MICRO MANAGER? OR CONTROL FREAK?? YOU Know Who You are!

       If you know (or suspect) that you're a micromanager and want to change, you need to understand why you're micromanaging and develop skills to allow your team to produce while you focus on leading.

Whether you're a star performer who was promoted to management or you're managing in a new area where you haven't done the work yourself, micromanagement can creep in. There are many drivers, such as loss of control or a sense of inadequacy. These all arise from the same inner issue: fear.

Why fear? Ask yourself: "If I don't micromanage, what could happen?"

Team members could make mistakes. They might not do the work as well as you would. They may do it in a different way than you did; their way might be even better, which could make you feel less valuable. Or maybe micromanaging is the only way you know how to manage. If you stop doing it, then you won't know what you should do. What's worse, your boss and peers may see that you don't know what you're doing. When you think about these possibilities, how are you reacting inside? Does your "fight or flight" response kick in?

The problem with fears is that they lurk just below the surface and remain unexamined. When you become conscious of them, they lose their power. Have a look at what worries you and assess how realistic it is. For fears that have a lot of power over you, create alternate responses. For example, instead of "their way is different, so they must be wrong," try: "Their way brings new possibilities, which reflects well on me as their leader." Once you have addressed any limiting fears, it's time to change your behavior.

Your goal is to have a successful team. To do that, you need team members who perform well and a team leader who leads them to success.

Part 1: Focus on communication and trust.

To help your team members excel, try these tips:

- Assign tasks that include clear, specific and time-bound expectations.
- Allow employees to develop the specifics of how they'll accomplish the task.
- Set up status reporting that fits the scope of the assignment. (Beware of burdensome reporting, a classic sign of micromanagement.)
- Let employees know that you're trying to change, and give them a safe way to point it out if you slip.

Part 2: Be a leader.

Try the term "microleader." You never hear it, because it makes no sense! The language of management lends itself to command-and-control approaches that no longer work in many environments. Instead, leadership skills bring more value and will increase satisfaction for everyone, including you. Options include:

- Investing in each employee through coaching, challenging work and development.
- Removing barriers to success that your team members face.
- Expressing a meaningful vision that helps team members see the value of their contributions.

Most team members don't want or need to be hovered over. As you let go of fears about creating a different type of relationship with your team, you'll break your micromanagement habit.

Micromanagers like many addicts, alcoholics, rageaholics, fanatics, etc. are the last person on the planet to recognize their addiction is in controlling others. The compulsion to look over your employee's shoulders has nothing to do with being meticulous or careful it has everything to do with control. Yes you. That's right I'm talking to you El Presidente. Your employees are calling you much worse. For example, ruler, extremist, bureaucrat, tyrant, bully, persecutor, tormenter. And trust me, those are the nice names. People who micromanage do so because they are the ones who feel unsure and self-doubting.

All-in-all micromanagement is a pathological reaction of paranoia and associated feelings of insecurity and distrust. Being incompetent PIMM rightly feels that that his position is threatened but he/she has no constructive ways to react to this threat. Instead the reaction became highly pathological: gatekeeping (blocking all alternative information flows that does not directly comes from the manager), making all important decisions himself and at the same time requiring frequent detailed reports and data, obsessive preoccupation with procedural details (project plans seems to be the favorite pasture). Further, such manager while in completely basic in theirs technical skills (often grossly incompetent with the level of over-promoted secretary) are unable to understand technical discussions and distinguish good suggestions from bad. To compensate this gross inadequacy they try to over-procedurally everything hoping that this will guarantee making the right decision and prevent exposing their gross incompetence.

This page is written as a self-help material for those who need to buy some time or are unwilling or incapable to leave ASAP.  It is important to understand that it such situation you cannot hide in your cubicle; this is a war more resembling hand combat in the trenches. Do not take your situation lightly. This is very serious and despite your best efforts you might be not able to survive for long.  Unless you are prepared on the level of Green Berets (which should become your role model anyway, at least as long as you stay in this environment ;-) you might not be in the same office the next month or even the next week. If you want to stay (for example buying your time to obtain some important certification) you might be suffering post traumatic stress syndrome like many solders who spent some time at the front lines: chronic stress destroys most humans really fast. 

STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!