4 TIPS TO TACKLE MICRO-MANAGEMENT
Do you know the 1 thing that destroys morale, strangles creativity, multiplies stress, and railroads personal growth… all at the same time?
It’s micromanagement.
Specifically, micromanagement that you refuse to address and hope just goes away.
Here’s the deal, it won’t go away unless you take back control (respectfully).
I’ve mentored and coached Aspiring Leaders for over a decade and here’s 4 steps you can take right now to take back control:
✅ 1️⃣ Understand your Manager’s Monthly “Decision-Making Meetings”:
Most businesses have a predictable monthly cycle that includes 2-3 standard meetings (financial budget review, leadership update, supply chain review, etc.) where your manager will be expected to make decisions. Understanding when these meetings occur can remove the unpredictability of your manager’s questions / requests.
✅ 2️⃣ Anticipate Questions by Asking for Context:
During your weekly or monthly check-in meetings, ask your manager to provide context for decisions and what information was used in making that decision. Having this context will help you anticipate what will be needed for future decisions without your manager asking.
✅ 3️⃣ Over-communicate Progress on Critical Projects:
Depending on the criticality of the project, proactively share daily or weekly progress emails that are concise and outlines emerging issues or risks. This will show your manager that you are actively managing issues. After 1-2 weeks, ask your manager for feedback on whether you can scale back the frequency of the communications.
✅ 4️⃣ Establish Clear Boundaries:
Micromanagement left unchecked can lead to evening emails, early morning texts, or weekend requests. While there are always exceptions for business-critical moments, this should not be the normal ways of working. Prevent burn-out by providing your manager with clear boundaries.
💡 Remember: Self-awareness is an important skill to have when dealing with micromanagement. Is there something you are doing unintentionally to create this situation? Successfully addressing micromanagement often requires change by both the employee and manager.
