How To Deal with a Micromanager
“Micromаnаging: the аrt of overаnаlyzing other people’s productivity to concеаl one’s own usеlеssnеss.” -Redditor
WorkHero can’t take credit for this quote, but it well encapsulates how most people feel about micromanagers. A while back, we saw a Reddit post where an employee detailed how his boss’s request to micromanage clock-in times backfired since the employee was never allied with his manager and was planning to leave the company. After the Robinhood of micromanaged employees everywhere solidified his plans to leave his company, he liberated his co-workers by using the rules of overtime pay, authority, and knowledge of finance to beat his micromanager at his own game.
But not everyone has another opportunity lined up and/or can afford to engage in The Hunger Games at work. So, what can we do to deal with a micromanager?
We can vent to our co-workers, friends, family, and local coffee shop barista. We can speculate on when they might quit or get fired. (If they’re tenured, good luck with that one.) Or we can just suck it up — it is what it is. None of these approaches are particularly satisfying, but they’re human.
True, you can’t control what they do. But you can control what you do, and that’s where your power is. Here are some tips on how to deal with your micromanager:
1) Perspective
The cause of the micromanaging might not have anything to do with you. There could be pressure coming from the “top,” or perhaps there are other team members who need more “supervision” than others, and the manager can’t single out one person, so everyone is subjected to micromanagement. (Not like that makes it any better, but stay with us on this one). Maybe the manager is obsessive with a 5-minute clock-in and out because they truly have nothing better to do. Either way, it’s a poor way to manage employees, and their management style is likely contributing to a toxic work environment.
2) Assess
A lot of micromanaging boils down to a lack of trust in employees, which may or may not be justified. Is your workplace culture one that is based in fear and lack of trust? Is it confined to the team? Are you the only target of micromanaging? Is there a history of micromanaging and stressing everyone out? Is there high turnover? When you assess and get a handle on things, it can help inform your coping and action strategy.
3) Write
Document what is being micromanaged. (If you need some tips on how, watch how your micromanager does it. That’s your best teacher!) This will help you identify patterns and outcomes. What is the micromanager gaining from behaving the way they do?
4) Meet
This may be a tough one, but it’s worth a try. Avoid an adversarial tone and ask if you’ve done anything to cause (insert behavior here) and if there’s anything you can improve on in such a way that could result in positive adjustments. (Play the long game!) This meeting might yield some positive results, and at the very least show that you calmly and professionally attempted to resolve your own concern.
5) Movement
Identify a person “above” your boss whom you can talk to about your concerns. Also consider requesting a transfer or schedule change if leaving your job isn’t an option. Above all, manage your anxiety and stress that is often associated with dealing with a micromanager. None of this is fun, but being proactive will ensure you don’t feel as useless as your micromanager may be (per the Reddit unofficial definition of the micromanager).
One more thing worth saying: sometimes none of this works. You can document, meet, request a transfer, and manage your stress perfectly — and the micromanager is still there on Monday morning, doing exactly what they’ve always done. If that’s your reality, it might be time to have an honest conversation with yourself about whether this environment is worth staying in. No set of coping strategies is a substitute for a workplace that actually respects you.
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