Whenever I talk with employees about the qualities of a bad manager, one item inevitably comes up – micromanagement. Employees do not like being micromanaged. Now that I think about it, Ive never heard anyone say they like being micromanaged.
But whenever Im trying to coach someone who has been labeled a micromanager, their response is “Me? Im not a micromanager. Im just being hands-on. Thats good, right?”
Its true. Being a hands-on manager is considered by most to be a good thing. My definition of a hands-on manager is someone who is willing to do the same work as their employees. Heres an example from my past:
Our human resources manager was responsible for new hire orientation. One day, she was being pulled into several directions and putting out fires. At the end of the day, when she would normally start setting up our training room for orientation, I could tell she was tired. So, I offered to help. She delegated to me the tasks that needed to be done, and I set up the room.
Managing employees is a delicate balancing act. As a manager, you need to provide direction and guidance to your team, but you also need to give them the autonomy to do their work. Walking the line between being hands-on and micromanaging is one of the toughest challenges for any manager. In this article, we’ll break down the key differences between hands-on managers and micromanagers, and provide actionable tips for striking the right balance.
What is a Hands-On Manager?
A hands-on manager takes an active role in managing their employees day-to-day work They are involved and engaged, leading by example Here are some common traits of hands-on managers
- Works closely with employees, often taking on some of the same tasks
- Frequently interacts with staff and provides regular feedback
- Comfortable delegating but also rolls up their sleeves to pitch in
- Prioritizes training, coaching, and developing employees
- Encourages open communication and is accessible to team
Hands-on managers make an effort to understand the ins and outs of their employees’ work They don’t just tell their team what to do from the sidelines, they work directly with staff to show them how it’s done
This leadership style has many benefits. Hands-on managers build rapport and trust with employees by working alongside them. They gain first-hand knowledge of processes and workflows that informs their management decisions. Employees feel supported knowing they can go to their manager for guidance.
However, hands-on managers need to be careful not to cross the line into micromanaging. Their involvement should aim to develop staff and strengthen teamwork, not stifle employees.
What is a Micromanager?
Micromanagers take hands-on management to the extreme. They exert excessive control over their employees by closely overseeing work and dictating exactly how tasks should be done. Common micromanagement behaviors include:
- Constantly looking over employees’ shoulders as they work
- Obsessively monitoring productivity and progress
- Providing excessive feedback, often criticizing small details
- Jumping in to “take over” on tasks vs letting employees figure it out
- Struggling to delegate tasks and responsibilities
Unlike hands-on managers who collaborate with staff, micromanagers essentially don’t trust their employees to do the job right. Their excessive oversight aims to ensure work is being done according to their standards.
But this extreme level of control has many downsides:
- Employees feel belittled and demotivated
- Micromanaging wastes manager’s time better spent on strategy
- Employees don’t develop skills and ownership of their work
- Team creativity and problem solving is stifled
- High employee turnover due to low morale
The key difference between being hands-on and micromanaging comes down to empowerment. Hands-on managers aim to empower their team to succeed. Micromanagers disempower employees by not allowing them to work independently.
Why Micromanaging Happens
Before we discuss tips to avoid micromanaging, it’s important to understand why some managers default to this limiting style. Common reasons include:
Desire for Control
Some managers feel an innate need to control every aspect of their employees’ work. This stems from perfectionism tendencies, the desire for things to be done their way, and simply not trusting others.
Lack of Delegation Skills
Delegating effectively is a learned skill. Some managers struggle to hand off tasks and responsibilities, feeling like they could do it better and faster themselves.
Poor Time Management
Micromanagers often have poor time management skills. They focus too much time on lower level task oversight versus important management priorities.
Lack of Confidence in Employees
A manager may micromanage certain employees they perceive to be lower performers. Their heavy-handed oversight aims to compensate for the employee’s shortcomings.
Striving for Consistency
Some managers micromanage to ensure work quality and output is consistent across their team. However, this excessive standardization can reduce creativity.
Comfort Zone
For managers who were previously individual contributors, micromanaging can seem comfortable. After all, they are likely skilled at the hands-on work.
Being aware of what motivates micromanagement tendencies is the first step to overcoming them.
Tips to Avoid Micromanaging
Striking the right balance between engaged leadership and micromanagement is crucial for managers. Here are some practical tips:
Hire competent staff – having confidence in your team’s abilities reduces the need to micromanage. Spend time ensuring you have capable staff in place.
Delegate effectively – work on delegating tasks and responsibilities to employees completely. Provide clear direction and expectations but give them the autonomy to execute.
Set goals and trust your team – agree on goals and key results with staff but allow them flexibility in how they achieve outcomes. Trust their judgement.
Give big picture context – employees feel empowered when they understand how their work ladders up to team and company objectives. Share that vision.
Focus your attention strategically – resist getting bogged down monitoring day-to-day tasks. Spend your time on higher leverage priorities and coaching.
Ask questions vs give directives – avoids dictating every step by asking guiding questions and letting employees come up with solutions.
Establish processes and standards – reduces need to micromanage by having sound processes in place. Ensure employees are trained on those standards.
Communicate with transparency – excessive oversight can stem from poor communication. Frequently share status updates and provide constructive feedback.
Model leadership behaviors – lead by example. Demonstrate you trust your team to do great work by giving them autonomy with guardrails.
Value progress over perfection – micromanagers obsess over details and paralyze teams striving for flawless output. Focus more on continuous improvement.
Signs You May Be Micromanaging
It’s easy to slip into micromanaging tendencies without realizing it. Watch out for these signs that you may be falling into the excessive oversight trap:
- You spend more time on task work than strategic priorities
- Employees constantly come to you with questions vs thinking independently
- Staff seem afraid to make a mistake and overly seek your approval
- You correct people’s work down to the smallest details
- You struggle to let go of key tasks and decisions
- You have high employee turnover and low morale
Being self-aware of your own management style and actively working to empower your team is critical. Also, don’t be afraid to ask your employees for honest feedback on your delegation and leadership approach. Strive for continuous improvement as a manager focused on developing your team.
Hands-On Management Best Practices
Aim to strike that delicate balance between engaged leadership and micromanagement. Here are some best practices for hands-on management:
Set clear goals and expectations – provide clarity on what success looks like and key results expected. Check in on progress.
Coach and develop capabilities – actively train your team and build their skills, don’t just criticize.
Lead by example – be willing to roll up your sleeves and work directly with staff when needed.
Frequently communicate – keep your team looped in on priority projects and discuss blockers.
Empower smart risk-taking – give employees flexibility to determine best approach and support prudent risk taking.
Ask questions and listen – resist providing all the answers. Ask thoughtful questions to guide staff and foster critical thinking.
Provide support and cover – make it clear you have your employees’ backs as they tackle tough assignments.
Focus oversight strategically – reserve heavy involvement for new hires or struggling employees who need extra guidance.
Solicit feedback – check in regularly with staff on your management style and room for improvement.
With the right balance of involvement, communication, and empowerment, you can realize the benefits of hands-on management while avoiding the pitfalls of micromanaging your team. The most effective managers are leaders who build trust, develop talent, and give employees the room to thrive.
The difference between a hands-on manager and a micromanager
On the flip side, a micromanager is a person who gets too involved in the work possibly to the point of keeping the work from being completed. Let me share another example from my corporate days:
Years ago, I worked for a manager who asked us to shred all of our paper trash. On one hand, I get it – were human resources and theres the possibility of sensitive info being on a piece of paper. However, one day I got called into his office and reprimanded because I was shredding paper in the wrong direction. It appears that after everyone left, he would go through our trash and try to piece the shredded documents back together.
Where this situation leans toward micromanagement is when my boss started spending his evenings piecing together shredded papers. If there was a concern, there are other ways to address it (like crosscut shredders).
His actions were keeping the department focused on the wrong thing. Instead of the focus being on employee privacy and security, his actions shifted the focus to shredding.
The key difference between being a hands-on manager and a micromanager is trust . If we trust our team, then were comfortable jumping into their process and helping out. In fact, we might learn a new and better way to doing things.
How to deal with a micromanager
Notice above I said “their process” – meaning the process the team developed. When we dont trust our team, were only comfortable when we control the process. Hence, being a micromanager.
This is an important distinction to understand, especially if youre trying to confront micromanaging behavior. Essentially, youre asking someone to give up control and thats not always an easy thing for someone to do.
When dealing with a micromanager, here are a couple things to remember:
1. Look for areas of consistency. Sometimes control and consistency are synonymous. Demonstrating that a situation or process will be handled in a consistent fashion can give a micromanager comfort.
2. Anticipate the next step. In my career, I found it helpful to share my next steps with micromanagers. It lets them know Im thinking ahead, and I can be held responsible for the situation.
3. Build a relationship. Its tempting to avoid the micromanager. Ultimately, youll want to address this issue with the person. But you cant do it until you have a relationship that allows for open feedback.
MY BOSS IS A MICROMANAGER | How to deal with micromanagers
What is the difference between hands-on managers and micromanagers?
Hands-on managers and micromanagers have distinct approaches to supervising employees. While each style involves a boss being very active in his management role, a hands-on manager generally is viewed as more favorable to employees. Leading by example without intruding on the talents and work of employees typically leads to management success.
What makes a good micromanager?
Often, micromanagers struggle to set boundaries, and they supervise employees closely as they complete tasks. However, hands-on managers stay involved with their employees while setting boundaries. They trust their employees and give them freedom to complete their work while staying available if their employees need help.
What are the characteristics of a micromanager?
A micromanager is a manager who is highly involved with their employees and supervises them excessively. This type of manager usually has good intentions and cares about the success of their team, but they could improve their management by giving their employees more freedom. You can identify this type of leader by spotting characteristics like:
What is a hands-on manager?
A hands-on manager is a manager who interacts with their employees frequently and stays highly involved in their workplace. Hands-on managers give their employees the freedom to do their jobs, but they intervene when necessary. Often, hands-on managers do the same work as their employees, and they know how to lead by example.
