Leading & Micromanaging

Micro-managing can and should be done when it used for training and development purposes. When someone is new to a procedure or concept and their needs to be some on-the-job training micro-managing can be an effective tool. The decision for managers is to know when to step away from the process and let the employee take off on their own. Micro-managing someone when it is not necessary can be seen a as a lock of trust and/or confidence from management in the employee.

Many people do not work well when they are micro-managed depending on their personality type and level of experience. There may be instances with programs or procedures that managers need to be more hands-on and aware of what is happening but that can be done without micro-managed the process every step of the way. My philosophy, as a manager and non-manager, is that if someone is qualified to do the job then make sure they know the goal and what is expected and then release them to produce. This is not to say that you do not keep tabs and stay aware of progress but there are many ways to get the job done. Just because someone does not take the same steps and process that I would does not mean it won't work. Releasing someone to lead without micro-managing gives them a chance to develop their own leadership style and to grow in confidence of their abilities.