Simple tips on how to effectively deal with micromanagement

Micromanagement can be frustrating and demoralising for employees, often leading to decreased motivation and creativity. 

It occurs when a manager supervises their employees too closely and attempts to control the employee’s work to a detrimental degree.

As this affects the workplace culture, it is therefore important to understand how to effectively deal with and respond to micromanagement in your organisation.

Discussed in this article is the meaning of micromanagement and tips on how you can effectively deal with it as an employee. 

What Is Micromanagement?

Micromanagement refers to a management style characterised by excessive scrutiny of and control over a team and its members. Individual employees experiencing micromanagement have very little autonomy over how they do things or voice in decision-making. 

Micromanagement differs from accountability as the former infers a lack of trust in a person, whereas the latter does the opposite.

How To Deal With Micromanagement

1. Understand The Reasons Behind This Style Of Management 

There are a number of reasons people micromanage their employees.  To effectively deal with micromanagement at your workplace, the responsibility lies upon you to understand why your boss micromanages. 

Is it because they are under stress or pressure from their superiors? Is it a result of their experiences with past employees? Or is it just the personality of your boss?

Understanding the reason your boss micromanages helps you to better figure out what strategy works best in dealing with the issue.

READ ALSO: Leaders and challenge of micromanagement

2. Initiate Communication 

Doing this might be frightening at first, but one of the most effective approaches to dealing with a micromanaging boss is to simply share your feelings and start a discussion about the situation. 

Initiate a diplomatic and honest conversation about the impact of their managerial style on your productivity and provide examples of how you would prefer they work with you.

Don’t let anger take the better side of you when doing this – strive to strike a balance between asserting yourself and respecting your manager’s position.

3. Ask For Clarity Around Expectations

After initiating a conversation with your boss, another step you should take is to ask for clarity about your boss’ expectations of you. By understanding your manager’s expectations of you, you may be able to minimise the need for constant supervision. 

4. Demonstrate Competence 

Demonstrating your competence is also an effective way of dealing with micromanagement. 

As an employee, be proactive about showcasing your abilities and achievements in the workplace so that your manager begins to trust you to deliver quality work independently without excessive input from them.

5. Build Trust

Building trust is another key factor in dealing with micromanagement in the workplace. 

If you want your boss to stop micromanaging you, you need to win their trust and show them that they can delegate tasks to you and trust you enough to be able to make right decisions.

6. Ask For Feedback

Dealing with micromanagement is not a one-off thing, it is an ongoing process that may last for a while before the desired result is achieved. 

Even as you seek more autonomy in your work, you should always ask your manager for feedback on completed projects.  This shows that you are open to input from your manager and that you are accountable. 

7. Seek Support 

If after following the above tips you still do not see any changes, it is then advisable that you reach out to the Human Resource Office or higher authority in your organisation for support. 

Getting additional support can help effectively mediate and handle the issue of micromanagement professionally.

By addressing your concerns professionally and showing that you can handle responsibilities independently, you can gradually reduce micromanagement and foster a healthier workplace culture.