The problem with micromanagers in the modern workplace

AS AN employee, they’re your worst nightmare and the modern workplace is only making things worse.

Some employees stop taking initiative as a way to get back at their micromanager. Picture: Thinkstock

AS AN employee, they're your worst nightmare.

A micromanager who breathes down your neck and triple checks everything you do.

But the modern workplace is making conditions worse for micromanagers and their staff, and experts say the problem is extremely difficult to solve.

Organisational psychologist Travis Kemp says micromanagers are anxious about their job and their responsibilities.

This, combined with the push towards more flexible work environments, is making micromanaging a major issue for companies.

"Most micromanagers aren't supportive of flexible work practices. They want very predictable structures and hierarchies," Dr Kemp said.

Micromanagers have a need for control which stems from their anxious leadership tendencies.

"But the more we encourage creativity and building organisations that are less hierarchical, the more severe their anxiety becomes, and the more they're going to micromanage. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy," Dr Kemp said.

Have you ever worked for a micromanager? Leave a comment below.

The problem is enhanced by the fact that managers today aren't properly trained how to lead.

"There's clearly a gap in how we promote and choose managers. Most are promoted because they're subject matter experts or technically competent so we assume they'll be good managers but that's a ridiculous assumption," Dr Kemp said.

Micromanaging also becomes more prevalent in companies that are struggling financially, said organisational psychologist Leanne Faraday-Brash.

"If managers are asked to make big cost savings, the amount of checks and sign offs increase and things might be tightened which can be seen as micromanaging," Ms Faraday-Brash said.

Ms Faraday-Brash said micromanaging is more common in lower levels of management, such as supervisors and first line mangers.

"It's more likely to happen at lower levels when somebody who was in a practitioner role has been promoted to an overseer role," she said.

Some employees stop taking initiative as a way to get back at their micromanager. Picture: Thinkstock

But why do people micromanage? A lot of it has to do with the personality of the manager, but it also reflects how much trust the manager has in their staff to do their job properly.

"Obviously people have different personalities and thinking styles. Some people by definition have a much bigger preference for details and are task-oriented. Other people are much more into conceptual things and the bigger picture," Ms Faraday-Brash said.

Sometimes micromanagers have risen up in an organisation but struggle to let go of their old job because it's their comfort zone.

Other times, it's because they think the person who replaced them isn't good enough.

"Sometimes they know they need to let go of job but they know the incumbent is not as experienced as them. So they get involved and undermine the confidence and authority of their people."

On the flip side, sometimes bludging employees falsely accuse their seniors of micromanaging.

"People can feel they're being micromanaged when the manager is simply trying to keep them accountable because the person is not performing well," Ms Faraday-Brash said.

"For someone who's had a very free reign at work for a long time, any attempt by a manager to find out what they're up to or adhere to deadline might be perceived as micromanaging when it's not."

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The effects of micromanaging are widespread. Employees can become resentful, allege they're being bullied, or actually start to perform badly due to the pressure.

"Some people don't perform very well when someone is breathing down their neck. The scrutiny can bring about an actual decline in performance when a person feels so pressured about making a mistake," Ms Faraday-Brash said.

Over time, micromanaging starts to stifle initiative.

"If a manager is scrutinising someone closely and is disapproving of their ideas they can become disheartened," Ms Faraday-Brash said.

"In psychology it's called learned helplessness - a fear of sticking your neck out and getting in trouble.

Some employees stop taking initiative as a way to get back at their micromanager.

"They wait to be told what to do before they do anything," she said.

But the problem is hard to tackle because it's not always seen as a problem by senior leaders.

"People tend to get rewarded for demonstrating high levels of accountability. People think they have to know everything about everyone in every aspect of a business," Dr Kemp said.

"Micromanagers by definition are not open, they're rigid and stuck in their belief systems and their perspectives. We need to look at how we deal with the fundamental problem and the answer to that is a much deeper and complex intervention in their thinking.

"It's much more than just management training."

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