Where Did the Trust Go?
Few things scream “I don’t trust you” more clearly than a manager micromanaging their team.
I’m sure many of you will have experience of being micromanaged. I certainly have, early on in my career. I quickly realised that being micromanaged sucked the life out of my motivation and I found it really frustrating.
The knock-on effect resulted in me wasting lots of energy navigating the manager’s behaviour rather than channelling it into work. My lesson was learned-if you want to get the best out of me, DON’T micromanage me!
Well-intended but Misguided
As a first-time people manager, you’re likely to be spinning lots of plates as you navigate the new world of management. It can be a tricky transition- suddenly you’re responsible for getting results by enabling your team rather than doing all the work yourself.
What can start off as support and guidance for your team, can easily tip into excessive scrutiny and control.
It’s a common trap for new managers and one that often starts off with the very best of intentions. Multiple things may be at play that impact your behaviour:
- It may be born out a desire to be seen as never making a mistake
- You may be putting yourself under unreasonable pressure to get the job done which you project onto your team
- Lack of psychological safety in the organisation sends a message that mistakes aren’t tolerated
- Your line manager may be putting you under a lot pressure to get results
- Lack of management training may lead you to believe that tightly overseeing somebody’s work is the best way to manage
- You have a strong desire to control everything
- You’re a perfectionist
- You have concerns about the performance of somebody in your team.
Micromanagement Kills Engagement
The reality is that in a world where autonomy and flexibility are valued more than ever at work, micromanagement kills team engagement.
Micromanagement looks like:
- Excessive demands for updates on work progress
- Overly detailed instructions
- Holding onto tasks for fear that the team won’t do it as well as you
- Regular heavy editing of other’s work to ensure it’s how you would have completed the task
- Constant scrutiny
- Insistence that the team work where you can ‘see’ them, otherwise you don’t trust they’re doing their job
- High control over tasks
- Reluctance to delegate.
Hopefully, you get the picture. The reality is that this way of working has a negative impact on you, your team and the organisation.
The Cost of Micromanagement
Micromanaging your team is exhausting for both you as a new manager and your team. The organisation pays a very high price too.
The impact is wide-reaching:
- Burnout for you as a manager and your team
- Loss of productivity
- Stifles innovation
- Negative impact on motivation
- Sickness absence
- Kills engagement and people withdraw discretionary effort (‘work to rule’)
- Team are less likely to feel accountable
- People leave the business.
The Flip Side of Micromanagement
As a new manager, developing good habits early can be a game-changer.
Getting the best out of your team looks like trusting them to do the job they’ve been employed to do. Accepting that just because somebody approaches a task differently, doesn’t mean it’s wrong; chances are, it’s way better than you could have done it-and that’s a good thing to embrace.
Taking a different approach to getting the best out of your team may look like:
- Understanding how individuals in your team like to work (clarify in 1:1 meetings). One size doesn’t fit all
- Make sure your expectations are clearly communicated up front
- Encourage your team to ask questions all the way through the project/ task
- Agree milestones and updates in advance (with your manager and your team)
- Communicate progress milestones throughout
- Adopt a collaborative approach by drawing on your team’s expertise
- Admit you don’t have all the answers
- Don’t forget to say thank-you and acknowledge individual’s contributions
- Focus on results not just the process
- Trust people to get on with the job. If anything changes to challenge this then manage the specifics of the situation rather than ‘punishing’ the whole team
- Deal with concerns with an individual’s performance in a proportionate way
- Be prepared to adapt to any change.
There’s no doubt that micromanagement erodes trust and performance. Good leadership isn’t about control, it’s about enabling your team to succeed. I know, first-hand that leading a team comes with its challenges.
However, being really clear with your expectation from the get-go and trusting your team to use their skills and experience to deliver, is a great starting point on your leadership journey.
I’m Kay, a specialist in developing first-time people managers. If you want to learn more about how I can help you on your leadership journey, please get in contact: kay@kaygunn.com .
