We all know micromanagers whose control makes staff feel like their productivity, creativity and desire for responsibility is being strangled. But the other way micromanaging kills is when a competent manager is suffocated by too many employees who do need micromanaging to be productive. And then there are the sneaky slackers and covert bullies. The worst of these do just enough to get by, but they require you to be on top of them all the time in order to maintain any continuity of effort.
To read the rest of this article from The Portland Business Journal, see: Micromanagement is a double-edged sword http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/print-edition/2010/11/19/micromanagement-is-a-double-edged-sword.html
The situations outlined in the article are real; only the names have been changed to protect the guilty. The manager of the teams involved stepped up to the challenge and the resulting change was well worth it.
Some people do need micromanaged and it can be worth your time and effort. But don’t let your good heart or conflict avoidance or a manipulative slacker turn you into a micromanager.
The price will be your career and personal life. People who are inclined to be micromanagers usually don’t know when it’s time to say, “No.”
All tactics are situational. Expert coaching and consulting can help you create and implement a plan that fits you and your organization.