Micromanagement Drawbacks
I think many of you have faced with the problem of micromanagement when someone exposes you to excessive control, trying to know your every single step and be aware of everything. This is not always done with malicious intent, sometimes people just do not understand the consequences and from their point of view, it should help. Everything has its own edge. Let us talk about advantages and disadvantages and now to avoid this.
Pros
- You ensure that everything is being conducted as it should
- Things are done ‘your way’, and if it’s your business, this can be a big deal
- It may appear to be necessary when a small business owner hires their first employee
- Makes sense for employees that are new to the industry
Major cons
- Those who are being micromanaged become resentful, less loyal, less productive and less willing to give potentially valuable feedback. By the end, people start to avoid talking to you or reduce the conversation to a minimum
- People think that you do not trust nor respect them
- You can’t be everywhere all the time. A manager is supposed to delegate responsibility. If you micro-manage somebody, you aren’t letting him do his job. You are doing it for him.
- People stop thinking, try to understand and realize what they are doing
Final words
You can do micromanagement in the environment where employees are easily replaced and little training/expense is necessary to do so. However, if low employee turnover is important or you are trying to establish ongoing employee/customer relationships, micromanagement may stand in the way of achieving these goals.
Some ideas how to avoid this
- Ask this person to give you all the information you will need up front. Reply professionally. This will start to increase his confidence in you
- Make sure that you communicate progress to this person regularly
- You must learn how to anticipate the next question and ask it first.