Even if is not your purpose, at some point in your life you have applied micromanagement. There are tasks that in one way or another require your full attention in every step and in every little detail. Unfortunately, no matter what your professional role is, if micromanaging expands more than necessary it will reduce productivity, decrease the possibilities of growth, and ultimately limit the success of any project.
Let’s look at the why of micromanaging and how we can avoid staying in it longer than necessary.
In general, micromanagement is defined as excessive control with extreme attention to small details. Whether this control is in a person or in a situation, focusing on examining every detail thoroughly and obsessively will affect performance as well as productivity.
One of the wall arts that I have in my office says “The difference between failure and success is the average between doing something almost well and doing it exactly well” – Edward C. Simmons. Every time I read this sentence; it comes to my mind how difficult it is sometimes to delegate tasks to others when we believe that we are the only one that can do things well.
This was precisely one of the challenges I had when I began to establish groups of servant leaders in the state of Florida. Our goal was to provide the strategy, the right materials, and the training to create or improve children’s and youth ministries. During the first months, I covered all the areas; then, as the groups of volunteers and trainers grew, I delegated the different tasks of this process.
What is it that leads us to micromanage? Let’s look at some of the main causes in which micromanagement is applied and how we can avoid staying at it:
- The doubt about the abilities of the new leaders. Micromanaging is a natural tendency when it comes to new team members. It is a fact that they do not have the necessary experience or knowledge and need direction.
The best way to handle this process is to provide the proper training, mentoring, and coaching to support them only when they need it. Therefore, gradually the new leader will not require as much supervision.
- Crisis. It is common in times of difficulty that micromanagement is intensified through specific analysis processes. In a crisis, it is vital to establish possible waste, errors, or misunderstandings in the organization’s processes and systems.
A detailed audit or review allows us to establish how the crisis affects the quality and effectiveness of a project. This type of thorough review may need to be extended as the crisis wears off. But as I mentioned, it should not be extended for long periods of time as it has little or no benefit.
- Unexpected results. It is normal to review in detail what has been done or not when a project fails. One of the first areas to be evaluated in detail is the delegation of functions.
At the beginning of each project, it is necessary to be clear about what is going to be delegated, a well-defined objective, and a specific limitation; in this way, permanent supervision will not be necessary. In most projects, a weekly or monthly meeting is sufficient to evaluate the process and results.
- Personal insecurity. In this case, micromanagement for the person who is supervising or leading is more of an internal process than an external one. It is not only related to personality traits, but to the transfer or maintenance of power.
The best way to solve this dilemma is through personal and professional growth, to improve the ability to lead.
The leader gives members of the team security and confidence, praise their successes, and delegate tasks that give them power and responsibility. Leading is ideal to avoid micromanaging.
- Not knowing how to delegate. It is essential to understand what it really means to delegate to others and how it should be done. This is one of the fundamentals of teamwork.
One of the basic tools in this process is to understand the personality of each team member. In this way, they can succeed in their strengths and maximize their potential.
In your experience: What other reasons could lead to micromanagement?
As you can see, there are moments in which it is necessary to carefully review and evaluate each management to maximize resources and be able to extend our potential.
On a personal level, micromanagement leads to the loss of resources, it becomes the basis for daily excuses and ultimately the inability to achieve goals.
Don’t let micromanagement diminish your ability to achieve your goals. Let’s talk about how Executive Coaching can help you achieve a high level of productivity.
Question: Are you practicing micromanaging?