Micromanagement (Part Three)

It’s not me…. It’s you! 

W W W . N R P A . O R G   |   J A N U A R Y   2 0 1 4   |   Parks & Recreation

If you’ve followed along with Part One and Part Two of this mini-series, then you understand the difference between effective, directive management and true, debilitating micromanagement. If you’ve been under the thumb of a micromanager, then you now have a solid 7-step action plan to neutralize those micromanaging ways by managing up.

But what if the problem is you? If you’re reading this article because it’s been torn out and slipped under your office door, resist the urge to crumple and toss it. You may not be a true micromanager (refer back to Part One), but some minor adjustments may ease the misplaced perception of this lone, desperate employee who is simply eager to have a better, more productive relationship with you. So while your employee works on his or her skills to manage up, perhaps you could refresh your skills to manage right.

Managing Right

There’s a fading sign on my office door that says “Encourage, Empower, Expect.” It’s one of my favorite management mantras because it’s simple yet on target. To be complete, however, it needs three more Es— Engage, Equip and Entrust. Although our emphasis is on replacing those micromanaging practices with more effective ones, these six Es are an easy way for any manager to remember the basics of effective management.

Micromanagement (Part Two)

Neutralizing the micromanager — the one you work for, or the one inside you

W W W . N R P A . O R G   |   D E C E M B E R   2 0 1 3   |   Parks & Recreation

No matter how outstanding the organization, resources or team, a manager’s style can make or break its success. As discussed in “Micromanagement (Part One)” (http://www.managingmanagement.us/2013/11/micromanagement-part-one.html), a micromanager can inadvertently breed lack of engagement, low morale and poor productivity for both staff and the organization.

If employees feel that they are not trusted to do the job they were hired for or that their experience and knowledge are constantly being dismissed and or trumped by their manager’s actions, eventually those employees will stop taking initiative or making decisions. The most organized, deadline-driven employee will suddenly seem to procrastinate — after all, what’s the point of completing a projector task in a timely manner when history indicates the micromanaging boss will take it over or assert a different direction before the employee is done anyway? Or worse, the boss will discard a completed work and redo the whole thing him- or herself.

If the descriptions above seem all too familiar, you may be one of the frustrated and disengaged, wondering why you keep coming back each day. Oh, wait…right — you love this job. You don’t want to leave; you just wish you could get your boss to change his or her destructive ways.