Micromanagement: What It Is and How to Deal With It

Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on

Discover the signs of micromanagement, why this management style is used, and how to deal with it.

[Featured Image] An employee working in office is learning about micromanagement.

What is micromanagement?

Micromanagement refers to a management style characterized by excessive scrutiny of and control over a team and its members. Individual employees who are micromanaged have very little autonomy over how they do things or voice in decision-making. 

There are many management styles we may encounter in the workplace. Micromanagement is one management style that is generally regarded as negative, even though it can stem from good intentions. Monitoring employees so closely can damage motivation, creativity, workflow, and productivity, as well as contribute to a toxic workplace culture.

Read more: Leadership Styles: What They Are and Why They Matter

To understand micromanagement, you need to identify the signs of it, the costs of engaging in it, and how to deal with it. 

Why do people micromanage?

People may micromanage for a variety of reasons, including needing to feel in control, poor delegation skills, or wanting things done a certain way. In the workplace, managers may feel their employees lack crucial skills or lack the leadership skills necessary to mentor and develop their team.

According to the Harvard Business Review, people micromanage for two reasons:

  • The manager desires to feel connected to the lower levels of the organization. Losing touch with employees at the ground level is common as a person moves to more senior positions. This can have a detrimental effect if a manager does not understand the needs, motivations, and roles of their direct reports. The manager may start micromanaging direct reports in an attempt to counterbalance feelings of isolation that moving up the ranks away from previous peers brings. 

  • Managers who move into more senior roles shift away from operational duties and become more strategic. This can be a difficult transition for managers who find it difficult to let go of their previous role and want to stay involved in tasks that are more familiar to them. These managers may feel bothered by someone else doing their previous job in a completely new way [1].

Micromanagement vs. accountability

It's important to distinguish between holding employees accountable and micromanaging them. Micromanagement infers a lack of trust in a person, whereas accountability does the opposite. Holding an employee accountable involves trusting them to meet their goals, while tracking their progress and supporting them along the way. As a result, the employee may feel more empowered and motivated to succeed.

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9 Signs of micromanagement

Familiarize yourself with these clear signs of micromanagement, so that you can proactively address these issues in the workplace and improve your experience as an employee:

1. Resists delegating work.

Micromanagers like to maintain control and find it difficult to delegate tasks. This means that employees often wonder if they can take on tasks without direct instruction, causing confusion and reducing motivation and job satisfaction. This problem is twofold because the micromanager is left with a large workload because they're only able to trust others to take on tasks with close supervision. 

2. Becomes overly involved in the employees’ work. 

A micromanager tends to be overly engaged in every detail of their employees' workflow. These managers offer very little autonomy and spend considerable time observing and giving instructions, rather than implementing strategy at a higher level. 

3. Discourages independent decision-making.

Micromanagers prefer to be in control and lean toward a more centralized approach to decision-making. In this model, the manager does not involve employees in decisions about how the team operates, perhaps due to a lack of trust in employees or discomfort with handling input from others. This approach can stifle creativity, independent thought, and knowledge sharing. 

4. Asks for frequent updates.

In addition to controlling processes, micromanagers may also need constant updates. When employees are required too provide these too frequent updates, they may have less time to complete their assigned tasks. They may also feel stress and group morale may be low.  

5. Focuses on details rather than the bigger perspective.

A micromanager tends to look at tiny details and micro-steps rather than the bigger picture of what employees need to achieve, in the context of a company's overarching goals and strategy. 

6. Has an unusually high turnover of employees.

Employees of micromanagers tend to feel demotivated, untrusted, and disempowered, and thus experience dissatisfaction with their jobs. As a result, the team's turnover rate is high, with employees leaving their jobs and finding a more rewarding position elsewhere.  

7. Is rarely satisfied with deliverables.

Micromanagers tend to scrutinize the performance of employees, rather than encouraging and guiding them, reducing their motivation and confidence. This might come with the belief that they are encouraging perfection, but frequent criticism can have the opposite effect. 

8. Sets rigid deadlines.

Micromanagers may set unrealistic deadlines without considering unforeseen changes or delays. This tendency may stem from the need to be in control or a lack of flexibility when dealing with others. 

9. Measures and monitors every task.

Meticulous oversight typically speaks to a micromanager's desire to control and discomfort with delegating tasks. This level of oversight causes additional workforce stress and takes time away from more strategic work. In addition, micromanagers can lose sight of broader employee performance trends.

How to deal with micromanagement

If you are on the receiving end of micromanagement yourself or noticing that it's affecting the workplace culture in your organization, consider implementing the following strategies:

1. Initiate communication.

Request a meeting with the person who is exhibiting micromanaging tendencies and affecting your well-being. Initiate a diplomatic and honest conversation about the impact of their managerial style on your productivity and provide examples of how you'd prefer they work with you.

Remember to be sensitive and discrete. Keep the conversation just between you and your manager. Strive to strike a balance between asserting yourself and respecting your manager's position.

2. Ask for clarity around expectations.

By understanding what is expected of you and having a manager articulate those expectations, you may be able to minimize the need for constant supervision. Ask for specific key performance indicators that you can focus your actions around. That way, you and your manager can schedule periodic check-ins to measure your performance, thus potentially creating more autonomy for you.

Objectives and key results (OKR) is a management technique that effectively sets targets and monitors results. It helps set milestones and track results as a team. An objective is created, along with how it’s measured. Everyone involved is aware of the goals, creating accountability, increasing motivation, and allowing autonomy. 

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3. Demonstrate competence.

Be proactive about showcasing your abilities and achievements in the workplace, so that your manager begins to trust you to deliver quality work on your own, without excessive input from your manager.

4. Ask for feedback.

At the same time that you seek more autonomy in your work, it's a good idea to ask your manager for feedback on completed projects. Take the initiative to show that you are open to your manager's input and want to implement fresh ideas to improve performance.

5. Seek support.

If the micromanaging continues and affects your productivity, reach out to HR or a higher manager to mediate and handle the issue in a professional manner.

How to avoid micromanaging others

The tendency to micromanage others can develop at any time and in different scenarios, professional or personal. Now that you know the signs and how to deal with micromanagement on the receiving side, you can look out for it in your own dealings with others. Here are some strategies to use to be an effective leader and collaborator:

- Share your expectations and boundaries to show you trust the team’s skills.

- Ask others for input when working on a group project. Empower other people to contribute ideas and then implement those ideas. Give everyone space to find out what works and what doesn't.

- Give others space to work independently, without monitoring them at all times, and agree on a time to check progress and track performance.

- If you're in a leadership role, delegate tasks and trust your team to carry them out. Free up time to focus on strategy while team members develop their skills.

- Keep lines of communication open so that others know they can come to you with any challenges without fear of criticism or mistrust.

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Read more: What is Positive Leadership?

Build leadership skills with Coursera

Learning strategies to lead others effectively can be a good way to reduce micromanagement in your workplace, no matter your role. Even if you are a team member reporting to a manager or supervisor, embodying leadership qualities can make it easier to influence colleagues in a positive way.

Consider our online courses in leadership and management, such as The Principles of Management from Johns Hopkins University, Foundations of Management from IESE, or Strategic Leadership and Management from the University of Illinois.

Article sources

  1. Harvard Business Review. “Why People Micromanage, https://hbr.org/2011/11/why-people-micromanage." Accessed December 18, 2023.

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