My manager is micromanaging to death. Help!

Dear Aunty B,

This time last year I promoted a promising young woman to a senior role. She has clear targets to meet and several direct reports who are very competent. While she knows what she is doing, she prefers to do most of it herself.

She has just come to me to complain that her workload is too heavy and she wants another manager to take over a few functions. I have talked to her about micromanaging but she denies she is doing it and says this is just her style.

Is she right? Should I reduce her workload?

Not sure,
Sydney

Dear Not sure,

No, you should not. You need to sit down with her and explain that by micromanaging, in effect her staff are helping her do a bigger job. Instead she needs to lead her staff. Explain to her the difference. Make delegation a key KPI for her. Explain that she needs to make this step up and that her idea of her own “management style” is really an excuse not to change – or an incapacity to change.

And be aware. Micromanagers who cannot delegate act as a barrier to growth. The most effective fast growing businesses devolve power so that most decisions are made where the activity occurs. To create this culture you need people who can make those decisions and lead small teams effectively. That way you get to spend your time on vision and strategy and not writing in to me with this type of issue!

Good luck,
Your Aunty B

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