Leadership Institute The Perils of Micromanaging Bill Schneider, USDA ARS, [email protected]

“If I was meant to be controlled, I would have come with a remote.” —Author unknown Scientists are trained from So what’s the problem? 3. Cultivate independent thinking. Take the the earliest stages to be in time to encourage new ideas, good and bad. Simply put, micromanaging your control. Experiments are When providing feedback, stick to the “ask, supervisees may make you feel better controlled, variables are don’t tell” principle. If you identify a weak by giving you a sense of control, but controlled, and even our point in an idea, ask questions that lead the it’s just not an effective leadership style. methods of writing and innovator to the conclusion you’ve already Research indicates that micromanaging speaking about our work are controlled. come to. Keep the tone positive, and do is a great way to reduce job satisfaction, It’s probably not a big surprise that when whatever you can to encourage spontaneity limit creativity, stifle communication, and scientists achieve the role of supervisors they and creativity. reduce productivity (for review see “The have a strong desire to maintain a high level Consequences of Micromanaging,” Kenneth 4. Provide resources, not correction. Instead of control over projects (and supervisees). E. Fracaro, Contract Management, July of jumping in at the first sign of a problem Chances are they learned the behavior from 2007). Micromanaging adversely impacts and taking control to remedy the situation, a previous supervisor and they perpetuate the people you work with by inhibiting soothe your need to manage by providing the cycle of micromanagement. The words their development, limiting their creativity, the resources for people to solve the micromanager and micromanagement have making them feel undervalued, and ultimately problem themselves. strong negative connotations. Nobody wants reducing their motivation to near zero levels. to be micromanaged, and nobody wants to 5. Try to be a leader, not a manager. There Work quality decreases and employee turnover be considered a micromanager. Yet very few is a huge difference between leadership rates increase. Micromanaging also reduces micromanagers recognize their own leadership and management. According to author the productivity of the micromanager by style. and business consultant Patti Hathaway overburdening them with tasks that could “managers manage details…leaders manage Are you a micromanager? be accomplished by others if they were just people by encouraging a sense of ownership willing to take the chance. Do you feel the need to take the lead and accountability among subordinates.” on every project? Do you have to provide What can I do about it? Remember, when you micromanage people input into every decision? Do you prefer to you are effectively saying “I don’t need you” 1. Make yourself let go. Most micromanagers direct nearly every step in a process? Do you or “I don’t trust you.” Keep your focus on work under the assumption that their frequently think something to the effect of the big picture and trust people to execute involvement either saves time or ensures the “It’ll just be faster if I do this myself instead the tasks that you delegate. task is done right. Put it to the test (after of teaching someone to do it”? Is your favorite Give it a try, take your hands off the wheel. all, if you are reading this you’re probably a saying “If you want something done right, do You never know, you might like it. n scientist). Pick a task you would have been it yourself”? Have you noticed your people likely to closely monitor, if not outright avoiding you? Does the word “delegate” make do yourself, and give it to someone and you cringe? If you do actually delegate a task let them go. Don’t go looking for constant to someone do you get actively involved at the updates, encourage the task-doer to come first sign of trouble? If you answered yes to one to you. See how it goes. Keep track of the or more of these questions, you might be a time spent on their part and yours. Now micromanager. factor in that the next time the task comes Micromanagers rarely recognize their own up you will need to spend even less time condition. They quite honestly believe that on it, as will your supervisee. You’ll likely they are improving the process by being see that the overall man hours spent will involved in and controlling nearly everything decrease as productivity and efficiency that is done. Granted, every person you work increase. Even if these factors are equal, with will require different levels of input, and pay attention to what it does for your some people really need close supervision, supervisee’s morale. especially in the early stages of learning a new task. Basically, you need to question the 2. Ask, don’t tell. A question can get you to motivations behind your actions. Are you the same point as a command. Ask “What diving into the details in order to get a better do you think we should do here?” See if it grasp of what’s going on? There’s nothing meshes with your vision. If not, come to wrong with that. However, if you are digging a compromise, or even (gasp) let them try into the weeds and controlling every decision their way first. because you need to remind folks that you are in control or because you simply can’t trust anyone but yourself, then you have a problem.

Phytopathology News 107