Micromanagement is a type of management style where the manager closely monitors and evaluates every employee. It’s almost like an obsessive micro-analysis and monitoring of every employee from their work habits to their performance. Whether you are a manager and trying to understand your employee or someone looking for a job, micromanagement is not easy to deal with. If your boss constantly tells you how to do something, gives you detailed instructions on how to complete tasks, or even go through your desk regularly, then this means you probably have a micromanaging boss. Unfortunately, most people hate working for micromanagers – especially if they don’t bring any value to the job. However, it’s not impossible to manage these kinds of managers. Here are some tips on how to manage micromanagement boss effectively:
1. Communicate regularly with your boss
Despite micromanagement, your boss still wants to know what’s going on with the team and what you are working on. So, communicate regularly with your boss so he/she knows what’s happening and you can get feedback. Set up a meeting schedule and communicate more frequently with your boss, especially if you have a micromanaging boss. There are many ways to communicate with your boss. Some managers prefer one-on-one meetings, some use emails, while others prefer to communicate with their team through an intranet. It all depends on your boss, but try to meet with him/her at least once a week to get insights into what he/she likes, dislikes and what you can do to perform better.
2. Set clear expectations for yourself and your team
When you communicate with your boss regularly, you will be able to set clear expectations for yourself and your team members. What does your boss want you to accomplish? What are his/her priorities? What are the things he/she doesn’t want you to do? What are the things he/she wants you to do? What does your team need to deliver? What does your boss want to see from your team members? What are their strengths and weaknesses? What do they need to improve on? In order to set clear expectations, you first need to know what your boss expects from you. Once you know that, you can set expectations for yourself and your team. This will help you avoid micromanagement and will also help your boss to trust you more.
3. Establish routines and checklists for repetitive tasks
Does your micromanaging boss keep asking you to follow up with clients? Does he/she keep micro-managing you on how you should do it? If yes, then try to establish routines and checklists for repetitive tasks. Routines and checklists are good ways to manage repetitive tasks like checking on clients. Once you have a routine or a checklist, you will be able to perform these tasks regularly with little or no supervision. You can also use these routines and checklists to train your team members on how to do those tasks. If you have a micromanaging boss, you can use these routines and checklists to reduce distractions and micromanagement. Your boss will appreciate your work more because you are being more consistent with it.
4. Determine what’s most important for your work and stay focused on that
Not all tasks are important and some tasks are repetitive. It’s important to prioritize and identify what’s most important for your work and stay focused on that. To manage a micromanaging boss, you need to set priorities for yourself and your team members. You should be able to determine what’s most important for your work and the team. This will help you avoid micromanagement. You can also discuss your priorities with your manager. This will help you establish a better relationship with your micromanaging boss. If your manager likes your work and is happy with how you are doing, he/she wouldn’t be micromanaging you. Once you determine what’s most important for your work and stay focused on that, you will be able to avoid micromanagement.
5. Ask questions when you don’t understand something
If your micromanaging boss is asking you to follow up with clients and you don’t know how, then ask him/her how you should do it. Most managers who have a micromanaging style of managing employees don’t like to be questioned. However, if you don’t know how to do something, you should ask. Generally, micromanagers don’t like to explain things in detail. They assume you already know how to do something because they think you are an expert in the field. If you don’t ask questions, then you can get into trouble. Investigate the situation, ask your micromanaging boss how you should do it and do it according to his/her instructions. Resolve all your doubts and misunderstandings so you know how to do your tasks. This will help you avoid micromanagement.
6. Look for opportunities to collaborate with your micromanager
Your boss might be micromanaging you because he/she wants to see you improve. Maybe he/she just wants to see you grow as an employee. Collaborating with your boss will give you an opportunity to work with him/her and understand what he/she wants from you. Look for opportunities to collaborate with your micromanager. You can set up weekly or monthly meetings with your manager. You can also ask your micromanaging boss for help with something. Be prepared to give him/her feedback and see how he/she responds to it. You can also ask him/her if they want to go through your work. When you collaborate with your micromanager, you will be able to understand what he/she wants from you and your work. Collaborating with your boss will help you understand his/her expectations and also help you avoid micromanagement.
Conclusion
Micromanagement is a bad management style, so how do you deal with it? You can try to communicate more with your boss, set clear expectations, establish routines and checklists, determine what’s most important for your work and stay focused on that, and look for opportunities to collaborate with your micromanager. This will help you avoid micromanagement and perform better.