Many people work in a micromanaged environment and they don’t know what happens to them. Let’s see first what micromanagement really is:
Micromanagement is no management at all, it is just coping and dealing with everything, even if it is not someone’s job.
I can make some examples how you discover if you are micromanaged.
A very easy way is to count how often the name of people are mentioned in a company. If the name of the boss is mentioned way more than other names, you have the first indicator.
If no one can make a decision without asking the boss, no matter how minor the issue is, you have another hint.
If it takes for ever to get something approved and everything goes through the boss, there is Micromanagement.
If you feel that the control factor is very high in the company and there are things like camera surveillance for employees or login sheets for employees.
If employees get lazy when the boss is not around you found a typical pointer.
If employees don’t know what they shall do when the boss is on a business trip, You are micromanaged.
If the boss is overworked he is most likely a micromanager.
If the boss makes unreal decisions about things he is not familiar with.
If the boss wants to be copied on every email.
If the middle management in a company is missing.
If some people are overpaid while the most employees are underpaid.
If you find out that your emails, phone calls and your presents is scanned you can be sure that you are in a micromanaged environment.
If the boss explains to you even the simplest things even if you are the specialist you know you are micromanaged.
If the boss wants to have a written report about every little step and asks other people to follow up on you and you on them YOU ARE DEFINITELY micromanaged
If your boss does not answer your emails and he is telling you that he is 300 emails behind he is overwhelmed and does micromanagement.
The really bad thing is, that Micromanaged managers tend to become micromanagers themselves and they practically teach their people to micromanage on their post too.
Unexperienced young employees don’t know better and they learn this kind of management thinking its the correct way to control the organization.
Where does this come from? Why do people micromanage?
The key point is FEAR. Micromanages are in fear to loose control.
Micromanagers don’t trust other people because one can not trust them. They don’t even trust themselves.
Micromanagers can not think with future, they live in the past only.
Micromanagers are constantly overworked and don’t do their real job because they try to do other peoples job.
Micromanagers make mistakes because they lag knowledge of the thinks they want to decide.
Micromanagers are not successful and their organization can not grow.
Micromanagers have no sense of importance, even the color of the toilet tissues have the same importance as the bank appointment for he new credit line.
Micromanagers have a high amount of private business with their family because they call in all day and ask the Micromanager for advise.
The kids of micromanagers are very often not married and/or they live at home because they can not function without orders.
Micromanagers forget things and remember them later when the project is already in the next stage.
Micromanagers can people not let finish their projects, they change their directions many times a day.
Micromanager have usually a couple of spys in the company in different areas which are protected from above. These are mostly people which one wonders why they are still in company, because their work is not visible or worthless. A stupid secretary or a not so bright receptionist is mostly one of them.
Employees which are Micromanaged become extremely frustrated and when they have a chance they switch the company.
A Micromanager has tons of unfinished projects on their desk because they let no one finish his job.
Things are getting done in a micromanaged environment when the boss is away or if he is missing an area which runs on it’s own with capable people.
Sometimes you find the boss stopping very successful actions in order to let the employee who is responsible for it not get too powerful and famous in the company.
Because of the fear to loose control micromanagers use often hidden ways to control people.
Micromanagers are suppressive for employees and for the company itself.
Now that you have a good idea about what Micromanagement is, you may ask how can I get out of this? ...... I guess you need to wait for my next blog. My MacBook Pro knows already the solution, It found it in one of the files I prepared for the next blog already ;-)
