How to Get Out of Micromanagement Mode!

“No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it.” - Andrew Carnegie

If you’re reading this, you’ve either recognized you have some micromanagement tendencies, or you’re wondering how to help ‘your friend’ with this problem!

Either way, the good news is, you have everything you need to stop micromanaging!

So let’s get started. First, I want you to think about why you micro manage? Why do you worry about what everyone on your team is doing? What makes you think you need to be copied on everything? Why are you worried about every detail of how someone is doing something?

Most often, we are micromanaging because we don’t trust that someone can do it as well as we can. And you know what - they might not!

We all know that details, quality, and timeliness are important, but if we don’t let go and allow people to learn and grow, what message do you think you are sending to them?

• You guessed it -You’re not good enough

• You’ll never do it to my satisfaction

• I don’t trust you

And what will you end up with?

• People who worry too much about making mistakes and are less efficient

• Team members who give up and won’t bother to do their best because it’s never good enough

• Individuals that don’t trust their team members or anyone else, resulting in silos and less productivity

Knowing why you micromanage and the impact it has will help you look at the situation differently. Your role as a leader is to influence others to be who they have the potential to be. This entails helping your people learn and grow. When you are managing a project, think first about the development potential it has for the people on your team. Be realistic about the time and quality, in relation to the goal of providing opportunities for your people to develop into leaders themselves.

When you change your thoughts and beliefs your actions will follow. So you see, you really do have everything you need to stop micromanaging and start trusting in your team. It’s all about shifting your focus and helping others succeed. Not only will this empower others, it will serve you and your organization’s goals as well!

We learn and grow so much by sharing with each other. I invite you to share what you have done to help yourself eliminate micromanaging, and trust more in the people you serve.

Cheers! Laurie