Do you Micro-Manage? | Management

By LisaSymons,SymonSaysCommunication
Total views: 2
Word Count: 609

There's a dark side to delegation and that's micromanagement.

We define Micromanagement as managing with excessive control or attention to detail. But is it ever okay to micromanage? Sometimes, yes. Most managers will likely recognize these times, so this will be a review.

If deadlines are missed, the manager obviously needs to step in and get people back on track, find out the cause of the missed deadline and, if necessary, help the individual make a plan to ensure they'll be able to get their work done.

You may also need to step in if a project is not going as planned, or employees are hitting milestones but still falling short of expected results.

If a team member is not able to perform because they don't have the skills, the time, or maybe the interest, then as the manager you need to step in to make sure that that task gets completed. This is important for the overall health of the team, but also for the individual. If the delegated role is beyond their skills, you might cause more damage by letting them completely fail than stepping in. You can turn the experience into a training experience and get the work done either by doing it yourself or preferably delegating to someone else, but have them stay involved so they can continue to learn from the process.

However, if a team member is not willing to perform, where they have the skills and the time and the ability but they just aren't doing it, then you need to look at it from a personnel aspect. What's going on with this individual? Ask yourself what is causing this problem? Remember, individual issues will cause problems with the team very quickly.

And, of course, if a team member is responsible for a sensitive file or job, you may want to stay hands-on simply because if that information got out or if there was a problem with it, the risk would be higher than ensuring that that person had complete autonomy.

But when is it not okay to micro-manage? This is actually a gray area that managers have trouble managing. When employees are feeling micromanaged, they tend to manifest this by feeling frustrated or even fearful.

What this means is that the individual ends up not trusting his own judgment when you're second-guessing or asking a lot of questions on how he is getting to that end result. The less he trusts himself, the harder it is for him to take on the next delegated task.

The number one reason most employees leave a workplace is because of bad management. They feel that they don't have the control, the autonomy, or the ability to grow. The good news is that these are all things you can control, as a manager.

If Micromanaging affects the mental health of the staff or the overall efficiency of the organization, it's not okay. If you're constantly undermining an employee's decisions and performance, that behavior will inevitably affect their ability to perform, and it's also going to impact the team dynamic. To see where you fall on the micromanaging spectrum, answer the seven questions below.

1. Do you find it difficult to delegate tasks?

2. Do you believe you can complete most your team's tasks better than they can?

3. Do you feel it is more efficient to do the job yourself, rather than give the job to a team member?

4. Do you help your staff learn from their mistakes?

5. Do you spend a large amount of time overseeing single projects?

6. Are you overworked and your team?

7. Does your team always check with you before doing anything?

Did you answer honestly? Remember, it's not all black and white.

About the Author

While managers delegate tasks 90% of the time, only 5% of those tasks are completed without hands-on support from management. Want to determined your delegation style? Take this effective delegation quiz at www.delegatesuccess.com. Get your projects done without working long hours! Lisa Symons has more than 12 years experience with global IT management.

You are here Articles > Business > Management