Micromanagement - The silent drain on good leadership

Ever worked somewhere that felt like you’re being controlled?

You find people who once cared about their work slowly lose energy and eventually stop thinking for themselves. They end up doing only what is asked. The truth however is that micromanagement works, if only for a short while. It can deliver quick wins, ensure compliance and provide you with short bursts of control that you might need.  It does have its place in our management toolkit and in certain situations but it always comes at a cost. It will however eventually drain your people - including the manager.

The result for most people who experience micromanagement for a prolonged period is they leave the organisation. We’ve conducted many informal discussions during our workshops and when we ask for people’s experience of micromanagement, its often negative and when we ask what the ultimate outcome was, they left the organisation and joined a new one!

In this blog we explore why it occurs, the impact it has on teams (and the manager) as well as what to do about it.

Why do managers Micromanage?

Micromanagement isn't usually about power and often begins from a place of fear.  Fear of mistakes, fear of failure or possibly fear of losing control. Managers do it because it feels safe. They get reassurance from seeing and checking everything. And to be fair, there are short-term benefits and reasons to use it.

Micromanagement should not be considered leadership. Micromanagement keeps control and leadership builds trust.  It’s not as effective as we might think either because everything must pass through the manager, their capacity becomes the bottleneck. It feels efficient but it isn't. Your team become dependent on you, it is not productive.

What happens next is teams stop thinking for themselves. They follow orders rather than think for themselves. Over time, they lose confidence and skill. Waiting to be told what good looks. When everything depends on one person, that person becomes the limit. No business can grow or perform sustainably on the back of micromanagement.

What impact does Micromanagement have on teams?

Micromanagement doesn't just affect one person or even one team, it spreads around the whole organisation and impacts the culture of the business.  Others start to copy it not out of bad intentions but because it becomes "the way we do things around here."

As it becomes more systematic in the team or organisation issues occur, at first things go well due to compliance and for the team its feels easy for a while. You don’t need to take ownership,

Being micromanaged can even feel easy for a while. It removes ownership and decision-making and the team don’t need to take accountability.

 The impact is predictable and ends up with the same implications in every team and organisation:

·         It removes job meaning.

·         Peoples job satisfaction drops.

·         You will see productivity and performance drops.

·         Decisions slow down.

·         Managers become overloaded in the medium term.

·         Engagement drops off.

Once it takes hold even the most capable people (and typically your best performers) start to leave. Once its is deep rooted in the team, it becomes part of the team, department or business culture.

This often shows up in the language you hear around the teams.

If you hear these things there might be an issue:

"You have to check that first."

"Don't make a call without sign-off."

“Make sure you copy in (insert manager)”

“Another pointless check-in”

“If they just let me do my job it would be much quicker”

The best leaders take a different path. They build trust, clarity and ownership even when it's uncomfortable for them.

How do we stop micromanaging?

Breaking the habit isn't easy. It means trusting others and that takes the courage of a leader.

If you have read this so far and find yourself wondering whether you’re a micromanagement, please don’t be too hard on yourself but here is some thoughts for improvement. Learn from what great leaders do differently:

·         Instead of "Why isn't this done yet?" you could ask "What's getting in the way?”

·         Instead of "Run this by me first" you could say “If you're clear on what needs to be done, go ahead."

·         Instead of "We can't afford mistakes" you might say "If something goes wrong, we'll learn from it."

It first begins with changing your vocabulary, if you start to frame things differently people will immediately respond to your shift.

It goes beyond the language, here are some simple practical things you could try:

·         Agree clear goals upfront so everyone knows what success looks like.

·         Set a check-in that work for both you and your team member (consider time, place, and purpose) not just for you. Ask for feedback on what works.

·         Back your team's decisions, even when they're not perfect.

·         Stop sending emails and chasers. Agree when you can expect an update and then let your team do it.

As a leader you don't need to see everything and to some extent you can’t. You just need to ensure your team is aligned to their goals and trust them.

Consider your role is to set the canvas for your team to paint on, tell them what you need painted but not how to paint. Do not keep checking on their progress - wait for the final artwork to be presented to you.

What if you are the one being micromanaged?

You might be reading this as the one being micromanaged and not the one doing the micromanagement. While we often talk about the impact of micromanagement in our programmes and how ultimately people leave if they continue to be micromanaged, you don't have to leave straight away.

There are ways to set things right with your leader:

·         Over-communicate early by sharing updates before you're asked. This helps build trust and confidence with your leader.

·         Don’t wait but ask for structure. Maybe suggest defined check-ins instead of constant interruptions.

·         Demonstrate you’re the reliable, solid performer you know you are. Deliver on promises and stretch trust gradually.

·         Use alignment language. Phrases like "To make sure I'm aligned…" show partnership and not pushback.

If the culture won't change, you'll know (but it’s worth giving it a try first).

But sometimes, modelling trust yourself can start to shift the environment and inspire your leader to do things differently.

Shifting from micromanagement back to leadership.

It's important for leaders to recognise if you've found yourself micromanaging, it's entirely possible to change your approach and move forward in a more empowering direction. Making the shift away from micromanagement is an important step for any leader seeking to build a more productive and positive working environment.

Micromanagement can often be mistaken for effective oversight or control; it usually comes from a lack of confidence (both in others and in yourself). This approach can inadvertently leave team members feeling undervalued and unable to perform to their full potential.

Recognising micromanagement is the first step in building a healthier team culture, where trust and mutual respect are prioritised over the typical rigid supervision of micromanagement. True leadership begins when you can relinquish control and place your faith in the people around you.

We once heard a great saying:

‘As a true leader you should be able to go play a round of golf and things still function without you’.

By backing your team and granting them the space they need to perform, you not only empower individuals to take ownership of their work but also upskill them and give them confidence.  

Ultimately, letting go is not a loss of influence but rather the foundation for genuine leadership and collective success.