Revelling in the detail
Micromanaging bosses will say their relentless attention to detail improves performance and has everyone focused on doing outstanding work. Of course, it doesn't work that way.
Micromanagement is in effect telling employees they are not doing a good job. That is no way to build good performance.
Writing in entrepreneur.com, entrepreneur superstar Richard Branson says it is counterproductive.
"Employees will not take responsibility for their actions if the boss is looking over their shoulders all the time," Branson says. "They will not take the initiative to work that extra hour, make that extra call or squeeze that little bit more out of a negotiation."
As a rule, micromanagement has nothing to do with employees. It's more about the manager's internal anxiety and need to control.
Often they are insecure about their job and responsibilities. Chances are they are untrained as managers.
That means one thing: you cannot change their behaviour. All you can do is look at your response.
The first thing to do is to evaluate the kind of person the boss is. Some micromanagers will constantly send people back to rework something if it doesn't measure up. They always have to be in control. But they don't necessarily stifle people's creativity and efforts.
Steve Jobs was one such boss. He was a perfectionist and brutal but he allowed people to express themselves. As he told his biographer, Walter Isaacson: "We're brutally honest with each other and all of them can tell me they think I'm full of shit, and I can tell anyone I think they're full of shit."
If you can hack that, it might be worth sticking around as you might learn something.
They are quite different to the pathological micromanagers who give people no autonomy and who obsess about issues like font size rather than the big picture. These are the ones who have to be managed carefully.
There are several things that can be done here. The first rule is not to fight back. That can be counterproductive. If you fight back, whether it's done overtly or passively, the manager may conclude you can't be trusted.
Work in with their patterns. You can help them by prompting them to give you all the information you need up front, and set interim review points along the way. Another good idea is to make sure you communicate progress to your boss regularly. They need to be kept in the loop.
Also, try to anticipate the tasks and get them done well ahead of time. If you tell them: "Actually, I have already done that and left a report on your desk", they are more likely to leave you be as time goes on.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
Micromanagement is when a boss closely controls and scrutinises employees’ work, effectively signalling they aren’t doing a good job. According to the article, micromanagement is counterproductive: it discourages responsibility and initiative, so staff are less likely to work extra hours, make extra calls or push harder in negotiations.
The article says micromanagement is usually about the manager’s internal anxiety and need for control rather than the employees. Many micromanagers are insecure about their job or untrained as managers, so they over-control to reduce their own stress rather than to improve team performance.
Yes. The piece distinguishes perfectionist micromanagers — like the Steve Jobs example who was brutal but sometimes allowed expression — from pathological micromanagers who give no autonomy and obsess over trivial details (for example, font size). Perfectionists may push rework but can still foster creativity; pathological types more clearly stifle people and need careful handling.
The article advises that you probably cannot change a micromanager’s core behaviour. Instead, focus on how you respond: evaluate what kind of micromanager they are and adopt strategies that work with their patterns rather than trying to confront them directly.
Practical tips from the article include not fighting back, prompting your boss to give all necessary information up front, setting interim review points, and communicating progress regularly. These steps keep them in the loop and reduce the impulse to check over your shoulder.
Anticipate tasks and complete them ahead of schedule, and proactively leave reports or updates where your boss can see them. Telling your boss you’ve already done the work and left a report on their desk makes them more likely to leave you alone over time.
The article suggests it might be worth sticking around if you can “hack” the relationship — for instance, learning from a demanding but creative leader (the Steve Jobs example) where honest pushback and learning are possible. If the environment nevertheless destroys autonomy and growth, it may be harder to justify staying.
Micromanagement tells employees they aren’t trusted and, as Richard Branson is quoted, prevents them from taking responsibility or initiative. That reduces creativity and effort — people are less likely to go the extra mile, take initiative or try new approaches when constantly overseen.
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