Get Shift Done: Management
3 Things I Learned Working for a Micromanager
First off, I hate using the term micromanager, it is so negative. Before deciding to write this post, I read a few articles just to make sure my experience matched the general consensus regarding micromanagement. I certainly do not want to throw this term out without consideration of what it represents. My conclusion is still that unfortunately I did find myself working for a micromanager, and just like the term, it was a negative experience. Given all of that, here are few lessons I was able to gleam from the whole thing…
Recognize when to accept or reject feedback
This first lesson was a difficult one. Evaluation and feedback are fundamental values to the way I work and recognizing when feedback was more about the person giving it than about me was difficult. There are three instances when I decided to reject feedback.
First, I decided to reject any feedback that was a personal and was lacking specificity. While I have examples I could share, I think this one is obvious enough without them.
Second, I rejected any feedback that I felt lacked perspective. For example, after working on a complex report that required several manual calculations, multiple tables that had to be formatted, and an executive summary, the feedback I received was that the entire report was unprofessional. As background — I had checked, rechecked, and even printed it out and had others check my work before submitting it to my manager. When I asked how I could fix the report — I learned that on page 5 of 16, one cell in one table was left-justified instead of centered. Of course, I fixed the mistake, but I did not accept the conclusion that this one formatting issue resulted in the entire report being unprofessional.
The other times — the feedback may have value but sometimes I rejected it just because I was overwhelmed. Instead of taking in everything — there were times I just needed to find a few takeaways I could focus on and consider. I didn’t have the capacity to emotionally respond to feedback on every thing I did, every email, every meeting, everything.
Find healthy ways to manage stress
During this time, it was important to me that I found ways to remain positive and that meant I needed healthy ways to manage stress.
This led me to find other opportunities to connect with people and be creative.
I started volunteering more often. While I have always enjoyed volunteering, I sought out opportunities to teach classes. I also created a couple of eLearning storyboards for a non-profit that was building a math and science curriculum for elementary students.
And I stayed connected. I sought out a mentor at work. And in my personal life, I made sure I was spending lots of time with family and friends. I even took a hip hop dance class with a friend!
All of these were great experiences. Some even allowed me to keep learning and developing my skills despite my work situation.
Determine when to move on
The final lesson I learned was how to ultimately determine when it was time to move on.
To make things clear, I didn’t just throw my hands up and walk away. Even though I recognized the situation fairly quickly, I decided to give it one year before deciding what to do next. And during that year, I attempted to build trust with my manager by working hard, being transparent, and trying to deliver a consistent work product.
I made sure I communicated my frustrations, even if only on a couple of occasions. It was important and only fair that I was honest with my manager. While she seemed somewhat receptive, she didn’t seem able to let go and allow me to contribute to her team in a more meaningful way.
Truthfully, I would have rather of not moved on; I didn’t necessarily want to start over at a new company. But at the end of the year, when I took inventory, it seemed clear that I had no choice. Although I had once felt connected and enjoyed collaborating on teams — working for a micromanager left me isolated. At the end of the year, I felt I wasn’t contributing anything of value let alone something that was creative. It was time.
My last thoughts
If you find yourself in a similar situation, I encourage you to find ways to remain positive. Also, seek out a mentor, someone who has experience and can help you navigate the situation.
Here are a couple of articles I found helpful from the Harvard Business Review:
Signs That You’re a Micromanager
The GSD Management channel is brought to you by Work Market, the leading labor automation platform. Work Market empowers businesses and skilled professionals to unlock new levels of productivity, engagement and growth across the entire lifecycle of work. Learn more at www.workmarket.com.