Why Micro-Managing Is Counter Productive

Micro-managers are everywhere and they are costing everyone valuable time. They don’t add value to your business and they don’t help your productivity. Identifying micro-managers is an important step in improving your workplace and its performance.So why do they do it? Most of the time it is either a control thing or a perceived shortfall in staff skills. As far as control is concerned, they will often site being pro-active as justification for their incessant meddling. Unfortunately, this is nothing more than a smoke screen. Dealing with the micro-manager will take time and patience but you can achieve a successful outcome.Micro-managers will often complain to colleagues that “they never have enough time and have to do everything”. Often, this is brought on because the micro-manager only delegated the task and did not provide guidance on how it should be done, often within an unmanageable time frame. They then “feel” like they have to do the work themselves because the person who has been delegated the task do what they think is right but does not meet expectations. In the process, the person delegated the task originally suddenly find themselves questioning the outcomes because they have been taken to task over what is perceived as a poor job.This constant taking back of delegated tasks is where the time issue becomes most prevalent. The micro-manager has pushed their own work to one side to rectify what they think is an issue with the work being done to the detriment of their own outcomes.Constantly criticizing, demanding rework or undermining people’s efforts is the raison d’etre of the micro-manager. The more this behaviour continues, the less staff will engage with their work. This is where the spiral becomes a full spin. I mentioned in a previous article how staff who feel in control will work more productively and this situation is the same. They will only perform what is required to a minimum standard and will take no particular pride, or joy, in their work.Getting people who use this style to change their ways will be tough but it can be done. It is all about perceptions and change. Breaking bad habits is about introducing change that is positive and encouraging people to embrace this change. Over time, it will be habit forming and will replace previous bad habits.The micro-manager’s perception of self will be very different to others views and this will need to be challenged carefully. Work with the micro-manager’s ego to bring their self-perception down a little closer to reality; don’t try the frontal attack. Again, this will take time but there will be a definite improvement at the end.There are a number of options when dealing with micro-managers. Like all decisions, the one that works best for you is the right one and that is the one that helps improve your productivity.Remember, work smarter, not harder.

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