“I’m not a micromanager.”

Every time… and I mean EVERY time… someone has introduced themselves to me with that statement they have been incorrect. I don’t want to say they were lying, because I think every one of those individuals believed that they were the opposite of a micromanager. But they were WRONG.

Micromanaging employees is more than just annoying to them. It increases stress and burnout and leads to high staff turnover. The cost to a company is tremendous as it is not getting the best work out of its micromanaged teams, and it is in a constant and costly cycle of hiring to replace workers who are “over it” and move on.

The stereotype of an Ebeneezer-Scrooge-style employer, standing over his staff cracking an imaginary whip over their heads any time they are not performing to his impossible standards, does exist in the real world. I’ve worked for those people. But I have also worked for micromanagers who were genuinely nice people without a nefarious bone in their bodies. They just couldn’t let go… of anything.

Whether nice or naughty, most micromanagers share some common characteristics:

• Need to control. Micromanagers have a difficult time delegating tasks, and they rarely give their staff members the autonomy to make decisions. This inability to get of the way of their teams often comes from a fear that, if they let go of control, something terrible will happen and they will be held responsible.
• Lack of trust. Some folks just have a hard time trusting others and, no matter how good their employees are and how well they perform, the micromanager just isn’t 100% on board. Their motto is “trust no one.”
• Adherence to Perfection. The micromanager thinks anything less than perfect is a failure. There is no middle ground, no room for “good” or even “very good.” It’s either excellent or it is a total embarrassment.
• Difficulty accepting the ideas of others. Employees who work for micromanagers stop offering suggestions and put their creativity on a shelf because they know their supervisors are unwilling to accept anyone’s ideas but their own. This hinders creativity and open communication, which reduces the effectiveness of the group.
• Focuses on what’s wrong. The micromanager is quick to criticize but slow to praise because all they see are the flaws. Sometimes they don’t even realize they are doing it and are surprised to learn that the people they lead believe they are unvalued because they never hear any positive feedback.

Micromanagement is not effective leadership, which requires trust and fostering a positive work environment that encourages employees to be creative, try new things, and feel safe enough to sometimes fail. Employers would be wise as they hire and promote individuals into leadership roles to provide the proper training to give them the skills to be successful and build highly-functioning – well-managed – teams.