How to Lead Without Micromanaging

Micromanagement is a dangerous trap that is easy to fall into, especially when stressed, feeling pressure, or having fewer resources than we think we need to achieve successful results. However, for the seemingly short-term benefit of “progress,” the problems created by micromanagement are long-term and undermine the foundation to personal growth and company profitability.

Studies show that ownership and accountability go way down when people feel micromanaged. The work becomes a reflection of how well they took direction from their boss rather than their capabilities, so their dedication and commitment can quickly diminish.

Micromanagers are typically those who have climbed the same ladder and therefore think they can do any task they assign better and faster. It can also be the case that people micromanage because they don’t trust their team members to do it. In the worst-case scenarios, managers give a task and then take it away instead of taking the time to train their team or giving them the extra time to do it. Managing is coaching. Coaching asks questions, not redlining or telling them how to do it. In this process, a manager also learns that person works so trust can be built over time. When you micromanage by redlining or rewriting, managers are preventing their employees from creating and instead will learn to wait for the manager to step in. This keeps them small instead of growing. Let employees develop. Break the project into smaller pieces that you can tackle one at a time.

How can this be mitigated? The first and most important step is to set clear expectations. Also, make sure the person doing the task repeats back to you what the expectations are, so it’s crystal clear. Repeating back instructions may seem infantilizing, but it is a proven communication strategy for improving clear dialogue and reducing miscommunications.

The importance of debriefing is also overlooked in situations where there are multiple projects or tight deadlines: meeting summaries, feedback sessions, and contingency plans in case something goes awry are essential measures to ensure success. The expense in time is an investment over time, so your people engage, take ownership, and feel valuable. This is especially true when considering a team built for successorship of yourself as you are promoted or step back from active leadership in the company.

In an unprecedented workplace setting such as this, where talk of the Great Resignation looms large on managers’ minds, these time investments in training and development, along with enabling your employees to feel trusted and take ownership, can help retain them for the long run.

How To Stop Micromanaging Your Employees In Three Steps

Successful management without micromanaging is not to make people responsible for tasks and activities but rather to create accountability for their results that follow a plan for desired results.

Step #1: Delegate outcomes, not projects or tasks.

Be clear on what needs to be accomplished in terms of results if you want to make those results happen. Having a goal in mind allows the person to approach achieving it in a way that best works for them, thus allowing them to take pride in accomplishing it.

Now, don’t think that a manager who is involved or checking in with your team is the same as a micromanager. A micromanager delegates work without really delegating decisions or showing trust—they lay out exactly how to do something and oversee every little step in the process.

Step #2: Decide on a plan or road map for success.

Ask your team members how they will approach accomplishing the desired outcome with a written plan that keeps the proposed schedule. If you disagree or notice they’ve forgotten some key elements with their approach, then speak up. You can preemptively plan for course correction while not shooting down their ideas. This way, you know how the job will get done without micromanaging.

While a side-by-side, manager to employee approach might make sense during a training period or while developing a brand new skill, a micromanager consistently intervenes and imposes preferences in a way that undermines others’ growth and leadership. It simply becomes demoralizing as team members won’t feel trusted, have room to develop new skills, and never have a sense of ownership over the work.

Step #3: Follow-up, monitor and coach.

To be a true leader, you must coach. Ask questions to help critical thinking, broaden someone’s perspective or expand their thinking on a subject. When done right, this won’t feel like micromanagement but rather a caring and supportive partnership focused on results and developing the team member.

Of course, there are times when an effective manager should manage more closely, such as when someone is new to their role, clearly struggling to move the project goals forward, or the stakes are very high. But effective managers are clear on the desired outcomes, offer appropriate support (without taking the project back as punishment), and check on progress so that staff members can make needed adjustments before it’s too late.

After completing a project, they will also debrief with the team for learnings and improvement.

Being a Leader, Not a Micromanager

1. 1-to-1 Coaching. A highly individualized approach focuses on the exact needs of each executive. It helps them accomplish whatever goals they seek – to become a better leader, a better manager, or to hold better accountability to their board or CEO.
2. Leadership Team Development. Investing in C-Suite Advantage has great ROI as this work gets your corporate leaders working together as a high-performance team focused on positive results.
3. Leadership Peer Network. A peer group of like-minded leaders and executives increases personal accountability, creates better decision-making, encourages professional and personal growth, positive organizational change, and reduces isolation.

The above are all opportunities to get curious and roll up your sleeves—so you can provide better support, not do more of the work. If your team meets regularly, dedicate this time to figuring out what’s happening. Approach these conversations by being forthright about concerns, and develop a plan to get things back on track.

As a manager, your job is to make sure you are consistently delivering results that go above and beyond while your team members feel empowered to thrive through their work. Part of getting great results is hiring great people, helping them learn, and giving them room to do their jobs well.

Ready to Lead and Not Micromanage? Coach4Execs will help you get started.

Backed by nearly twenty years of experience, Coach4Execs has the insights to share through our One-on-One Executive Coaching and Leadership Team Development services. Furthermore, the VISTAGE CEO Membership program offers a venue where fellow CEOs gather to collaborate and learn how to create and nurture the highest possible performance.

Reach out today for a consultation and see how easy it is to become the leader you want to be.

Georganne Goldblum,
CEO of Coach4Execs