•Fear is powerful and causes people to do unreasonable things without thinking.
•The art started somewhere – there is a root. To understand the micromanager, we must first find out why they do what they do.
First things first: the root of micromanaging is fear. This information is vital to all involved, especially the micromanager.
The art started somewhere – there is a root. To understand the micromanager, we must first find out why they do what they do.
Fear is powerful and causes people to do unreasonable things without thinking. In 2014, the Daily Mail wrote the story of a pastor in South Africa who convinced his congregation to eat grass.
Grown men and women ate grass like cattle because of fear – people would do anything under fear’s grip.
From this perspective, we understand the micromanager. However, fear is no excuse because people suffer when micromanaged. So, can the micromanager stop or minimise their display? Here are three helpful principles.
Investigate Your Fears: Micromanager, what are your fears? Where are your fears coming from? What happened to you that made you become this person? These are important questions that can help us get to the root of the micromanagement.
As you investigate, you will begin to see the loopholes in your strategy. It will become clear to you why people dislike your management style. Most importantly, you will start to notice how you hurt people daily. Learning about your fears would open the human element, and you would understand the struggles of those who work with you. I dare you to face your fears and see what you will find.
Ask for Help: Lessons learned from your investigation positions you to ask your team, colleagues, and those around you for help. Letting go of the habit of micromanaging can be tough; you need help. Discuss your findings with those concerned, ask for their feedback and have them help you craft a strategy to fight micromanagement – let your team become your support system. Also, agree on clear boundaries and how they can hold you accountable when you get out of line. Furthermore, if you need professional help to deal with your fears, get it.
Learn to Delegate: This is not about merely passing on work to another, but first understanding the essence of delegation and then assigning tasks – this is how you slowly step back. Also, delegation means that you would be patient with employees as they make mistakes, learn, and grow. Yes, letting go may be difficult but necessary if you want to grow your leadership influence. Delegation helps you prioritize and focus on what matters to your role. Micromanager, it is okay to let people help you succeed in leadership.
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