How Micromanagement May Sabotage Success

Last Updated May 6, 2019

Businesses today often rely on workers to consistently innovate and respond to problems efficiently. Unfortunately, employees can sometimes find their hands tied by micromanagers who stifle creativity and reduce response times. In order to ensure that workers are operating effectively, it is important to give them the space to work and not try to have a hand in every one of their tasks.

Micromanagement tends to stem from a manager’s lack of trust in their workers. When someone micromanages, they may do so with the belief that their way is the only way to succeed.

However, this method of leadership can betray the sense that workers do not have the foresight or intelligence to find their own solutions to problems, and this can significantly hinder their workflow. Here we’ll highlight several specific dangers of micromanaging and explain how to correct it.  

6 Dangers of Micromanaging

Reduces self-esteem – When workers are constantly told that they need to do something differently, they may believe they lack the ability to reach the same conclusion on their own. This can reduce their sense of worth in an organization and make them feel like they frequently make mistakes.

Discourages innovation – Innovation typically happens when people are allowed the freedom to create solutions to problems. When employees are not allowed this freedom, they may not have the time or energy to come up with something new. Why think outside the box when your manager is only going to tell you to do it another way?

Harms morale – Take the above two points and apply them to the organization as a whole, and what you often have is a workplace with low morale. Employees should enjoy the feeling of autonomy and individual responsibility. If employees feel they cannot do anything without manager input, the culture of the organization may suffer.

Raises company turnover – Reduced morale affects more than just the mood of the workplace; it can also raise the possibility that disgruntled employees will leave the organization and look for new job opportunities where they may have more freedom to think for themselves.

Wastes time – When a manager spends a lot of time giving input and tweaking employee workflows, it can drastically slow down employee response time. In a business environment where speed is key, it is crucial that employees can act without so much interfacing with bosses.

Limits promotion potential – Micromanaging may also be frowned upon by executives. If an organization’s leaders see one of their managers with too much of a hand in employee projects, they may pass this manager up for promotion. Micromanaging can hurt not just the employees on the receiving end, but also the career of the manager enforcing it.

Resist the Temptation

For organizations wanting to retain talented employees and foster an environment where workers feel they can think creatively, it is crucial that managers learn to trust their employees. While micromanagers may believe they are helping, the truth is that micromanagement harms far more often than it helps.

If you believe that you have a tendency to micromanage, take the time to examine how it affects the mood of your employees and try to scale it back. It may go against your natural management tendencies, but the organization and team morale will likely see positive changes.