant check-ins without clear communication will only frustrate the team. Nitpicking mistakes without constructive feedback can become discouraging.
4. 𝐒𝐞𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 – you can minimize everyone’s anxiety, including yours if deadlines are clear, practical, and attainable.
5. 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞’𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥 – I know I’m stepping on some toes with this one but let’s just be real. The need for control can be due to your own narrative and upbringing or from your experience working in an unhealthy work environment. Either way, taking the time to identify why you do what you do can help you to course correct your behavior.