It can be hard for managers to maintain their employees’ motivation. But it gets even more difficult when managers constantly and mistakenly think people need their “help.” Workers can get disheartened and manifest anxiousness, anxiety and fear. The resulting lack of motivation can directly hurt productivity and the bottom line.
Recognizing the symptoms of a micromanager is the first step to overcoming this leadership pitfall. Here are a few questions to ask yourself to see if you’re committing micromanaging mistakes:
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Do you focus on everyone else’s job but yours? A manager’s main job is growing their people. When you express interest in developing employees, rather than leaning over their shoulders, you and your entire department benefit. When you spend more time overseeing what workers are doing, you fail to expand their skills and capabilities.
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Do you make frequent unannounced employee checks? I once had a boss who would stand at my door “just to check” on me. It made me wonder why I was hired there in the first place. One time, I was working well into the morning. At 4 a.m., he showed up, much to my surprise. When I asked him what he was doing at work in the early morning, he nervously chuckled that he “couldn’t sleep.” This work area was off-limits to him, so he couldn’t walk in to assess the situation. He pushed the boundaries and didn’t engender any confidence.
A manager’s main job is growing their people.
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Do you take work away from an employee and do it yourself? What’s wrong with this picture? You don’t know what hindered the employee because you likely didn’t ask. If an employee is stuck on a problem or has trouble completing assignments, maybe they have a “skills gap.” If you spend more time mentoring people instead of meddling, you’d know where those gaps are. When you decide that you can do it better, the person won’t feel appreciated. Wouldn’t it be better to be patient and give people a chance to acquire the level of proficiency you expect? Maybe there’s a great training class to investigate, and the whole team can improve their skills.
What steps can managers take to keep their micromanaging ways in check? Here are three tips:
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Ask a mentor or coach to conduct an anonymous 360-degree leadership survey. The coach will be sensitive to the anonymity of the reviewers and will spare you the negative comments. You’ll receive a summary report with a synopsis of the comments highlighting your strengths and areas in need of development. You can use these as a springboard to your professional and personal growth.
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Develop stress-relief strategies such as vigorous exercise, meditation, yoga and spending more time in nature. When you’re overly frustrated or feel you’ve had a bad start to the day, get outside of the office for some fresh air. Take a walk. Science has proven that exercise and being surrounded by nature are good for your health and your mood. When you return, you’ll see things from a new angle. Maybe you’ll be more inclined to coach your team rather than castigate them.
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Do not read or react to emails until you get into the office. I knew a manager who was so ill-tempered, he was on the edge with his employer. He responded to every text and email instead of sleeping, and he arrived at work so overly upset about work issues, he failed to greet people as he came in the door. He realized his problem and trained himself to shut off his cellphone between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. He started listening to audiobooks until he arrived at work. This new habit made him a calmer person. n
Mary T. O’Sullivan is a Rhode Island-based executive coach, public speaker and author of the book “The Leader You Don’t Want to Be: Transform Your Leadership Style from ‘Command and Control’ to ‘Transformational Visionary.’ ”
