Are You Being Micromanaged?
A quick guide to what micromanagement is all about, and how you can get your boss to stop being a control freak
In his book Business Stripped Bare, Richard Branson reveals that he carries a notebook everywhere he goes. Some of the “dull, dreary, absolutely essential entries” in it are minute observations made while flying his own brand. On Virgin Atlantic’s inaugural flight to Japan he noted: “Need slippers in Upper Class, not socks. Need Japanese beers. Only one kind of newspaper from London: English. Need Japanese too. Japanese tea from London, not good. Japanese food from London tastes good but must be better presented. Looks like fish and chips. Saucers for Japanese teacups.” Branson is among a few business leaders like Walt Disney’s Michael Eisner and the late Steve Jobs who are known for their micromanaging capabilities. Their involvement in day-to-day activities and attention to detail have made them management case studies. These are leaders who were able to successfully pair micromanagement with a big picture vision. But most managers are not able to achieve this critical balance.
And it’s hard to like a manager who hovers around you all the time, keeps a close tab on your work and resists delegating responsibility.
How Much Is Too Much?
Micromanagement, in a corporate set up, is the managerial style typified by a hands-on attitude. However, the term has acquired negative connotations because most micromanagers have a propensity to take these positive attributes to the extreme.
“The ability to look at details and then work with that to smoothen the process of quality execution are essential for any leader. However, people have a tendency to overanalyse details and fall into the trap of paralysis of analysis,” says Subhro Bhaduri, executive vice-president and head of human resources, Kotak Mahindra Bank. If you find your manager obsessing over silly details, say, the font in your rough excel sheet, or getting terribly anxious about a status report that is perfectly on track, feel free to call him a micromanager. He could very well be just another control freak by temperament but, usually, micromanaging is the result of fear, insecurity and lack of trust. A manager may find it hard to delegate responsibilities if he can’t trust his subordinates.
The Helicopter Effect
At the other end of the spectrum are managers who have their eyes glued to the big picture while everything else goes out of focus. According to Arvind Agrawal, president and chief executive, corporate development and HR, RPG Group, good leaders need to possess, in management parlance, the helicopter ability. “You should be able to take an overview from 30,000 ft up and also zoom down to the ground and focus on specifics,” he says.
Atul Sharma, executive vice-president, human resources, and administration at Bajaj Electricals, presents another helicopter analogy, but one which lands on the other side of the argument. He says that micro-managers are akin to hovering, or helicoptering, parents. Just like overprotective parents, some managers tend to contribute much more than what is required and expected, much to the chagrin of their subordinates.
When in Rome... It wouldn’t be wise to disregard your boss just because he has the tendency to micromanage — do so only if it starts getting intrusive, affects your self-esteem or stifles your creativity.
Micromanagement is not a universally detested concept. “It’s a management style dictated by the business you are in,” says Sanjay Gupta, global head of human resources at EXL Services, an outsourcing firm.
When Jobs was fired from Apple in 1985, he was considered a temperamental micromanager. Yet, it was the same man, with perhaps much more interest in minute details than ever before, who rebuilt Apple to become one of the most profitable companies in the world. “He’d say, ‘The third word in the fourth paragraph isn’t right. You might want to think about that one’,” recalls an advertising executive who worked with Jobs during the “Think Different” campaign. Says Gupta: “One product by Apple was bought by millions. There obviously was a need to go into details, build and rebuild the prototype. But it can’t be replicated in a business like ours with almost 500 different products and 18,000 employees.” He suggests that if an employee is subject to micromanagement, instead of flying off the handle, he should evolve a style of working which is agreeable to both.
Alternatively, “gain the manager’s trust by way of quality work and when needed, engage in an honest and upfront dialogue,” suggests Sharma of Bajaj Electricals.
“Successful leaders know where to draw the line. They can effectively zoom in and zoom out, without any hassles to their subordinates,” says Bimal Rath, founder of Think Talent Services, a consulting firm specialising in leadership development and change management. He has a thumb rule to easily spot a micromanager: an efficient manager focuses on the “whys and whats” of a particular task, while a micro-manager spends all his energy on the ‘how’ of it. The learning here? Don’t let your manager doubt your skills. Prove it to him that you know enough; enough, that is, to avoid being micromanaged.
You are Micromanaged
if Your Boss...
Resists delegating responsibilities to the team
Is obsessed with details but misses the big picture
Discourages you from taking even not-soimportant decisions without consulting him
Stifles your creativity and sense of autonomy by intruding too much in your work
Has made you constantly boss-dependent
What You Can Do...
Don’t fight it; you’ll end up getting more of it
Be clear on expectations and outcomes so that there’s no room for doubt
Enhance the trust quotient by increased communication and consistency in deliverables
Assess the engagement and managing pattern of your boss and alter your style accordingly Plan your execution properly so the manager has no room to butt in
If none of the above work, have an upfront chat.
(SUNADA PAUDWAL ET16O1011)
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