Micromanagement Meaning and How to Deal With It

Micromanaging happens when a manager supervises their employees too closely and attempts to control the employee’s work to a detrimental degree. A micromanager may assign their employee a task but ask for frequent progress reports and attempt to manage every part of the task. Micromanaging can be harmful to company culture, morale, and productivity, as well as stifle creative efforts. In some cases, micromanagement pushes employees out of the company to see a job elsewhere. 

Explore how you can tell if your manager or leaders are micromanaging you, and get tips to help you develop a plan to address your concerns with your supervisor. 

What is micromanagement?

Micromanagement refers to a management style characterized by excessive scrutiny of and control over a team and its members. Individual employees experiencing micromanagement have very little autonomy over how they do things or voice in decision-making. 

You may encounter many management styles in the workplace. Micromanagement is one management style generally regarded as unfavorable, even though it can stem from good intentions. Monitoring employees so closely can damage motivation, creativity, workflow, and productivity and contribute to a toxic workplace culture.

Read more: Leadership Styles: What They Are and Why They Matter

To understand micromanagement, you need to identify its signs, the costs of engaging in it, and how to deal with it. 

Micromanagement vs. accountability

It's crucial to distinguish between holding employees accountable and micromanaging them. Micromanagement infers a lack of trust in a person, whereas accountability does the opposite. Holding an employee accountable involves trusting them to meet their goals while tracking their progress and supporting them along the way. As a result, the employee may feel more empowered and motivated to succeed.

How to tell if you’re being micromanaged

It can be challenging to gauge whether or not your manager is crossing the micromanaging line; however, signs like rarely delegating tasks and high employee turnover can be possible indicators. If you suspect you might be in a micromanagement situation, consider whether your manager shows any of these nine micromanagement signs: 

1. Resists delegating work.

Micromanagers like to maintain control and find it difficult to delegate tasks. Employees often wonder if they can take on tasks without direct instruction, causing confusion and reducing motivation and job satisfaction. This problem is twofold: the micromanager is left with a large workload because they can only trust others to take on tasks with close supervision. 

2. Becomes overly involved in the employees’ work. 

A micromanager tends to be overly engaged in every detail of their employees' workflow. These managers offer very little autonomy and spend considerable time observing and giving instructions rather than implementing strategy at a higher level. 

3. Discourages independent decision-making.

Micromanagers prefer to be in control and tend to take a more centralized approach to decision-making. In this model, the manager does not involve employees in decisions about how the team operates, perhaps due to a lack of trust in employees or discomfort with handling input from others. This approach can stifle creativity, independent thought, and knowledge sharing. 

4. Asks for frequent updates.

In addition to controlling processes, micromanagers may also need constant updates. Employees required to provide these too-frequent updates may need more time to complete their assigned tasks. They may also feel stressed, and group morale may be low.  

5. Focuses on details rather than the bigger perspective.

A micromanager often looks at tiny details and micro-steps rather than the bigger picture of what employees need to achieve in the context of a company's overarching goals and strategy. 

6. Has an unusually high turnover of employees.

Employees of micromanagers tend to feel demotivated, untrusted, and disempowered and thus experience dissatisfaction with their jobs. As a result, the team's turnover rate is high, with employees leaving their jobs and finding a more rewarding position elsewhere.  

7. Is rarely satisfied with deliverables.

Micromanagers tend to scrutinize the performance of employees rather than encouraging and guiding them, reducing their motivation and confidence. It might come with the belief that they are encouraging perfection, but frequent criticism can have the opposite effect. 

8. Sets rigid deadlines.

Micromanagers may set unrealistic deadlines without considering unforeseen changes or delays. This tendency may stem from the need to be in control or a lack of flexibility when dealing with others. 

9. Measures and monitors every task.

Meticulous oversight typically speaks to a micromanager's desire to control and discomfort with delegating tasks. This level of oversight causes additional workforce stress and takes time away from more strategic work. In addition, micromanagers can lose sight of broader employee performance trends.

What is an example of micromanaging?

An example of micromanagement occurs when your manager asks that you copy them on every email you send. A leader might micromanage by delegating tasks and then completing most of the work themselves or asking for updates excessively. Micromanagement can also take the form of delegating not only the work that needs to be done but exactly how the work should be completed. 

How to deal with micromanagement

If you are on the receiving end of micromanagement yourself or noticing that it's affecting the workplace culture in your organization, consider implementing the following strategies:

1. Initiate communication.

Request a meeting with the person impacting your workplace experience with their micromanaging tendencies. Initiate a diplomatic and honest conversation about the impact of their managerial style on your productivity and provide examples of how you'd prefer they work with you.

Remember to be sensitive and discrete. Keep the conversation just between you and your manager. Strive to strike a balance between asserting yourself and respecting your manager's position.

Explore: Finding Your Professional Voice: Confidence & Impact

2. Ask for clarity around expectations.

By understanding your manager’s expectations of you, you may be able to minimize the need for constant supervision. Ask for specific key performance indicators that you can focus your actions around. That way, you and your manager can schedule periodic check-ins to measure your performance, thus potentially creating more autonomy.

Objectives and key results (OKR) is a management technique that effectively sets targets and monitors results by creating an objective and defining how you will measure its progress and success. Setting OKRs can help set milestones and track results as a team. Everyone involved is aware of the goals, creating accountability, increasing motivation, and allowing autonomy. 

3. Demonstrate competence.

Be proactive about showcasing your abilities and achievements in the workplace so that your manager begins to trust you to deliver quality work independently without excessive input from your manager.

Learn more: Professional Skills for the Workplace Specialization

4. Ask for feedback.

At the same time that you seek more autonomy in your work, it's a good idea to ask your manager for feedback on completed projects. Take the initiative to show that you are open to your manager's input and want to implement fresh ideas to improve performance.

5. Seek support.

If the micromanaging continues and affects your productivity, contact HR or a higher manager. Getting additional support can help effectively mediate and handle the issue professionally.

Why do people micromanage?

People may micromanage for various reasons, including needing to feel in control, poor delegation skills, or wanting things done a certain way. In the workplace, managers may feel their employees need more crucial skills or may need to develop the leadership skills necessary to mentor and build their team.

According to the Harvard Business Review, people micromanage for two reasons:

• The manager desires to feel connected to the lower levels of the organization: Losing touch with employees at the ground level is common as a person moves to more senior positions. It can be detrimental if managers do not understand their direct reports’ needs, motivations, and roles. The manager may start micromanaging direct reports in an attempt to counterbalance feelings of isolation that moving up the ranks away from previous peers brings. 

• Managers who move into more senior roles shift away from operational duties and become more strategic: It can be challenging for managers who find it difficult to let go of their previous roles and want to stay involved in more familiar tasks. These managers may feel bothered by someone else doing their last job in a completely new way [1].

Why is micromanaging toxic?

Employees thrive in environments where they feel appreciated for their contributions and confident and encouraged in their work. Micromanagers can make employees feel insecure about whether their work performance is acceptable or second-guess their competence. In extreme cases, employees may choose to leave their employment due to micromanaging. 

How to avoid micromanaging others

The tendency to micromanage others can develop at any time and in different scenarios, professional or personal. Now that you know the signs and how to deal with micromanagement on the receiving side, you can look out for it in your own dealings with others. Explore some strategies to use to be an effective leader and collaborator:

• Share your expectations and boundaries to show you trust the team’s skills.

• Ask others for input when working on a group project. Empower other people to contribute ideas and then implement those ideas. Give everyone space to find out what works and what doesn't.

• Give others space to work independently, without monitoring them at all times, and agree on a time to check progress and track performance.

• If you're in a leadership role, delegate tasks and trust your team to carry them out. This will free up time to focus on strategy while team members develop their skills.

• Keep lines of communication open so that others know they can come to you with any challenges without fear of criticism or mistrust.

• Work on fostering more meaningful ways to connect with employees through online courses, such as Mindfulness, Dignity, and the Art of Human Connection on Coursera, to build your skills and interpersonal communication style.

Read more: What is Positive Leadership?

Build effective leadership skills beyond micromanagement on Coursera

Learning strategies to lead others effectively can be an excellent way to reduce micromanagement in your workplace, no matter your role. Even if you are a team member reporting to a manager or supervisor, embodying leadership qualities can make it easier to influence colleagues in a positive way.

Consider our online courses in leadership and management, such as The Principles of Management from Johns Hopkins University, Foundations of Management from IESE, or Strategic Leadership and Management from the University of Illinois.