How to stop micromanaging your team

Being a “control freak” and trying to do everything yourself can result in your team feeling scrutinised and distrusted. There are very few employees who enjoy being micromanaged, so before low motivation and high staff turnover become commonplace, we’re going to show you how to change your behaviour.

Are you a micromanager?

While it’s important to sometimes get your hands dirty and pitch in when needed, there’s a fine line between “guiding and steering the ship”.  If you answer yes to some or all of the traits below, there’s a good chance you’re a micromanager.

Do you often:

• Resist delegating.

• Dedicate yourself to overseeing the projects of others.

• Start by correcting tiny details instead of looking at the big picture.

• Take back delegated work before it’s finished if you find a mistake in it.

• Discourage others from making decisions without consulting you first.

 How to break the micromanaging cycle

1.  Practice delegating and set clear expectations: Assign tasks that play to your employee’s strengths and capabilities. Rather than dictating step by step, how a job should be done, focus instead on the desired outcome, and make sure they have the right resources, training and skills to succeed. Be clear upfront on the goals, timeframes and benchmarks for success, then step away and give your staff the chance to prove their skills.

2. Let go of perfectionism: Being a perfectionist is often one of the reasons behind micromanaging. There is more than one way to perform a task and it’s important to give your staff the autonomy to try things their way. Be open to new ideas and allow your team to learn through failure and openly discuss lessons learned.

3. Ask your staff how they prefer to be managed: The best leaders will have a two way conversation and ask staff how much or little they want you to be involved. Some staff may want extra hand holding until they gain the necessary confidence and skills, and others may enjoy taking on a project and running with it. Having this conversation will help build respect and trust in your workplace.

4. Hire the right people: This sounds like a no-brainer, but you can’t get the job done unless you have the right people and skills in place. You’re far more likely to micromanage staff who are underqualified for a role or don’t have the right skill set for the tasks at hand.

Micromanaging restricts the ability of your team to develop and grow. Delegating tasks and placing trust in your staff’s judgement, skills and expertise will help increase morale and productivity. As a manager, it’s your job to be focused on the bigger picture, not bogged down, micromanaging, in the details.

 If you need help “loosening the reins” – let’s make a time to chat.