Self-Check: Are You a Micromanager?

The perils of micromanaging can not only impede on workplace productivity, they can slowly destroy employee morale and company drive.

You respect your job and you do it well – that’s how you worked your way up to where you are in your career. Your attention to detail has been noted and your professional standards are celebrated. You’re a bit of a perfectionist, but that just reflects the enthusiasm you have for your work.

But how do your subordinates view your management style? Most micromanagers take their positive professional attributes to the extreme, and become overly focused on everyone else’s work.

If your employees are smart, capable workers who do their job well then you shouldn’t need to be breathing down their neck or checking their every move. While your intentions are decent, your approach may leave your staff with something to be desired.

Not sure where your management style stands? We have supplied you with four questions to ask yourself. If you answer “yes” to two or more, you may want to look at signs that you are a micromanager.

Do you have a tendency to focus on small problems/projects instead of looking at the big picture?

It’s in the name itself – “micro” managing versus “macro” managing is the difference between monitoring employees’ small tasks every step of the way, and entrusting the work in the hands of your talented and trusted subordinates, only to go over their performance once it is completed.

When it comes to the small items, your urge for control can damage the things that are most important.

Do you have a difficult time delegating tasks and leaving them to be completed by your staff?

If you believe in the adage “If you want something done right, do it yourself,” we’ll give you this – you’re a hard worker and are probably excellent at operating independently.

However, part of being a manager is making sure the staff can work together effectively. Taking on everyone else’s work doesn’t only create a burden for you as well as a growing sense of spite for your staff; your skilled employees are left twiddling their thumbs and are getting paid to do it.

Have you appointed a team leader, but allow them very limited authority?

Kudos to you for taking a step in the right direction and assigning another employee a position of authority. Unfortunately, if your team leader merely has a title without the proper allowances to make necessary changes to projects without your permission, creating the position was ineffective. If you have enough faith in this person enough to award him or her a new title, chances are you can rely on him or her to proficiently perform the required duties.

Do you constantly double and triple check even the most capable employees work?

When assignments are important, it’s understandable to want to make sure they are completed to perfection so that the project can go off without a hitch. However, everyone works at their own pace and in a manner that works best for them and for the team. Constant check-ins and criticism before completion will only undermine somebody’s confidence and delay progress.

Micromanaging shouldn’t always have the negative connotation it does. A mixture of the two “micro” and “macro” styles of management would be ideal. Swaying heavily to one side is where the most harm gets done. For example, some “big picture” macro managers lack the leadership and skills to properly manage a team of employees.