In my post, “Confessions of a Micromanager” I talked about what’s really going on inside the head of a micromanager – using myself as the case study.
In that post, I talked about “the problem”, how micromanagers operate primarily from a place of insecurity, fear, or a lack of control or trust. In some cases, their behavior comes from extraordinarily high standards. In this post, we explore “the solutions” on how to effectively manage the micromanager so that while that manager is getting on everyone else’s nerves, you will have some peace and sanity:
Think ahead – Stay four steps ahead of them. Your average worker (and manager) is usually working on what’s due and “in the fire” now. Above-average performers and many micromanagers are usually thinking about 1-2 steps ahead. Often, micromanagers are always anticipating what can go wrong, and what will make them look bad – something they want to avoid at all costs. If you think 4 steps ahead, you should be able to anticipate many of the questions that a micromanager will ask you. Also, think about the questions that are “top of mind” for your micromanager. What is of utmost importance to them? What do they value? What is on their mind? What might they be asked by their management or peers? Answer these on a consistent basis, and you should be able to anticipate and predict the needs and wants of your micromanager.
Work ahead – this is a key truth in the workplace or even in school – Absolutely no one (including your micromanager), will ever fault you for working ahead and getting work done early. Most people do not, they only react to what is before them that moment and that day. But those who “pro-act” or rather work in advance of deadlines and emergencies, are seen as high performers, why? because the average person doesn’t think or act proactively. In any business environment, it’s better to be making progress early than trying to catch up. What makes micromanagers crazy is that they really want things done sooner rather than later, and done well, but most people around them don’t operate that way. If you work ahead, with a sense of quality, and let your micromanager know that you are on a consistent basis, they should develop enough trust in you that they will bother you less.
Ask their advice – People love being asked advice, micromanagers especially. It helps them in a couple of ways. First, they have the opportunity to impart their “wisdom” to you. Second, it makes them feel involved in what you’re doing, and they don’t have to ask you separately about it.
Communicate status – Micromanagers need to know what’s going on because they don’t want to look bad to their management and peers. They want to know everything about everything. No detail is too small. This one requires a little balance. You want to give just enough information to satisfy the amount of detail that they want, but also some micromanagers can dig “into the weeds” on details that really don’t matter. Be as detailed and consistent as possible. Remember, they are looking for what’s wrong and what can potentially surprise them badly. It’s good to surface those issues earlier rather than later. One of H.Ross Perot’s mantras was “Bad news doesn’t get better with age.”
Communicate “When” – “When” is always the key question. Micromanagers want to know when things are going to happen because they want their expectations managed, so they can manage others’ expectations as well. Remember they want to look good to others, so when you give them a date for when something is going to be finished, you need to be sure you hit that or have a very good explanation as to why you can’t. In any project or activity there three key success factors, and they are Quality, Schedule, and Cost, so “when” is always a key question when evaluating how a project or task goes. Remember it’s always better to be early than late.
Give them the “warm fuzzy” – Micromanagers, especially those who are driven by control or extremely high standards need reassurance. Tell them that you have things well under control, that you will keep them updated, and that they will have a full say in the process. They need to be reminded of all that, otherwise they will get all over you about it, and they won’t leave you alone until they get the “warm fuzzy” – that feeling that everything is going to be alright. If you work proactively in managing them – that is communicating status, schedule, and any bad news (and solutions that you’ve already thought of) early, then you will be able to work with sanity under that manager.
Delegate Up – Give your micromanagers something to do, to research, or a question to answer that you can’t – and let them do it. Often micromanagers are just looking for a purpose and need something for their to-do list. Say, “can I get your help with this?” This is a win-win because it gets them feeling purposeful and involved while staying out of your hair to focus on your work – and for that moment YOU are the boss.
“Come to Jesus” – Dr. Wayne Dyer once said we teach people how they should treat us. In the business world we use a phrase called having a “come to Jesus” talk, that’s when we need to have a difficult talk with someone that requires them to change. You may need to have such a talk with your micromanager, to let them know how their behavior is affecting you.
Last Resort – A colleague of mine once told me about a micromanager that met with her three times a day, and the micromanager would tear apart her work every time. And this happened every day for months. It wasn’t a surprise that people didn’t last around that manager, but often those managers get results, and senior management is often too cowardly or too busy to let go of someone who is getting results. If senior management is short-sighted, they don’t care how. So after you’ve done all that you can do, there are times when, for the sake of your health and sanity, you need to move on. But only do so only after you have tried everything above, after you’ve given the situation a real chance, and after you’ve learned and “milked” everything you can from that manager. Only then should you move on.
Bad managers are like weeds, they are everywhere, and there are more bad managers than good. You can’t avoid them, and you can’t quit every time you encounter one. You have to learn how to manage them, not the other way around. If you get a bad manager who is a micromanager, you have a unique opportunity to really up your game. Micromanagers are actually good for that, they expose the weaknesses in our work ethic, and call us higher. We should treasure those as learning and growth opportunities for ourselves. But there are situations where it is simply impossible to make work, and that is a judgment call on your part. But know this, if you help your micromanager to be successful, then they will eventually move on or get promoted – OR you may get promoted as a result.
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