Lisa Joan Overholt explains danger in team micro-management

Micromanagement is a leadership and supervisory style in which the manager or supervisor closely observes and controls some or all aspects of an employee’s job. Needless to say, this can have a detrimental effect on employee morale. A micromanager might allow employees little or no autonomy in decision making and will typically want to have insight and input into even small decisions. Micromanagers may also supervise beyond a point that is reasonable. Research indicates that micromanagement can actually make employees less productive and can make it harder for managers to do their own jobs well.

Great leaders delegate tasks with clear expectations, coach when needed and focus on the big picture goals.  These traits are counter-intuitive to a micromanaging style because the delegation of tasks is so closely observed employees often feel watched or monitored. Micromanagers cannot coach employees who feel they are being monitored for failure.  Also, micromanagers are often so consumed by the daily tasks of employees that they are unable to focus on the larger goals of the business or organization. http://hiring.monster.com/hr/hr-best-practices/workforce-management/hr-management-skills/what-makes-great-boss.aspx

Micromanaging is also detrimental to employee output. “Being continuously watched can both distract workers and can hinder working memory. This makes it more difficult for those under surveillance to learn new skills or pay attention to the tasks they should be doing,” an August 2011 study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology found. The study also demonstrated that  micromanaging can cause workers to divert attention from the relevant tasks at hand to worrying about the supervision. Workers can become so paralyzed by the pressure of a watchful eye that they are unable to complete their responsibilities. http://www.thesba.com/2011/09/28/why-micromanaging-is-bad/

The need to stringently monitor staff can reflect poorly on the micromanager themselves as well. Senior management may view micromanagement as an inability to take on more responsibility because one is stretched thin by already micromanaging their immediate staff. This can impede one’s prospects for advancement. Experts also warn of burnout and exhaustion from looking over so many shoulders and monitoring every aspect of your employees’ work.

In 2011, 30,000 workers were polled by the consulting firm Mercer (http://www.canadianbusiness.com/blogs-and-comment/half-of-canadians-hate-their-jobs-so-why-arent-they-prepared-for-job-interviews/). 36 percent of the respondents reported that they were, ‘seriously considering leaving their job’. Many cited pay as a major factor in the reason they were considering a move, but micromanaging was also a contributing factor in employee turnover rates. “Not only is micromanaging a handicap to your own career success, but micromanagers tend to inhibit the development of good people,” John Beeson, of Beeson Consulting Inc. said (http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/jobcenter/workplace/bruzzese/2011-08-03-micromanaging-makes-you-frantic-and-less-productive_n.htm). “And over time, they’re going to lose their good people.”

Lisa Joan Overholt is a corporate events specialist and executive  (https://about.me/LisaOverholt)  with more than 10 years of experience in managing large and small groups of employees. She knows first-hand the importance of allowing employees the freedom of not being micromanaged. “When people have opportunities and can see possibilities, they’ll stay with you. If you’re the kind of leader who inspires confidence and trust, people will want to work for you,” Lisa Joan Overholt (https://twitter.com/lisaoverholt777) commented.

However, Overholt reminds us that the opposite of micromanaging isn’t a laissez faire attitude; instead, it is a management style that clearly conveys expectations and goals and allows employees the breadth and space to achieve them. “Employees who feel entrusted to complete a task have an increased sense of self-esteem and worth,” Lisa Joan Overholt pointed out. “They are more likely to go the extra mile or think outside the box and hold their work to a higher standard than those of employees that are micromanaged.”

Being a great boss means finding a leadership style that not only works for you, but also works for your employees. Creating an environment of open dialogue and autonomy is key in the sustainability of a leadership role and business. “You have to trust that the people you hired can and will do the job you have assigned them,” Lisa Joan Overholt concluded.