Management Consultation Management Consultation

service and productivity, which ends up Micromanagement: When to avoid costing the organization money.2 Further- more, his or her performance is undoubt- it and how to use it effectively edly limited because the manager has in hat is micromanagement? Simplisti- employees may feel that they are not effect chosen to remove any incentives Wcally, micromanagement can be de- being listened to and can begin to either for the employee to demonstrate effort fined as evaluating processes or people shut down or avoid making positive sug- and creativity. There is an implied lack of closely. This management style is often gestions for continuous improvement. trust between the employee and the man- perceived negatively, which ager when micromanaging is partly attributed to the is used inappropriately. fact that micromanaging The manager perceives the tends to interfere with employee as being unable details best understood to complete a certain task by other members of the or function, while the em- team. Micromanagement ployee gets frustrated by not is associated more with being able to incorporate the process by which a his or her own ideas on task is completed and how to complete the task less with the results that or function. Ultimately, the are achieved. In 2000, employee can end up spi- Wright1 suggested that raling downward into a silo there is a strong negative and evading the manager correlation between the to avoid aggravation and degree of micromanaging frustration. and the amount of au- Micromanagement may tonomy a micromanaged give managers an illusion team member possesses. of effectiveness, especially However, in certain cases, if there are early successes micromanagement can be when they micromanage used appropriately as an tasks or functions that effective management tool. Managers During a crisis situation, employees may could be done by subordinates. In the must differentiate between setting goals not be willing to sacrifice their own time long term, the team’s ability to innovate and dictating each detail of a process. or resources to address the problem, as- and create new value-added services is Effective micromanagement means suming that their manager will take full hindered—and it falls solely to the man- knowing when to get involved and when responsibility and credit for managing ager to be creative. Empowering the staff to get out of the way. through the crisis. is a bold approach for any manager to Pitfalls of micromanagement. Mi- Micromanaging can lead to employee take, but success ultimately depends on cromanaging can have a deleterious im- disengagement. An actively disengaged managers’ ability to surround themselves pact on employee morale. For instance, employee has a negative impact on both with a strong team. When is micromanagement ap- propriate? Managers should not avoid The Management Consultation column gives readers an opportunity to obtain advice on common micromanagement entirely. In fact, there management problems from pharmacists practicing in health systems. The assistance of ASHP’s Sec- are instances where micromanaging has tion of Pharmacy Practice Managers in soliciting Management Consultation submissions is acknowl- edged. Unsolicited submissions are also welcome. Readers are invited to submit topics for this column to its role in the workplace. A noted business [email protected] or ASHP c/o David Chen, Director, Pharmacy Practice Sections, 7272 Wisconsin Avenue, professor has suggested that there are six Bethesda, MD 20814 ([email protected]). Continued on page 774

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Continued from page 772 business circles as the “raw ingredients.”4 setting structure, developing strategy When investigating the root cause of a and plans, creating reliable systems for situations in which managers should en- problem, managers can evaluate the raw others, and teaching people how to gage in micromanagement: (1) the strat- ingredients relative to their own experi- be independent thinkers can actually egy of the organization is changing, (2) a ences in order to better assess a project’s empower others to do their jobs with new endeavor is starting, (3) there is a new progress. little involvement from you at all. Yet leader, a new employee, or a new division When switching from a “hands-off” truthfully, they are being micromanaged; or unit, (4) an employee or leader fails to leadership style to micromanagement they just don’t feel it, because you’re not execute on an initiative, and, as a result, the mode, it is important for managers to help in their faces.”5 Managers need to as- program lingers, (5) serious complaints or team members understand why they are sess how often they are practicing in a errors have occurred, and (6) the division getting into the details of the initiative. In micromanaging mode. If managers feel or department has poor results.3 During such situations, the manager can simply they are spending too much time in the these situations, the manager should prac- state, “The goals of this initiative are shared weeds, they should consider whether tice proactive micromanagement (setting by all of us, and I want to offer support to they are hiring the right team members. the course straight and identifying indi- resolve any standing issues as a team.” A self-assessment tool. Managers are vidual needs before the journey begins, While micromanagement is sometimes constantly being called on to create new as in the case of a new employee) or reac- necessary, doing it for too long can be contexts in which their subordinates can tive micromanagement (to remedy poor detrimental, and managers should be at- succeed. The ability to have a good bal- results or errors). In these circumstances, tuned to the need to reevaluate their role ance while knowing when micromanag- it is important for the manager to review and back off at the appropriate time. In ing is appropriate is an essential skill that the details and fine mechanics of projects the words of one management expert, and initiatives—oftentimes referred to in “Effective micromanagement through Continued on page 776

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Continued from page 774 Appendix—Micromanagement b. provide some vision but also complete self-assessment survey tasks. (2) c. provide only the roadmap. (3) managers should possess. The former The following pulse survey, created by 8. I believe it is best to Section Advisory Group on Manager ASHP’s Section Advisory Group on Manager a. direct employees. (1) Development under the Section of Pharmacy Development of the ASHP Section of b. combine both directing and empowering Practice Managers, can be used by managers to employees. (2) Pharmacy Practice Managers has created periodically self-assess their tendencies toward c. empower employees. (3) a self-assessment tool to help managers micromanagement within the workplace. For 9. Relinquishing power or control to other at all levels determine their tendency each question, choose one response option team members (point values are listed in parentheses); sum to micromanage (appendix). This tool, a. is very difficult and uncomfortable. (1) points for total score. also available online (www.ashp.org/ b. happens but is still uncomfortable. (2) c. is easy for me to do. (3) menu/PracticePolicy/ResourceCenters/ 1. My team performs most efficiently on their 10. When completing assignments on their assigned projects when I Pharmacy-Practice-Managers/Business- own, members of my team are a. am hands on. (1) Management), provides a quick pulse- a. often not capable. (1) b. provide feedback at key points in the b. sometimes capable. (2) check on identifying tendencies toward assignment. (2) c. always capable. (3) micromanaging. c. provide leadership support when Closing notes. Strategies to reduce needed. (3) Scoring: A total score of 10–16 suggests a high level of micromanaging include three main prin- 2. When I propose changes or delegate assign- ments within the organization, my coworkers micromanaging. You may need to detach your- ciples: (1) understanding the pitfalls of a. do not fully understand the changes I am self from current projects. Ineffective microman- micromanagement, (2) knowing when proposing and ask many questions. (1) aging has a deleterious effect on staff morale and micromanagement is appropriate, and (3) b. understand partially the reason for productivity, and managers should learn how to avoid this toxic atmosphere.1,2 adjusting the micromanagement switch the proposed changes and ask a few questions. (2) A score of 17–24 indicates a medium level to accommodate for certain situations. c. have full understanding of the proposed of micromanaging. You have a good balance Overall, managers must set clear goals changes and rarely ask any questions. (3) of mixing it up. Watch for the negative signals and ensure that individuals have the tools 3. If there are tasks that I can easily complete though. A score of 25–30 suggests a low level of necessary to succeed in their initiatives. myself, a. I usually do them myself. (1) micromanaging. Make sure you can get ‘in the Managers should conduct frequent self- b. I delegate the task half the time and weeds’ when you still have to. Sometimes, mi- checks in order to avoid inappropriate complete it myself half the time. (2) cromanaging is necessary for effectiveness and to execute results.3-5 micromanagement. c. I usually delegate it to the appropriate team member. (3) 4. The reporting that I demand from my team Osmel Delgado, Pharm.D., M.B.A., 1. Wright R. Strategies for avoiding the BCPS, Chief Operating Officer micro management trap. Manage Decis. is 2000; 8:362-4. a. routine and frequent. (1) Cleveland Clinic Florida 2. Gallup. Gallup study indicates actively dis- b. in moderate amount and usually asso- Weston, FL engaged workers cost U.S. hundreds of bil- ciated with a task or assignment. (2) [email protected] lions of dollars each year (April 15, 2002). c. only requested when it is needed. (3) www.gallup.com/businessjournal/247/ 5. When I am out of the office and away from Elaine Mebel Strauss, Pharm.D., M.S., the-high-cost-of-disengaged-employees. work, my team Pharmacy Operations Manager aspx (accessed 2013 Oct 17). a. usually needs me to respond to their Forbes Hospital 3. Riordan CM. Sometimes micromanag- e-mails. (1) Pittsburgh, PA ing is good—and necessary. www.forbes. b. only sometimes needs me to respond. (2) com/2010/07/29/micromanage-employees- c. rarely needs my attention when I am Melissa A. Ortega, Pharm.D., M.S., delegate-leadership-managing-staff.html gone. (3) (accessed 2013 Oct 16). Assistant Director of Pharmacy, Central 4. Schrage M. If you’re not micromanag- 6. As a manager, my team thinks Pharmacy Services & Operations ing, you’re not leading. http://blogs.hbr. a. I criticize too much and affirm too Tufts Medical Center little. (1) org/2012/05/if-youre-not-micromanaging- Boston, MA you/ (accessed 2013 Oct 16). b. I sometimes criticize too much or some- times affirm too often. (2) 5. Goldsmith D, Goldsmith L. Why micro- The authors have declared no potential management is not a dirty word if you do c. I criticize too little and affirm too it right. www.fastcompany.com/3003721/ often. (3) conflicts of interest. why-micromanagement-not-dirty-word- 7. My role on my team during a project is to if-you-do-it-right (accessed 2013 Oct 16). a. be a taskmaster. (1) DOI 10.2146/ajhp140125

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