6 situations which validate micromanagement
Micromanagement is no fun — be it for employees or bosses. Studies have indicated that people who think they are being watched tend to perform less than others. It has been seen that micromanagers are pushed by the need to stay on top of situations and are afraid of being held accountable for the poor performance of others. Micromanaging comes with its set of disadvantages that include thwarting learning and creativity, hindering skills evaluation, and a waste of human resources. Losing the trust of employees and causing your own burnout are the other dangers micromanagement brings with it.
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However, there are times when micromanagement becomes a necessity due to circumstances or the complexity of a particular project. Here are a few situations where leaders or managers need to step up and ensure that the team is on the right path to success.
Winds of change
At times when there are changes in the company strategy, or restructuring of operations takes place, supervisors will have to provide the necessary guidance until everyone in the team has adapted to the changes. If the manager is replaced with a new one in the midst of a project, then that individual will have to micromanage to ensure that everyone falls in with their line of thinking and functioning.
New clients, projects
When an organisation ventures into uncharted territories, such as with new clients or products, there is a need for sufficient direction to ensure that everything goes smoothly. Team members will have to be familiarised with new methodologies or other requirements, and this is when a manager has to get more involved than usual.
Taking over
When someone who has been entrusted with the responsibility of completing a task or executing a project fails to meet the target, the onus is on the leader to get it done. When the deadline for desired results passes or an employee lacks the ability to tackle a problem on their own, the leader has to step in.
Maintaining customer relationships
Customer service issues that are escalated will have to be handled personally by managers. Such problems will have to be taken seriously and resolved at the earliest to retain customer trust.
Fostering collaboration
Throwing together senior and junior team members can prove a learning experience for both and will increase efficiency. Experienced employees keeping an eye on the tasks completed by their juniors, at least in the initial stages, will give better results. It also encourages collaboration between members of a team and works to the benefit of the company.
Poor results
Good results are essential to the growth of a company. If failing constantly or delivering weak outputs becomes a habit, then the manager will be forced to take over and attempt a turnaround for the preservation of the organisation.
Acting as per the situation is the key to success in micromanaging. To offset employee resentment when micromanaging becomes inevitable, make it clear that you get involved only when the situation is precarious. Explain to your subordinates why your involvement has become necessary and provide insights on how this can be avoided in future.