Tips to Deal with a Micromanager

Manager and leader are two related terms; a manager should always be a leader, the one who motivates and drives his/her team to perform better. But not all are lucky to have an able leader as their manager.

As people have different personalities, there are different kinds of managers each with his/her own personality and style of working. Some are controlling, some timid, some perfect and employee-friendly, and some micromanaging.

Out of all these categories, dealing with a micromanager could be most difficult. The disastrous consequences of micromanagement at the workplace include negative impact on the morale of the employees and on the atmosphere at the workplace.

Micromanagement is a practice that is widely observed in many workplaces. Micromanagement, in a gist, is monitoring the work of the employees very stringently. It restricts the work independence of employees to a considerable extent, leaving them with no room for creativity.

Yes, employees, be it any sector, do need some space and independence while working. Each employee has his/her strengths and way of working that he/she is comfortable in. Micromanagement snatches it all leaving an employee frustrated and least interested to do work.

A manager is the chief person who has to assign responsibilities to his team members and ensure that they perform all the tasks the way it is expected. A manager should coordinate all the tasks to get optimum performance from his/her team members. Still, the employees cannot be taken for granted, and this is what exactly happens with a micromanager.

The following points classify a micromanager, read through.

• He will very stringently observe your work, and will call you even for minor and avoidable mistakes in your work.

• Moreover, he has a very controlling attitude that is characterized by an aggressive and short tempered nature, making the life of people working under him hell.

Is this controlling attitude getting over your nerves now, and you can no longer take it? If yes, you need some help. Dealing with a micromanager requires patience along with a strong frame of mind. Here are some tips to help you deal with your manager.

Ask and convey each and every doubt of yours and in return ask him for solutions. He won't be able tolerate this for long and would reduce pointing out your mistakes or communicating with you.

Another way to deal with him is countering him with your attitude, which should be assertive. Being assertive and confident about what you have done is the key to deal with the situation. Be patient and straight forward in your talk, if you feel what you have done is right.

Another case can be that he is making you do all the work and is working effectively with other team members. This has to be handled by conveying it to the higher authorities.

If your whole team is troubled and annoyed and cannot work under him, you may consult your supervisors for a solution. Otherwise, you may talk it out with the manager.

This is because, in many cases, the micromanager does not realize that he is micromanaging, and it is for the sake of getting the desired results from his team, he becomes stringent and forceful in his managing style. If this is the case, you can politely convey it to him that you need some independence in your work.

People who micromanage actually have a high drive for success, and this perhaps makes them micromanage their work. They cannot tolerate failure or pinpointing of mistakes in their work. They expect the same for their team, as their success depends on their team.

So analyze your work and make sure you are doing your best. This is because, they are slow to trust anyone but once you earn his approval, he will trouble you the least. So, last but very important, do some self-analysis.

Micromanagement at the workplace is a serious issue that should be addressed with patience. In some cases, the micromanagement is so stringent that the employees prefer quitting the job. But this is the last thing you should think of. Working in a team that is managed by a micromanager will actually improve your team skills, so take it in a positive spirit.