There is a huge difference between being a good manager and overly managing others to the point of insanity. It’s called “micromanaging”. Most people hate being micromanaged, so much so that they often feel they have no alternative but to leave their employment. The stress of being micromanaged causes a decrease in productivity, creativity, innovation and problem-solving. Furthermore, studies show that those who are micromanaged suffer more health problems. The result is that companies lose good people who could have otherwise made them grow and prosper. And, where do these "overly-managed" people go when they leave? They often go straight to the company’s competition.
Micromanagers Negatively Impact Customer Relationships
Miromanager
People Person
Micromanagers not only affect a company’s internal organization, they can have a profound impact on a company’s ability to maintain and grow its customer base. Customers who must pass through a micromanager first find it fraught with frustration. Micromanagers tend to talk down to customers in an attempt to micromanage them too. The irony is that customers tend not to complain. They just stop calling and look for another company that will treat them better. A company’s first line of communication with customers should be someone who has exceptional people skills. The reward of putting your best foot forward in communicating with customers is cultivating repeat business with loyal, happy customers who will gladly refer you to others. No matter what product a company sells, it’s a people business first and a product business second.
Micromanagers are Addicted to Being in Control
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A large number of small business managers (and some businesses managers in larger companies) are not schooled in the art and science of managing others. This is not to say that there aren’t some good managers out there. The problem is that too many who assume management positions haven’t the slightest clue how to bring out the best in those they supervise or manage. But, the problem is seriously compounded when the person in charge is a micromanager. True micromanagers are toxic to a company and everyone around them. Unfortunately, micromanagers are the last to recognize this trait in themselves because they are addicted to controlling everything and everyone. What they experience is no different than someone who is hooked on drugs or alcohol. Micromanagers get their “fix” by controlling all people and things to the detriment of the company they work for or the company they own. One victim of a micromanager summed it up, “If I wanted to be controlled, I would have come with a remote”.
Micromanager Defined
Micromanagers want control of all the bananas
Micromanagement is a recognized pathology. In other words, micromanagers are control freaks that can run a company into the ground. According to Richard D. White, Jr., PhD, “Micromanagement now commonly refers to the control of an enterprise in every particular and to the smallest detail, with the effect of obstructing progress and neglecting broader, higher-level policy issues (Public Personnel Management Volume 39 No. 1 Spring 2010).
Characteristics of an Extreme Micromanager:
- Behave with a pathological addiction for control of people and things
- Refuse to accept personal responsibility or accountability
- Blame others for their own mistakes or short-comings
- Exploit people rather than develop them
- Prefer to control results rather than inspire results
- Rarely hire people with the knowledge, skills, talents or experience that could challenge them
- Dumb down their organizations so they feel less threatened
- Terrified of mistakes
- Often poor communicators or construe information in their favor
Having a micromanager at the helm can cost a company thousands of dollars due to the “revolving door syndrome”—the cycle of endlessly hiring and firing employees, or the cycle of good employees leaving who have had enough. “No organization can be truly efficient when it is constantly re-hiring and training new workers” (Richard D. White, Jr., PhD, 2010).
How to Detect a Micromanager
The quickest way to detect a micromanager is to examine the flow of decision-making and communication within the company. If all decision-making and communication roads lead to one person, it’s a safe bet that they are a micromanager. This is not to say that presidents and vice presidents are necessarily micromanagers. They have a right to know what is going on in their company and to make important decisions that affect the company. Rather, it is often those directly in charge others--who “manage” the workforce. Employees know when they are being micromanaged but they are often afraid to speak up. One of the first indications that employees are being micromanaged is a decrease in productivity, enthusiasm and morale. Again, follow the line of communication and decision-making and see where it leads.
How Does Micromanagement Happen?
Micromanagers are insecure about themselves
Micromanaging is sometimes viewed as an annoying personality quirk, but it can also arise when people are put into management situations in which they have little or no experience or are lacking in expertise. Micromanagers have a desperate need to compensate for their feelings of inadequacy, which often translates into making others look bad so that they look good. Those who suffer at the hands of micromanagers often complain that their managers make them feel small, and that kills their motivation. The position of authority that a micromanager holds allows them to camouflage their weak points...or so they think. This often happens when companies hire inexperienced relatives or friends. Some family-owned companies do very well because they are organized democratically with the shared goal of everyone benefiting. Micromanagers, on the other hand, have a self-serving need to be in control no matter what the cost to the company or those around them. Eventually, in the process of trying to manage everyone and everything, micromanagers spread themselves too thin. Then, the organizational structure can become a house of cards.
The Mark of Good Managers and Leaders
It is important to understand that a good manager can be detail-oriented without being a micromanager. A good manager recognizes the talents of his or her employees and cultivates them.
Characteristics of a Good Manager or Leader:
- Does not feel threatened by those who have superior skills or abilities
- Good listener and excellent communicator
- Motivates and inspires others to use their skills and talents
- Empowers people to make decisions
- Encourages others to learn and grow
- Willing to admit when he or she does not know something
- Maintains a positive attitude
- Leads with passion and commitment
- Promotes team-building, trust and integrity in the work place
- Accountable for his or her actions
- Patient without being too compromising
- Open to learning new things
- Has good decision-making skills
- Shows respect for others and recognizes their good work
- Has knowledge and experience regarding his/her area of expertise
Good Managers Inspire and Empower others
A good manager treats others as human beings—not as object to be manipulated, coerced or to instill fear into them lest they make a mistake. Managing others by autocratic rule is the fastest way to the bottom. Having company policies, rules and clear lines of communication in place before hiring a manager can help. Hire someone who is capable and avoid being swayed by friends and relatives who need a job. The organizational leadership should have regular team meetings that afford everyone the opportunity to speak about their concerns and be an active participant in the problem-solving process. A quiet group of employees should be a red flag. Everyone likes to know they are being heard. It is all too easy to ignore those at the bottom or lose touch with what they are experiencing. Everyone’s feedback is important. A company is only as good as it’s weakest link. No one can afford being less than their competition or at the mercy of a micromanager steering the ship toward a storm.