Micromanagers have a bad rep in today’s corporate culture.
Employees complain when their boss looks over their shoulders all the time, or don’t trust them to make their own decisions.
With all the online articles about the importance of empowerment, trust and training on the part of the employer, many leaders are confused about what their actual role in the office is.
Do they need to constantly stay back and let their team run the show?
The answer is not always!
While it is advantageous for both the employer and the employees to have a trusting relationship where the boss is comfortable enough giving them autonomy, there are certain circumstances that require micromanaging, or controlling all parts of the work process, such as:
New Employees
When a brand new staff member has joined your team, it would be foolish to step back and ask them to work independently, even after you have provided initial training.
New employees will likely not be too familiar with your deadlines, ways of doing things and software.
They may not know who to turn to with a question, or what the hierarchy in your office is.
Macromanaging is not possible in this situation; a boss must micromanage in order to successfully integrate a new staff into the existing team.
You must do so until you feel certain that the individual is able to function without your input.
Underperforming Employees
As a leader, you are responsible for the success of each and every employee.
When a staff underperforms, you must step in and provide support, training and mentorship to help them learn on the job and improve.
You must make yourself available to this person to oversee their work, provide immediate feedback (negative or positive), and consider what steps need to be taken to help them.
The worst thing a manager can do when a team member is struggling in their professional role is ignore the problem or leave them to work it out alone.
Organisational Changes
Most industries in the job market are constantly changing to keep up with advances and the competition.
Times of change are stressful for all employees, and is when most mistakes happen.
Staff may not be comfortable with a new responsibility, may not have learned how to use a new programme, or have not met their new team members yet.
Managers must put in more face time during organisational change to observe their employees’ understanding of and attitude toward the new developments.
It is OK to micromanage when the situation calls for it; don’t be scared to step in and help your team when they need you.
Micromanagers have a bad rep in today’s corporate culture.
