Three ways to recognize when you’re micromanaging and what to do about it

We’ve all had (or at least heard about) that boss… the one who sends the “just wanted to make sure” email after they’ve already double-checked, the one who asks us if we’ve thought of the thing that of course we already thought of, the micromanager who just won’t let up. 

When we launched our businesses and became a leader of teams, we vowed we’d NEVER become that person. 

Then, the reality of running a team sets in: we’ve had to hire quickly without having a ton of time to onboard, we’re covering for responsibilities we haven’t been able to train people up on yet, there are specific ways we want things to get done because we know it’s the best for the business or our clients. 

And it hits us - AM I A MICROMANAGER?

From driving team operations in tech giants like Google and Apple to consulting with small businesses, I’ve narrowed in on three tell-tale signs that we might be falling into the trap of micromanaging, and what to do about them. 

Signal #1 - You’re in every meeting

While you take pride in your ability to masterfully color code your calendar down to the second, when your Shift key keeps getting stuck because you’ve been using your laptop as a placemat for the last six months, even you realize you need a little space.

Why? Because you, my friend, are in EVERY SINGLE MEETING. When we find ourselves running from team meeting to sales call to client meeting to 1:1s without time to do the actual work that has to get done, it’s time to let go. 

How to fix this?

Take a look at your calendar and get honest with yourself about which meetings you ABSOLUTELY have to be, ones you can hand off to team members, and ones that maybe aren’t even needed at all. For meetings, you can hand off, identify someone or a set of folks on your team to take it over, then connect with them to set any expectations needed for that meeting as well as a plan for how you’ll stay in the loop. For example, if a team member is taking over a client meeting and you still need to know where the project is headed, ask them to share notes and any open questions or decisions after each meeting. Regularly audit your calendar for meetings that can be removed… and remove them. 

Signal #2 - You’re making every decision

I haven’t met a single business owner who hasn’t identified being “too far in the weeds” as a challenge they’re struggling with. One of the places where this can show up the most is around decision-making. 

Yes, the business is our baby. Yes, we usually do know a quick and simple way to solve a problem. And yes, we kind of enjoy calling the shots. But there is nothing more disempowering to our team members than when we make every little decision about the work they’re responsible for. Our team members start to think, “What am I even here for?”

How to fix this?

In the same vein as our calendar audit, take an honest look at all of the decisions you’re making on a daily basis, big and small. Identify the ones that only you can make (we’re talking 2-3 at most), then offload the rest to your team members based on the work they’re responsible for. Set clear expectations for when and how you want to weigh in, how escalations should come your way, and how decisions should be communicated to you and your broader team. As your team members’ decision-making prowess increases, your workload decreases; empowering them to step up proactively as a leader while making your job SO. MUCH. EASIER.

Signal #3 - People are LITERALLY asking you for more work

This signal comes from my personal experience with a manager back in the corporate world, and the more I shared it the more common I found it was. There are often times when our team members are asking us for more responsibility, but we’re hanging on so tight that we completely miss the sign.

High-performing team members like being challenged, they want to take more on. When they are asking us to let go, we have to listen and take action. 

How to fix this?

Look across your team and think about the strengths and superpowers of each of your team members. Ask them about their career goals in order to understand where they want to be going. Based on this, identify a list of tasks and responsibilities that you could offload that lean into those skills and goals, and start handing stuff off. The best way to delegate is when we connect the work to something that matters to the team members. 

When we address these three issues, not only will our team members be happier, we will learn they are so much more capable of taking more on than we gave them credit for and we can finally tap into their full potential.

Overview

When it comes to leading our teams, none of us want to be micromanagers; but how do we recognize when we've become one? Here are three signs:

1- We are in all of the meetings

2- We are making all of the decisions

3- Our team members are asking us for more work

By recognizing these signs and making the simple shifts we talk about in this article, we can get out of the weeds, stop micromanaging, and start empowering our team members.

About The Author

Lia Garvin, the “Team Whisperer” provides business owners and team leaders with simple strategies and tools to communicate better with their teams, reduce overwhelm as managers, and turn their employees into profit-generating machines. She is the 2x bestselling author of The Unstoppable Team and Unstuck, TEDx speaker, host of the top podcast Managing Made Simple, and team operations consultant with experience leading team operations within Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Bank of America. She is a sought-after expert in the media, featured across Inc, FastCompany, ABC News, CNN Business, Forbes, US News & World Report, HBR, Yahoo, and TV News.

Work with Lia: https://www.liagarvin.com

Connect with Lia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin