4 Key Signs Your Boss Leads With Micromanagement

It doesn’t matter where you’re working from; you could be stuck dealing with a nosy boss or annoying tracking software, as “micromanagement” seems like the newest feature of the hybrid work world. A study from Accountemps found that 59% of workers have been under a micromanaging boss, and of those, the majority reported that it decreased their overall morale and put a damper on their productivity. People even change jobs as a result of horrible micromanagers. So how do you know when you’re confronted with one? And what do you do about it?

What is micromanagement?

According to Gartner’s definition of micromanagement, one’s boss, manager, or superior engages in “excessive supervision and control of employees’ work and processes” in addition to “limited delegation of tasks or decisions to staff.” But these days, micromanagement is a little more complicated. As remote work is still popular, employees can find themselves subject to tracking software that monitors the movement of their mice or keystrokes. This kind of workplace surveillance can also be considered a lighter form of micromanaging, as it inadvertently directs the ways that employees work.

Unfortunately for micromanagers, their style doesn’t exactly keep employees around. Numerous studies show that one of the most significant factors in employee engagement and satisfaction at work is autonomy – the ability for someone to have control over their own schedule, work, and priorities. 

Why is it done?

There is no one answer for why someone is a micromanager. Typically, it depends on the person doing the micromanaging. Primarily, their urge to exert control over subordinates may be due to fears about executing their job correctly. Maybe they feel like they’re in over their head in a leadership role, and to compensate for their fear of failure, they dominate others around them. A micromanager also could be someone who is emotionally illiterate and is often unsure about how to express anger or sadness. When they feel stressed about other aspects of life, about their own workload, or about their job security, they displace those feelings onto their employees or teammates. Unconsciously, there is a wish: “If I have to feel this terrible, everyone else should too.”

When it comes to workplace surveillance software, the micromanagement issue may be more systemic. Rather than just one boss exerting control over your workflow, you’re implicitly controlled by the idea that you could be getting in trouble for doing something “wrong.”

Signs that you’re being micromanaged

1. Nothing is delegated

The first sign that you’re being micromanaged is that your manager is completely unwilling to delegate. Consequently, either tasks are consistently done by the manager, leaving you nothing to do, or they’re done by the employee with the manager observing. Because of this level of investment in every small task, the micromanagers themselves can end up in a tough spot. One study shows that “many micromanagers find themselves at considerable risk of burnout” due to their inability to step away, which could lead to a worse mood – and even more micromanagement.

2. Nothing is private

Next, you’ll know if you’re being micromanaged by the amount of privacy you have in your daily work life. In these situations, you’re being asked to provide constant status reports, to copy the micromanager into every email, and to provide daily check-ins (if not twice a day). You never get a single task to yourself, and no matter what, you feel like you’re always being watched.

3. Nothing is sacred

In some ways, the workplace is a sacred space where one can put aside their busy home lives and exercise their intellect, creativity, and people skills – it’s a place for joyful collaboration and for growth. But to a micromanager, there’s no fun to be had in the workplace. They may present as having a constant bad attitude by complaining, bickering, or being obstinate. There’s no room for innovation with a micromanager because everything is taken as seriously as the manager’s inner emotional life.

4. Nothing is important

With a micromanager, there are no priorities. Everything is treated like a four-alarm fire. Whether you’re doing a routine task or sending out a complicated agenda, the micromanager is constantly putting pressure on you to have the project done exactly the way they want it. With so much of their time accounted for with office housework, big goals can fall by the wayside. And when they’re treated with the gravitas they deserve, it seems like the micromanager is crying wolf, as they seem to get worked up about everything.

Dealing with a micromanager

It can be difficult to deal with an office micromanager, especially when they get in the way of your productivity. Empathy is key in taming this beast. Try to look at the situation with an air of psychological mindfulness – something is bothering the micromanager, and maybe they don’t even know what it is. The only way to deal with their underlying issues of trust is to foster a relationship that the micromanager feels they can utilize.

When it comes to workplace surveillance software, go to the source. Find out who is employing the software or why it’s being used. Whether you’re dealing with a direct micromanager or a group that’s in control of micromanaging programs, you should naturally build a solid bond by spending time with them and trying to understand their motives. In personal cases, open your mind to the possibility that their micromanagement is a reaction to emotional stimuli rather than an intentional way of holding you back. And in systemic cases, try to change policy.