Is micro-management bad?
You have probably heard, in addition to interim management, Humanist Management, Ethical Management and many other terms to define exemplary management, or at least more inclined to favor employees and the well-being of employees. We’ve been talking about it ourselves lately, and support the idea that these methodologies are generally beneficial.
The plague of micromanagement
Nevertheless, a scourge taints quality management. A sort of ultra-contagious plague that is decimating businesses. Her name ?
micro management .
Definition of micro-management
Micro-management is the manager who follows you closely , the one who doesn’t let go of you, who wants to know your every action, deed and gesture . It’s the manager who tells you what to do, how to do it, without leaving any liberties. It’s sort of the manager Tomtom, this GPS that tells you to constantly turn around, that doesn’t try to understand, that annoys you very, very quickly…
It is in fact a management technique that is not based on the basic principles of the manager/employee relationship.
Micro-management ignores the trust that a manager can and should place in his collaborators. Similarly, he lacks the humility to regularly question himself, and see what his collaborators can bring him in terms of human relations, managerial methods, etc.
Incompatible with Interim Management
Le management de transition fait appel à des hommes et des femmes en adhésion totale avec leurs équipes. Leurs valeurs humaines, au-delà de l’admiration qu’elles provoquent, sont le combustible d’un management révolutionnaire.
Basically, interim managers rely on their employees. They care about the well-being at work of their team, and the impact on their productivity.
However, micro-management is absolutely not a source of well-being at work . Conversely, it is very often destructive.
How to fight against micromanagement?
The idea is not to blame those of us who tend to micro-manage. After all, we often unwittingly copy the techniques of those who trained us. Micro-management, especially in France, is part of our heritage. French perfectionism!
The fight against micromanagement starts with recognizing this tendency. Here are some clues:
- You are unable to fully delegate a task,
- You request reports on all actions in progress,
- You find it difficult to complete your tasks because you manage those of your collaborators simultaneously,
- You want your teams to think like you,
- You never trust your employees,
- Manager becomes a burden because nothing is accomplished according to your criteria,
- You feel a burn-out , by excessive workload.
These are just a few criteria, but they are very common among micro-managers.
To fight, you have to accept change. Accept the idea that the method used for maybe years is wrong. One of the fundamental criteria is to learn to delegate.
Delegating does not mean abandoning a task. This does not represent the subtraction of a task from your specifications.
It is rather to give his confidence to a collaborator, who will take care of this activity because he has the skills.
Sometimes delegating remains too difficult because the stakes are high. But a seasoned manager (what our interim managers are) is an outstanding trainer.
Quality training, before moving on to the “delegation” stage, allows the manager to solidify his teams, to delegate, and therefore increases productivity. Delegating is an art. An art requires practice and refinement.
This also implies that the manager is constantly listening to the ideas of his collaborators. Training is not a time when the manager teaches others to do exactly as he does. No one has a monopoly on the good idea!
A need for appreciation
So that the employees of a company are not discouraged by micro-management, the appreciation of the work of all is necessary.
A good manager is a manager who congratulates his teams for their quality work . Relevant and detailed feedback will help them improve where needed.
True appreciation, however, is not what one would expect from an annual appraisal. It is not the semblance of obligatory listening that meets the need for appreciation.
A manager who takes the time to spend time with his collaborators and to discuss things other than the urgent projects in progress, will be an accessible manager who is appreciated for his human qualities . Nobody likes to be watched.
The advantage of Transition Management
Interim managers of experts in management , human and business productivity growth. Management is backed by experience acquired over many years spent in business, in times of stress, restructuring, increased productivity, etc.
Who wouldn’t want to benefit from a radical solution to improve their management?
To find out more about transition management and how Reactive Executive can support you in all your transition processes, contact us!
