Are you a manager? Do you want to be a manager? Do you want to be a shining example to your employees and encourage them to grow their skills and become successful? Then don't become a micro manager. A micromanager is the opposite of that.
WHAT IS A MICRO MANAGER?
A micro manager is someone who:
- is never satisfied with your employees work
- is frustrated if you aren't personally involved in something because everyone else does it wrong
- is laser sharp on details. Sometimes spending so much time correcting and/or criticizing the little things you miss the big picture
- is constantly asking team members what they're working on
- is always asking for updates on where things stand
- is someone who wants to be cc’d on emails. Often leading to deep paranoia (bad)
If this fits you then you need to know that you are growing some major resentment, plus destroying employee moral.
I worked for a micro manager for years and ended up leaving my position because of him. I watched a lot of talented and creative people with great ideas and motivation go to "I'm only here for the paycheck" status because their morale was so beaten down.
A micromanager will take away responsibility from people if they aren't doing things exactly as the the he/she wants. They'll shoot down ideas that they personally don't like or they didn't come up with, and above all hates delegating any and all authority. This isn't just bad for the employee, but also bad for you and the company you work for.
A GOOD MANAGER
Now let's see what makes a good manager:
- Open to new ideas and a good listener
- State goals clearly, but don't make them unattainable
- Protect your time like steem dollars. Delegated effectively and focus on the bigger things
- Communicate, not yell or spy. Trust your employees who have proven themselves and give soft guidance to new or underperforming employees
- Confront difficult situations head on instead of hiding or getting defensive. Employees will not respect you if you are a coward or short tempered
I hope this post is helpful. If you are a micromanager then you need to confront it and figure out what is making you act that way.