Get Off My Back! Five tips for Dealing With Micromanagers
Friday, September 12, 2014
That means employees who are beleaguered by a micromanager must be able to negotiate the workplace with such a manager effectively. Although they may be annoying and oppressive, there are strategies employees can use to mitigate the negative vibes of a micromanager.
What’s a micromanager?
Employees with a micromanager may see a wide range of behaviors from micromanager. They feel as if someone is looking over their shoulder every minute of every day. If they think independently or suggest ideas, the manager appears threatened.
The manager gives explicit, specific directions on everything he delegates and checks repeatedly on progress. Employees feel more like “order takers” than problem solvers. In addition, micromanagers may resist new ways of thinking or doing things when ideas are suggested. It’s certainly not an exhaustive list of micromanager tendencies, but the behavior pattern is one of someone who wants control, with a low level of trust that others will do things as he would.
As with so many other things in life, human behavior typically has some explicable element. Micromanagers are no different. At the root cause of micromanagement are a few things:
Some managers simply believe that no one could do the job as well as they could. Handing things over means the employee might screw it up, which could put them in a compromising position. By controlling the employee, the manager is at some level attempting to control his or her own anxiety about failing.
Then there's the issue of their investment.
Consider a small family owned business. That person’s reputation and future are on the line. Every resource in his life has been poured into that business, and he cares passionately about what employees deliver to customers. He may take the oversight issue to an extreme. But his intentions are good.
Finally, remember that new hires need to prove themselves. The manager might need to look over the employee’s shoulder and see “sustained results” to believe they really have the ability to do the job without his excessive participation.
Fending off micro-managers
When micro-managers take hold, employees can reach frustration levels quickly. No professional wants to be hired to do a job, only to be corrected and watched over every step of the way. But it doesn’t mean all hope is lost.
These strategies might help tame an out-of-control micromanager.
1. See it from the manager’s perspective.
If workers consider what the manager’s responsible for and the load he is carrying, it could lead to better understanding. Having empathy doesn’t resolve the manager issues, but it can help employees to de-stress a bit and not take her interference so personally.
2. Demonstrate your competence.
New employees should provide demonstrable evidence – over time – that they have the ability to do the job. When starting a job, employees should allow for a learning curve that assures the manager the workload is under control so she can step back.
3. Oversupply information.
One way to get an over-involved manager to relax is to inform him every step of the way. Think “transparency.” Employees should explain what they are doing, or not, and why. The goal is to give the manager no reason to doubt the action or intentions of the employee.
In addition to providing line-of-sight for the manager, it may also help smooth out tension in the relationship.
4. Follow up proactively.
Providing managers with a heads-up well before the due date is a great defensive strategy. When managers know that the work is on track, what the deliverables are, and when he will see them, it may dilute his need to micromanage.
5. Put the moose on the table.
Managers who simply won’t budge from their ways need to hear from their subordinates. A focused, one-on-one conversation that puts the challenges on the table could help address the employee frustration and dissatisfaction.
By addressing the issues calmly, factually and professionally, employees can discuss observations and concerns with the manager. Assuring the boss such oversight is unneeded and providing evidence to support that could help employees find relief. Employees can even suggest a trial process to help the manager “taper off” the micromanager tendencies.
Micromanagers are not fun to work with. If employees provide clear and honest feedback, expectations, and suggestions for improvement, however, they might create an opportunity to find relief.
Lea McLeod, M.A. coaches professionals to get more done, be more confident and deal with workplace issues like challenging bosses and overwhelming workloads. Her career insights have been featured in numerous publications, including Forbes, Mashable, Yahoo, and Business Insider. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Follow her on Twitter. If you’re ready to take action, get started with her free 21 Days to Peace at Work e-series.
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