Two weeks went by, and the work happened on schedule. There were no surprises or shocks when I joined back. And why would there be? I already knew of all the hits and misses. However, it also meant that after 15 days of leave, I returned to work a bit foggy. That is because micromanaging is exhausting, which was exactly what I was doing. A trait that I am desperate to get rid of, now that I have identified it and experienced what it does.
“The bothersome boss who second guesses every decision a subordinate makes, frets about the font size of the latest progress report or inspects all of his employees’ emails not only frustrates and demoralizes his harassed workers, but seriously damages the productivity of the organization and, over the long run, may jeopardize the organization’s survival,” said Richard D. White in his 2010 paper, The Micromanagement Disease: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Cure.
In India Inc, where bosses tend to be young and out-of-turn promotions are an accepted way to retain good performers, should anyone be surprised that we may be bringing up generations of micromanagers?
The need to stay relevant is frequently mistaken for the need to be seen at work, be at the forefront and ensure that no slip-ups happen. This way, you simply do not learn to trust other team members and delegate decisions. In fact, if you delegate and then keep checking decisions, the team will soon read it as a non-delegation signal and quit taking any call without your approval.
#Micromanagers #everywherewhich #easy #spot #mirror
