Ten years ago, I was a frustrated employee trying to figure out how to deal with a manager who, to put it mildly, was very hands-on! As I cc’d my manager on yet another email, I vowed that I would never micromanage my team should I ever become a manager. Three months later I was given the opportunity to make good on that promise as I was asked to be the team lead on a year-long project.
I was excited for the opportunity to grow my career. I spent two months setting up the project, hiring the right people to execute on the work, and onboarded 3 star-players. I trained them, gave them the resources they needed to do the work and then, I walked away. Rookie mistake, right?
I had other projects that needed my attention, and I was very focused on the type of manager I didn’t want to be – the one that watches over their employee’s shoulder. Two months after the project began, I set up a check-in meeting with the team. I was expecting a debrief and plenty of success stories but instead listened to 2 hours of problems and issues from upset team members. I asked them why they didn’t reach out to let me know about their issues and was shocked when they said it didn’t seem like I wanted any updates since I didn’t schedule regular check-ins after the initial set-up meetings.
I was so focused on the type of manager I DIDN’T want to be, a micromanager, I ended up on the other end of the spectrum – I turned into an absentee manager and didn’t manage enough (aka MACROmanaging)!
Today, I work with first-time managers who are very much aware of the term micromanagement. In fact, the term micromanager has such a negative reputation that today’s first-time managers are terrified of being labeled as such and are often at risk of making the same mistake I made of not managing enough. In fact, one of the most common questions I get from new managers is ‘How can I keep my team and the work on track without being a micromanager’?
Managers at all stages of their leadership journey can learn from my mistake and find the right balance where you manage your team just enough (not micro, not macromanaging). Here are 3 things every manager must know to strike the perfect management balance:
- Understand What It Means to Micromanage
The term micromanagement sends chills down the spine of every manager nowadays. No one wants to earn that title. And because of the negative publicity of this management style, it is my experience that many managers think that any amount of oversight of team members means they are micromanaging. Let’s clear this up once and for all ????.
Conducting regular check-ins with team members and asking for updates on deliverables is not micromanaging, it’s just managing. Micromanaging is taking back the work and doing it yourself because you don’t think anyone can do it as good as you. Micromanaging is making employees physically come back into the office because if you can’t see them working, you don’t trust that they are working.
Getting clear on the line between micromanaging and simply managing can alleviate the concern that you are watching over employees too closely. In my group program for front-line and first-time managers we spend the first module learning different management styles so managers can self-assess how they have been managing and return to work knowing exactly how much oversight their team needs from them. They also receive a visual tool to help them assess the best management approach for each employee on their team.
- If You Are Still Worried You Are Managing Too Closely – Ask Your Employees How Much Guidance They Need from You.
Much of the concern over whether a manager is approaching what I call the danger zones of managing too much or too little can be alleviated by checking in with team members and asking them if they are getting the right level of support from you, their manager. “Is your hovering driving them crazy?” “Are they frustrated and in need of guidance?” Lean into this approach and you won’t have to guess how much guidance and support each team member needs from you.
- Don’t Focus on Who You DON’T Want to Be as A Manager and Instead, Focus on Becoming the Kind of Manager Your Employees NEED You to Be.
Most of us have experienced working for a bad manager and that experience can shape who we become as leaders in both positive and negative ways. If you have had a negative experience with your own manager, you can reflect on that experience and use it to your advantage. But remember that every employee is different and will likely need something different from you as their manager. Being a responsive manager is more likely to set you up for success rather than deciding to take the opposite approach of your last manager. Gaining the skills you need to inspire performance from your team also means you will never have to worry about being a driver of performance.
Learning how to find a balance between not managing too much or too little will ensure you never earn the title of micromanager. But achieving balance as a manager is also about resilience and career longevity. Many of the managers that come to me for coaching and training are feeling worn-out and defeated. They are not sure they even want to be a manager anymore and are reminiscing about life as an employee when they didn’t have the responsibility of someone else’s performance on their plate. I don’t believe that being a manager has to be hard. But I do know that frustration and exhaustion will set in quickly for new managers if they are missing the tools they need to lead effectively and bring out the best in their team.