After all, is micromanagement good or bad for business?

Micromanagement is a highly commented topic among business leaders and managers, as it is a common practice in companies and which still causes some confusion when we think about whether it is something positive or harmful to the business. A refined analysis of the processes is needed to understand how management is being carried out and what are the impacts on the results and productivity of the team, in order to find Gaps of management and understanding what are the points of improvement, but what does micromanagement have to do with it?

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Well, keep scrolling the page to better understand the subject and get up insights important for team management in your company.

What is micromanagement?

We call micromanagement situations in which project managers and leaders have the habit of closely monitoring and inspecting every action of their employees, with the objective of carefully control the steps taken for them and to make sure that “everyone is dancing to the rhythm of the music” dictated by the management. The micromanager is the person who ends up paying excessive attention to everything; he wants to be aware of each e-mail, requires infinite reports and, with this constant pressure, generates a decrease in the trust he has in his leaders - and they, in turn, feel constantly pressured. It turns out that this perception is quite erroneous and can bring a lot of inconvenience to a company, as we will talk later.

After all, is micromanagement good or bad for the company?

In general terms, it should be noted that micromanagement tends to be harmful to business management, since it leaves processes plastered and rigid, in addition to not giving employees the freedom of self-management. This, beforehand, causes a series of dissatisfaction, decreases team productivity and directly impacts results to be achieved.

What are the risks of micromanagement?

In addition to the examples we have already mentioned, team micromanagement offers more risks to the business, such as those that we will present below.

1. The business overview is lost

When the manager is dedicated only to looking closely at every detail of the projects, he ends up losing the broader view of the business, ceasing to focus on indicators such as productivity or performance in each area, in addition to wasting working time that could be dedicated to the development of the company. Management concerned with validating each step of the members closes its eyes to situations such as:

• dynamics of team relationships;
• conflicts;
• professional learning and development;
• how much time is being spent for the task;
• what are the best tools to carry out the activities;
• dissatisfactions.

These and so many other aspects can only be seen by the manager if he has an “outside” view of the process.

2. The team loses trust - in themselves and in the leader

One of the characteristics of micromanagement is the lack of trust in and of the team and it is, for this reason, that managers focus their efforts on observing each activity in detail. In addition, this type of manager does not allow employees to choose the best way to perform tasks. When viewed from the team's point of view, management's lack of trust can affect their performance, productivity, and also self-esteem, not least because In micromanagement, tasks must always be redone until they are in agreement with what the manager expects, in addition to excessive monitoring.

3. Increase in employee turnover

Have you ever heard that phrase “employees don't quit companies, they quit their bosses”? A micromanaged environment tends to be quite toxic for the team and causes employees to Look for other companies when experiencing situations of extreme pressure or remain in places where they cannot have autonomy and make decisions.

4. Stress and work accumulation in management

Micromanagement can cause an increased level of stress and the accumulation of tasks in leaders, since the desire to control everything at all times and want everything to go as they wish can be exhausting. These are just a few examples of how micromanagement harms a company's activities and can directly impact the results and satisfaction of both employees and clients. To prevent this type of management from happening in an organization, it is very important to know the attitudes that cause micromanagement. We'll talk a bit about them below.Read also:”How to reduce your company's red tape properly.”

What causes micromanagement?

Micromanagement is caused by leaders' attitudes that make it impossible for the team to be agile, to self-manage and to exploit their best qualities to perform tasks more productively and thus deliver good results. These are attitudes that are often imperceptible in everyday life, but which in the long term make the manager with a micro and not a macro mind. Check it out.

1. Don't delegate functions

When management doesn't hand over activities to team members and embraces most of the actions for themselves, this is a strong sign of micromanagement. The rest People become merely supporting actors and they are unable to have autonomy or move forward with the project, because they get stuck.

2. Having little trust in the team

If a leader doesn't trust the team, they can be sure that in the short or long term the company will have problems. Trust makes the team feel safe with their own work, feel that they are collaborating, and encourages people to seek more knowledge and growth in the company. If the employee is not in an environment that transmits trust, we will certainly have future problems.

3. Having the desire to control everything

Since he always wants to control every stage, the manager feels that he needs to be present when carrying out the tasks, analyzing each step of the employees without giving them autonomy, so the leader feels that he is necessary and that without him things will not go well.

4. Require frequent reports

To be sure that they are following each stage, the manager who performs micromanagement has the profile of requiring reports on projects with high frequency. For the manager, it is important to understand what attitudes can give strength for these situations to happen. It's worth looking at yourself and understanding how you plan, how you conduct and review tasks with the team. Think: I'm spending a lot of time advising and correcting people? If so, something already needs to be reviewed.

Avoiding micromanagement is possible - here's how!

Those who think that micromanagement is irreversible in a company are mistaken. It may not be easy, but it is circumventable. The best managers and leaders can focus on broader management that offers more autonomy to employees, exploring the best of each of them and creating a more collaborative environment and, as a consequence, achieving the best results. There are several ways to combat micromanagement in your company. These are some of them:

Trust and delegate

Don't hold every activity in your hands, get ready to delegate functions to your team members. Each person has their position and the objectives to be achieved in the company and, by delegating tasks, they will able to develop with greater autonomy. This helps to change the entire climate in the sector.

Improve communication with the team

Fluid communication will make all the difference in managing projects with your team. The leader must make clear their role in relation to the company and the team, in addition to Guide employees about their role within the project, and what is expected of each one.

Identify the needs of employees

If, at any time, you don't feel confident giving autonomy to the collaborator, try to identify the reasons and think of a solution. It's worth talking and understanding why it doesn't deliver results, it may require training, for example. Remember that the manager's mission is to help employees grow professionally.

Automate processes

Exchange manual and repetitive processes with automated solutions for companies, so that professionals have greater self-management and you have more time to spend on higher-value activities for team and company development. We talk more about process automation in companies In another article here on the blog, be sure to check it out.

Prioritize your activities

Instead of focusing on the activities of employees, focus on the activities that are assigned to your position, such as developing new projects and carrying out strategic planning, in addition to doing the analysis of important indicators for companies evolve.

Use agile methodologies

Bet on more agile methodologies to manage projects, such as Kanban method and other alternatives that privilege meetings to monitor projects and deliver results. This way you have less plastered working methods and are able to focus on better solutions to optimize processes.

Make and ask for feedback

Provide climate research, with feedback to hear collaborators' perceptions about project management and see where improvements can be made. Provide true feedback that helps employees grow. That makes all the difference. It's easy to see how micromanagement doesn't help the team in its performance and it doesn't offer good results, but with the management tips we brought here we are sure that you will have another look at the management of your business. Did you like today's content? Keep following our blog for more management and process management tips. Until our next post!