Surface Ripples

Effective Management - Is Micro-Management A Good Thing?

I recently saw a discussion on micro-managing where views were varied but, for the most part, negative. It made me think about this concept and its pros and cons.

Most of us see micro-managing as a process where our line manager “breathes down our neck”, criticises or negates everything we do and saps our confidence. I’ve been through this and it’s the most soul-destroying experience.

Some managers may do it because:

1. They are managing a low-skill team required to perform complicated processes where all inputs need to be checked before moving on to the next stage;
2. It’s needed to manage the team’s way out of a short-term crisis;
3. They’ve just been promoted from the supervisory ranks and haven’t yet made the mental leap from supervisor to manager;
4. They feel that this is the only way to maintain control;
5. They have a hidden agenda;
6. You may have given them the feeling that you need it;
7. They are still assessing you as a new team member;
8. They need to re-focus you as part of a development plan/disciplinary process.

Reasons 1-2 reflect the nature of the job or a temporary situation. Reasons 3-5 reflect more on the manager. Reasons 4-6 reflect more on you as an individual but at least lie within your control.

I remember one senior manager from the mid-80s who insisted on seeing every email our team wanted to send out before it was sent. Yes, he spotted errors, mistakes or stylistic inconsistencies which he was able to correct, but we all felt that it implied a lack of trust in us. Equally, it meant that too much of his time was taken up “proofing” emails and not adding value. He soon saw the light…

If you’re being micro-managed, ask first what’s causing it. Talk to colleagues to see if they’re experiencing the same thing. If yes, then it’s a team issue and you can do something about it as a team. If only you, then meet the boss to determine if it’s reasons 5-7, where matters are under your control.

If 6, then bear with it, but find out how long it’s likely to go on for and ask for feedback about performance. Suggest a framework which will allow you some freedom, but keeps the boss happy. Where there’s a development/disciplinary issue (7), then you’ll have to bear with it and make sure that you meet any targets set.

The one many don’t pay attention to is 6 – the trickiest. Different people build up speed, experience and confidence at different rates. As a result, they seek their manager’s guidance in the early stages until they’re happy that they understand how he/she wants things done. The downside is that this can be seen as needing to be “spoon-fed” so they need to set up a framework to agree that this is how things will go for a short period. They should ask their peers and reports the “really dumb” questions to avoid too much pressure on the boss who has other things on their mind and will only get irritated, but the boss should be ready to act as mentor.

In these days of “hitting the ground running”, noone likes micro-management, but sometimes, it can’t be avoided. Both sides need to set the ground rules. However, too much micro-management destroys value and needs to be corrected as soon as possible.

I have spent more than half my life working in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With more than 20 years in the world financial services industry running different service, operations and lending businesses, I started my own Performance Management Consultancy and work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email . My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services.

Labels: Career, Crisis Management, Risk, Teamwork

posted by William Martin @ 17:24