Micromanagement only leads to demoralization and burnout. At some point, you or your employees will have to throw up the white flag. It’s unsustainable behavior that slows progress and productivity. And let's be honest, during economic turmoil and the Great Recession no one can afford to lose employees due to poor management.
That’s where well-designed systems come in. In this post, you’ll discover chronic signs of micromanaging and how systems put an end to them.
What Are Systems?
We tend to overthink business systems. The truth is, you’re already using them. They simply may not be serving your business well. The tools and processes you use to complete repeatable business activities are your systems. They’re also called Standard Operating Procedures.
Good systems help you work smarter or better. And your habits limit or enhance those systems. The creation of well-built systems helps to eliminate the need for you to keep your finger on every aspect of your business. You get things done your way and the right way without the need for you to always be on task
The following are the results of micromanaging that can be prevented with well-placed systems.
Your People Aren’t Getting Better
Each employee with your organization should demonstrate improved performance during the course of their employment with you. However, if you notice you are always correcting simple mistakes or customers consistently complain, these are red flags. If you haven’t followed an efficient hiring process, then you might be a micromanager.
There are two occasions when micromanaging happens:
Employees are learning so you are helping them get to a place where they can work independently and perform better
You don’t believe the employee can do the job you’ve assigned to them
Micromanaging slows progress and shows mistrust in your staff. You also restrict your team’s ability to work independently and analyze problems on their own. Instead, you want to help employees set goals for improvement and self-correction. Create HR systems to follow an employee’s progress. These systems will help you track all conversations, pain points, and strengths for each employee and develop ways to move forward.
Work Gets Stalled Before It Starts
Micromanaging is sneaky because it makes you feel like you are protecting the work but really you’re only creating more work for yourself—work that may not even be better.
Micromanaging by…
Always needing to be CC’d on emails
Commenting on projects or work before it’s completed or
Redoing completed work
…Will not only irritate your team, it’ll drive them into the arms of their next employer.
Giving your employees room to complete tasks doesn’t mean giving up the occasional quality assurance. But if you’re constantly checking their work along the way, you stunt their growth and make it so they lack the confidence to function without you. If your employees haven’t given you a reason to believe they are underperforming, save feedback for the end of the project. Then, only suggest changes if it enhances the work, not simply because you would've done it differently.
With step-by-step systems created for how you want projects completed, even for FAQs, you are able to get work you’re satisfied with without having to look over someone’s shoulder. Also, taking a step back allows your employees a chance to improve on your systems and make them more efficient.
Delegation Doesn’t Mean Anything
When you are the sole source for approvals, you are also the bottleneck in your business. Delegation doesn’t mean anything if you are still weighing in on every project. Save the work you do for high-level tasks and move your overall business goals forward.
Create a system for delegation to other team members that are able to handle it. It could be that you create a hierarchy in a project management app for who gets informed on a project and when. The added benefit is this recognizes hard-working employees and helps them to feel more valued. For you, that means lower turnover and higher productivity levels.
Your People Are Unengaged
Micromanaging leads to a decrease in morale, engagement, and productivity. If your people are showing less enthusiasm you’ll soon start to notice their body is at work but their mind is on the other side of town. (Reminds me of an O’Jays song that says “your body is here with me but your mind is on the other side of town…🎶”. I love them.)
It’s estimated that a lack of engagement costs companies millions in salaries per year in reduced productivity. Your team needs to feel they are making a contribution to get a sense that they really belong to your organization. If you rob them of that through micromanaging, you both lose.
Leaders understand there are specific do’s and don’ts to manage a successful team. Start by asking your team (individually) how they like to be recognized and begin practicing. A simple system for this could be a newsletter or ending the team meeting with praise. For those that don’t like public recognition, handwritten notes or a cup of coffee will do just fine.
Positions Go Unfilled
People love working with their friends and others they enjoy. Good companies hire quickly because their employees are always ready to offer a referral. 40% of new hires come from employee referrals. If your positions are vacant despite searching for new hires, your low referrals could indicate your employees don’t like working for you.
Create a system of offering referral bonuses on top of improving your leadership style. Make feedback a two-way street. Ask how you can better serve your employees so they not only want to improve but also bring others into the organization as well.
From Micromanager to Efficient Leader
Great leaders know that great teams are nurtured. And great leaders also understand the importance of employing the right tools and systems. Without the right systems in place, you risk either micromanaging or not providing adequate guidance. HR TailorMade is a partner that helps you outsource system creation. You can call it a system for people management. We help by serving as the human resources department for small organizations. But it’s not all process and paperwork. We help you identify and install the systems your business needs to thrive with your team.
Learn more about how we can help you here.