Micro-Management is the signal saying 'you are incapable
of holding the responsibilities so we kept you held accountable for what you
do'. It kills innovation. Innovation, which is the key to creep-out from
competition. Control-obsessed managers ruin their colleagues' confidence, hurt
their performance, and frustrate them to the point where they quit. Respecting
individual’s thoughts are pre-requisite of inclusion and independence.
When companies proudly says their professional are extremely
talented, it’s better to believe in their talent. Professionals need to know
what to do, NOT how to do. Under micro management, often professional become
diffident, mechanical, unmotivated and possibly ever paralysed. Let the people
do what they are hired for. Effective managers don’t hire people who are cloned
to themselves. They hire people who are supplement to their skills to enhance
the quality of deliverables.
Varied numbers of situations where micro management is
preferred ranges from managers’ controlling mindset to employer’s inefficiency.
The gap need to be filled between the managers of high experience and resources
with relatively low experience. Trust your employees and provide them resources
required to do their jobs quickly and efficiently.
A new manager received a challenging task from the top management
where deliverables needed to be sent to leadership. This task was once failed
from one of the professional who worked independently on this project. So
providing freedom to another professional was a matter of great risk. This
manager analysed the causes of failure. Though, the professional was skilful and
motivated there were lack of clear goals, improper communication with management
and ineffective interaction with the other stakeholders of the deliverable. Had
it been micro managed the project would be successful? No! If it had been
controlled by the delivery manager, who is incapable of understanding the technicalities
of the project, the professional won’t be able to stretch his skills. So
controlled environment was not the answer however focus was required.
With a handful of key notes and few results, the manager
decided run the project through a professional who is capable of delivering the
project with required quality. The goals
were set clearly with the feasible timelines after open discussion with the
professional. The project was started and it was the time to encourage the
employee. How this can be done? Open talk? Visiting his/her desk often? NO. Listen and encourage opinions. Opinions
may not be correct but direct rejection may obstruct the flow of creativity of
the employee. Employees are closest to a lot of the work being done, so
carefully consider their suggestions about how to run things. Ask question
positively. This will ensure the feeling of trust which is the best way to
build healthier relationship.
Second step the manager applied was to provide the necessary Resources required for the completion
of the project. Third and last tool was Transparency
and Inclusion, NOT just communication. Transparency is required to understand
the big picture of the department or organization at large. Help the employee
to understand this big picture. The idea is, there should not be more than one
versions of requirements from the stakeholders and what is shared with employee.
It’s only inspire inclusion but also it will induce the sense of responsibility
in the employees. Pushing employees to the activities in which they are not
good at, is not a good strategy of inclusion. But empower them in something
they are good at, is true inclusion.
Motivated employee and visionary manager can deliver any
project on time with superior quality, so did the above duo. When micro-management is the answer to any question better rephrase the question.
