One of the biggest challenges facing managers at every level is dealing with their own tendency to micromanage things. A lot of managers adhere to the maxim that if you want something done right you have to do it yourself. But while there may be rare instances when it is appropriate for a manager to step up and briefly exert control over every aspect of a project, adopting that as SOP is bound to fail. In this post, we'll explain why that is and what you can do to step back from the micromanagement edge.

What is Micromanaging?

Micromanaging can be defined as the belief that you, the manager, are the only person on the team who knows what he or she is doing. Some of the signs that indicate you might be a micromanager include:
• Taking control over work you originally assigned to others.
• Expecting to be CC’d on every departmental email.
• Constantly asking staff members for project updates.
• Constantly monitoring the activities of team members.
• Never expressing satisfaction with deliverables.
• Being reluctant to delegate work.
• Explaining exactly how something should be done when you do delegate.

Why Micromanaging Rarely Works

If you want your team to be productive they need to feel personally engaged with the work. Micromanaging eliminates any possibility they could experience that feeling because the micromanager is always either second-guessing what team members do or is simply dictating what he or she wants to be done as if staff members were waiters or waitresses.

No one is going to feel engaged with their work if their manager exhibits no faith in their abilities and will not acknowledge their expertise. And if your team members are not engaged their performance will suffer.

How to Avoid Micromanaging

The following tips can help you fend off the impulse to micromanage things:

Plan to be away from your team: It’s hard to lord over someone physically if you are in Manchester and they are in London. If you have opportunities to travel on your job don’t pass them up.

Focus on the things only you can do: No doubt your job description calls for more than supervising the junior members of the staff. Shift your focus toward those other things that no one else can do.

Trust your team: Easier said than done perhaps, but it’s important to address the part of your personality unwilling to trust others. If nothing seems amiss don’t butt in and start barking orders. Let them work.

Tell them what you expect, not what to do: There’s a difference between telling someone what you expect of them and telling them exactly what to do. Focus on expectations.

Mistakes happen, learn from them, don't run from them: Instead of trying to dictate perfection accept that mistakes will be made and use them as an opportunity to improve your team’s performance.

Manage the culture: If HR did their job most of the people on your team are there because they bought into the company culture. Focus on promoting that, instead of micromanaging people.

Recalibrate your idea of winning: When you were a rising star you may have had some personal triumphs. But that was then. Now you’re the leader of a team and any win is a team win, not an individual win.

Construct a Winning Team with the Help of JMF Associates

The best way to counteract the desire to micromanage is to construct a team that buys into your company culture and is capable of handling whatever projects you entrust to them. The best way to construct such a team is to enlist the help of JMF Associates. We’re the finance, accountancy and bookkeeping recruitment experts, get in touch with us today for any inquiries. You can give us a call on 020 8663 6699 or email us at team@jmfassociates.co.uk.