Are You a Micromanager?

Nobody wants to be a micromanager, but when you’re new to leading a team, it’s a trap that’s easy to fall into. The pressure to prove yourself to your direct reports while simultaneously delivering strong outcomes to the organization can sometimes result in an overly hands-on leadership style.

I’ve seen this time and again through my work as a consultant and coach: New managers who are still building confidence and exploring the best way to lead unintentionally develop controlling behaviors, hoping to live up to the expectations of their roles. Unfortunately, these behaviors usually have opposite effect by negatively impacting employee morale and performance.

If you’re new to leading teams, and want to check in with yourself — and avoid micromanaging altogether — here are three reflection questions to help you identify, and stop, this behavior when it creeps into your interactions with your team.

1) Are you always giving your team “advice”?

How do you react when a team member approaches you with a non-urgent problem? Do you troubleshoot it with them? Or do you propose a solution, along with a list of action items they should execute to reach it? If it’s the latter, you might be verging on micromanagement.

The most obvious form of micromanagement involves telling people exactly how to do their jobs — a behavior that’s often justified as “giving advice.” This tendency is often driven by an underlying anxiety or fear. As a new leader, you’re now responsible for the performance of your team. If they fail, you fail, and likewise if they succeed. In response to this pressure, you may try to control the outcome of their work by handholding or overstepping when asked for basic advice.

Some managers might even disguise this tendency by asking closed or leading questions such as: “Have you ever thought about doing it this way?” or “Do you want to try this approach instead?”

Others, or what I call “motivational micromanagers,” believe that giving their team members detailed instructions with a smile and great enthusiasm makes their words feel encouraging, rather than controlling.

What to do instead:

While there’s nothing wrong with giving your team members advice in situations that truly require it — high-stakes projects, urgent issues, or new processes that require more hands-on guidance — your goal should be to help people develop solutions on their own. Remember that people need to have their own experiences to learn, iterate, and sharpen the skills necessary to do their jobs well.

When someone comes to you with a problem, push down your urge to explain how you would solve it. Instead, listen and repeat back what you hear: “It sounds like you’re having trouble with [X] because of [Y]. Does that sound right?”

Next, make sure you’re on the same page regarding your expectations. Restate the goal you want them to reach but let them figure out how to get there. You can do this by asking an open-ended question that encourages them to reflect: “What do you think would help you get past this roadblock?” or “What do you need to continue making progress?”

Some people may be hesitant to share their point of view or worry that you’re looking for a “right answer.” If you sense this, reassure them that you value their opinions. You can say: “I’m really interested in hearing your viewpoint. You’re the one who’s closest to this project, and I think your insights can help us develop a strong approach.”

There may be a long moment of silence as they think and begin to share their ideas. Get comfortable being the sounding board — as you talk things through, they may even gain new insights.

Remember: Even if you would approach the issue differently, don’t assume your approach is better. This doesn’t mean that you should let people fail on purpose. Rather, use your expertise to ask teaching-oriented questions that will help your direct reports think things through and discover how to improve their ideas. You can also support them by removing roadblocks or challenges unique to your positional power.

2) Do you need to approve every decision your team members make?

Bottlenecking is another form of micromanagement, and it typically occurs when a manager needs to approve every action — big or small — that their team members make. It’s normal for some things, like highly visible projects, to require your input. But it’s a red flag if you’re asking people to consult you on daily tasks that they should be able to do autonomously.

As a new leader, you may do this for a number of reasons. Perhaps you’re still building trust with your team members, and don’t yet feel confident in their abilities. Perhaps you were a star performer in your previous role and want everyone to live up to those standards. Maybe you’re trying to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise to gain their approval. Or maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed in your new position and knowing each item on your team’s to-do list — and how it’s being done — gives you “peace of mind” that things are running smoothly.

Whatever is driving your actions, there are consequences to this type of micromanagement.

Firstly, it slows everyone down. Your direct reports can’t complete their work without your approval, and you’re constantly being pulled away from your own work to give it. Secondly, it lowers team morale. If your team doesn’t believe you’re confident in their ability to their jobs, it can impact their own self-confidence. Finally, it hinders your growth as a manager. Instead of learning how to delegate and focusing on the soft skills you need to develop as a leader, you’re focusing too much on the same work you did as an individual contributor.

What to do instead:

You can gut check yourself by doing an audit of how many team messages you’re cc’ed on. If you’re on every email thread and in every Slack channel just to give your nod of approval, you likely need a better process.

Ask yourself: What high-stakes items/tasks do I need to oversee or approve? What lower-stakes task/items can I delegate, hand off, or trust my team handle on their own?

For example, your team may be working on a report that is highly visible throughout the organization and could result in a big win (or loss) for the business. In this case, it makes sense for you to give regular guidance and review the final report before it’s submitted. However, if there are daily tasks that — if not done perfectly — have little consequence, consider loosening your grip. You can begin to build a foundation of trust by allowing your team to lead lower-stakes projects. If a mistake is made, you can rest assured that it won’t have a major impact on the business, but it will be a learning opportunity that allows people to grow.

Over time, this approach has mutual benefits. You’ll feel more comfortable delegating important tasks with less oversight, and your team members will feel more confidence in their ability to deliver.

Another approach is to focus less on the frequency of your approval, and more on the stage at which your oversight is needed. For instance, let’s return to the example of the “high-stakes report.” You can let go of some control by reviewing your team’s work at the very beginning, halfway point, and very end of the project — serving as a compass rather steering the ship and weighing in at every turn.

As a best practice, it’s useful to have an open conversation around where and when your oversight would be most helpful. Think of it as a way to set boundaries around which areas of a project need your sign off and which don’t.

3) Do you consider feedback a one-way street?

When you give feedback to your team members is it a one-way conversation? Do you lead with a couple of positive comments about their work, and then list out the many ways they can improve?

If this conversation sounds familiar, you might be micromanaging instead of helping.

This type of micromanagement can occur when a leader has rigid expectations of how the work should have been done. It’s driven by the often-false belief that: “If my team had done it my way, we would have reached an even better outcome.” Typically, this mindset results in feedback discussions that are one-sided, with the manager listing out various ways the employee could have done better. Even if the manager has good intentions, they risk coming off as overly controlling and demoralizing the person on the receiving end.

What to do instead:

Firstly, don’t wait until a formal performance review to share feedback. You can make it a lot less scary by delivering feedback, both positive and critical, every day.

If someone gives a great presentation, send them a short note, recognizing the effort: “Great presentation this afternoon. You were clear, engaging, and really made an impact!”

When you see room for improvement, offer your support without tearing them down: “Great presentation!  You were clear and engaging throughout. What other elements do you think resonated with your audience?” After discussing what went well, initiate a two-way conversation around how they can grow in the future: “For your next presentation, I encourage you to check your slides, such as slide 4, for too much text, which is difficult for people to read at once. How could you simplify this next time so it’s easier for your audience to digest?”

Likewise, if you have a chance to ask your team for feedback, show them that you value their opinions by seeking it out: “How did the presentation I gave this afternoon land for you?”

The goal is to create an environment in which your team trusts and seeks out your knowledge. By recognizing their strengths, seeking out their opinions, and treating mistakes like learning opportunities, you can create an environment that feels empowering rather than discouraging.

You can also use your one-on-one check-ins to turn feedback discussions into a two-way street. If you have critical feedback to share, for instance, don’t jump in by making suggestions or assumptions. Instead, invite your direct report to share their point of view on the subject at hand. For example, you can say: “I noticed you submitted your report a couple days late last week. I wanted to check in with you around what happened there. Is everything ok?” Once you understand their point of view, you can respond more thoughtfully, considering factors you may have initially overlooked.

End these feedback discussions by opening the door for your direct report: “Do you have any feedback for me on [X]? Is there anything I could be doing better to support you with [Y]?” This makes the exchange a real back-and-forth and shows that you’re open to growth as well.

As a new leader, you have endless potential to do great things. Don’t get stuck in the mindset that “control” equates to success or power. Use these questions to check yourself and build a better approach as you navigate this new role and continue to develop your leadership style.

This text has been initially published in Harvard Business Review under the title "Are You a Micromanager?"

Photo by Alexander Suhorucov (pexels.com)