PART I
Micromanagement
Fact and fiction

Introduction

The term micromanagement has become another overused buzzword in today’s jargon. For many, it is a pejorative catchall phrase used when they do not like the actions or behaviors of someone in management. It is an often used, yet frequently misunderstood, term. It is much like the word empowerment. Everybody believes in empowerment; they are just not quite sure what it means! Nobody wants to be micromanaged, and certainly no one wants to be a micromanager. Everyone knows micromanagement is bad, but they can’t actually define it. They just “know it” when it is happening to them.

As you will see throughout this book, the behaviors of micromanagement can be formally defined and the illusion separated from the reality. The circumstances of micromanagement are not limited only to those in formal management positions.

EXPANDING THE PERCEPTION

In the traditional sense, micromanagement is perceived as the negative controlling behaviors of managers or people with power and authority toward others. Front-line managers/supervisors, team leaders, middle managers, directors, and executives are typically those seen as inflicting micromanagement on the people who report to them. While this is the most common view of micromanagement, it is limited. The behaviors of micromanagement are much deeper and more prevalent, and they are not limited only to managers and their employees.

Some people are considered to be “high-maintenance” by their managers and peers. The factors that result in someone being labeled high-maintenance include significant demands for attention, a need to exercise control, and consistent attempts to exert inappropriate influence over others.

Many of the behaviors of micromanagement experienced in the workplace are duplicated in our personal lives as well. Friendships, marriages, familial, and parent-child relationships all experience the pressures of micromanagement. (While editing this book, my wife, Chris, became convinced that I was writing an autobiography; she would repeatedly look up from her reading and say, “This is you!舡) If you are good at connecting the dots, you will see the similarity in your work and personal life experiences.

360-DEGREE MICROMANAGEMENT

The behaviors of micromanagement occur in all directions and in many circumstances, including

employees of managers,

boards of directors and trustee groups of organizational leaders,

customers of suppliers/vendors,

suppliers/vendors of customers,

peer to peer,

interdepartmental/interteam, and

personal relationships.

While the list may be endless, other nonmanagement examples include teachers of students, students of teachers, government of people/groups, people/groups of government (e.g., special interest groups), and branches of government of other branches of government.

THE DEGREES AND CONTINUUM

This book will identify four very specific negative behaviors that comprise micromanagement. We will also consider a major contributor, which is the inability to subordinate self. In truth, all of us, managers and nonmanagers alike, have some degree of micromanagement behavior unconsciously ingrained in our personal and professional styles. It is not just about everybody else! The key to dealing with these behaviors in others, and reducing them in ourselves, is being aware of their existence and impact. These behaviors are part of our human experience. They move from normal, acceptable levels to “micro” when they are consistent, predictable, and disruptive.

Interestingly, we are all very good at identifying these behaviors in others, yet we are “selectively blind” to seeing them in ourselves. We judge others harshly for the behaviors and activities we easily rationalize in ourselves.

THE POSITIONING OF THIS BOOK

This manuscript is multidimensional. It views micromanagement from many different perspectives.

Identifying and Defining the Scope

Part I clarifies what micromanagement is as well as what it is not. Definitions, examples, root causes, and the costs of micromanagement are offered to add insight to the discussion.

The MicromanagEE (The Person
Being Micromanaged)

Part II identifies specific strategies for dealing with the micromanagement behaviors of others. Whether it is your boss, peers, or people in your personal life, you do not have to be a victim of micromanagement. Victims are people who have no options. Your options may be abundant in some circumstances or limited in others, but you are not helpless. Some of the strategies invite you to accommodate the micromanaging to some degree, but they are not intended to just placate or “suck up.” As one of the early reviewers of this book, Charlie Dorris, said, “Survival on the job without your soul is not really surviving.” This book is not about surrendering; it is about choosing the appropriate response to micromanaged situations.

In the face of intense micromanagement, you may ultimately have to exercise your right to move on. However, before you choose that extreme option, there are other alternatives to consider. The worst thing you can do when facing significant micromanagement is . . . nothing.

You probably cannot alter the micromanaging behaviors of others, but you can certainly change how you react and deal with them. Learn to control what you can.

The MicromanagER

Part III addresses corrective actions that can be implemented to

avoid becoming a person who micromanages,

reduce any current micromanagement behaviors,

repair any damage that you may have done with existing or past behaviors, and

help all veteran managers and nonmanagers alike who are finding their traditional behaviors and strategies eroding.

Managers of Micromanagers

Part IV addresses those who have a formal stake in attempting to correct the micromanagement behaviors in others.

If you formally manage managers or nonmanagement people who consistently display these behaviors, you will learn strategies and techniques for raising awareness and offering alternatives for correction.

If you are an HR professional, alternative dispute resolution specialist, or anyone who has responsibility for helping others change, cope, or develop responsible options, you will find some valuable tools contained within this book.

PRELIMINARY MICROMANAGEMENT
BEHAVIOR INVENTORY

Please complete the following by putting a check mark in all columns that apply. You are being asked to identify the occurrence of these behaviors in three areas: current and past managers, current and past peers/team members, and your own past and present behaviors. Later in this book, when the micromanagement behaviors have been described in more detail, you will have the opportunity to reassess your responses.

Which of the following behaviors are you currently experiencing or have experienced in the past in these areas? (Check all that apply.)

We will begin in chapter 1 by actually defining the term micromanagement, reviewing the survey results concerning the pervasiveness of the issue, introducing the Micromanagement Potential Indicator, and addressing the realities of micromanagement in today’s workplace.