In most organizations across various regions and industries, first line managers are those leaders who are promoted into supervisory roles, based on the high quality of their work. In most instances, they are asked to manage people and take complete responsibility of the team’s performance without undergoing any proper training or having any prior experience. It is therefore only natural for them to struggle with the everyday challenges of handling a team, especially during the first few months. One of the biggest concerns highlighted by employees on the ground is micromanagement on the part of their immediate supervisors.
Inexperienced managers can sometimes get too involved in their team members’ daily activities instead of enabling them to do their job independently and guiding them when required. They often keep a very close eye on what their juniors are doing and often get deeply involved in someone else’s business, even when it is not required! This is because they find it easier to perform the task instead of teaching or guiding others on how to do it. Many people also become micromanagers because they believe that their work is superior to what others do.
The biggest downside to micromanaging is that the junior staff members who actually need to do the job never really learn any best practices! Moreover, instead of feeling empowered to handle their work, they start second guessing themselves and seek input, approval or even assistance from their managers for completing even the simplest activities. This slows down the overall pace of delivery and has an adverse impact on productivity. Moreover, employees often lose their motivation to do their best and may look for opportunities elsewhere, in order to utilize their skills more effectively. Micromanagers too, go through high levels of stress because of their increased workload and high employee turnover.
While giving up control can be difficult for a leader, micromanagement must be stopped and self awareness is the first step in doing so. This is where the managers reflect on their behaviour to identify the reason they get so involved in their teams’ work before making an exhaustive list of why they should not immerse themselves in what other people do. Seeking feedback from team members also helps managers realize the extent of the problem and its impact on people. Furthermore, setting some time aside everyday for planning and prioritizing works leave less time to focus on things that are not important. Finally, it is essential to gradually build trust with the team members while stepping back slowly.
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