One of the ways to make sure that their employees are doing their best is to give them the freedom to choose how they work. If this doesn’t sound right to you, then you might have a problem with micromanaging.
Many bosses feel that getting the most work out of their employees is to manage their every task and their every minute spent in the office. While this might feel like the best way to keep productivity high, it is far from it. They might be working for every minute of the 9 hours that they are in the office, but because they aren’t getting space to breathe, they will never reach their full potential.
“The “result” of micromanagement is perhaps tangible in the short run, but more often causes damage for the long term.” – Pearl Zhu
While micromanagers feel the need to take control of every aspect they are in charge of, what they end up doing is actively hindering the growth and stifling the potential of their colleagues.
What micromanagers often fail to understand is that by removing the ability for others to think and act for themselves, micromanagers have a negative impact on the confidence and morale of the team. When the employee isn’t confident in their own ability, then the work they do is never going to meet the standard that they can achieve.
Table of Contents
Micromanaging Stumps Growth
“Micro-managing creativity kills it. To encourage creative brilliance, foster an atmosphere where it can thrive and then step out of the way and let it happen.” – Stewart Stafford
People with a hunger to learn and grow will never be able to thrive in this type of environment because learning needs some freedom to be able to test out the said learning.
One of the two things will happen with talented people in this situation, they will either break down and never achieve their true potential, or they will realize the stump in their growth and leave the company. In either case, the company loses the most.
When we do not have the liberty to make mistakes, we do not get to grow enough. Mistakes allow us to learn and grow.
Micromanaging Makes the Employees Think that They Aren’t Trusted
Micromanaging makes the team feel like you do not trust their abilities, and that will make them lose confidence in their own skills. As Martin Zwilling, an American business executive, entrepreneur, and author, said, “Team members need to feel trusted and valued, and micromanaging communicates the opposite. Founders who are prone to manage every detail of their businesses will ultimately kill themselves as well as lose the support of team members. Learn to delegate key tasks and give credit.”
Here’s another gem from Kris Carr, author and wellness activist – “Trust is a core currency of any relationship. Sometimes our need to control and micromanage everything erodes our confidence in ourselves and others. The truth: People are much more capable than we think. A hearty dose of trust is often what’s needed to unlock the magic. Go ahead, have faith.”
Final Thoughts
Micromanaging helps no one in the end. It might just help the micromanager feel better at the moment, but eventually, it will just hinder the productivity and growth of not only the employees but the company as well. Micromanaging might work for a short time, but the implications of the long term are more harmful.
