02 Aug 5 Tips On How To Deal With Micromanagement

Being micromanaged is an unfortunate working situation that can sometimes be harder to spot and certainly harder to fix. It can make your job more difficult, can make you feel untrusted and it can stifle your creativity.

Understand failings and mitigate them

Can you see where there might have been failings in the communication process, or in a recent project that you have done, that may have contributed to you being micro-managed? Do your best to understand these possible failings and then put a proactive process in place with your manager, to prevent this from reoccurring – and to hopefully win back some trust.

Empathise with their situation

Maybe your line manager is under pressure from their manager to deliver a project that you’re contributing to? As a result, they’re passing the stress down the food chain. Can you open a channel of communication, to talk about what issues your manager may be facing and how you might be able to change the way you work, to alleviate such issues and in return reduce pressure on yourself?

Communicate thoroughly and regularly

If you’re finding yourself being micro-managed, open up for direct communication. Communicate with your manager on a regular basis, explaining what you’re doing and why – and give them realistic outcomes so they know what to expect. It will relax them and in return give you a sense of fulfilment, so that you can carry on with your day-to-day duties unhindered.

Understand and manage expectations

When given a brief to take on an item of work, make sure you ask plenty of questions to best understand their expectations. Ensure you understand any goals, expected outcomes and targets that might affect the work that you are doing, so that you can work to the best of your ability and deliver as expected.

Be confident in your ability, ask for feedback not permission

Remember you are there for your skills and experience. Apply them properly and don’t ask for permission when it’s not needed. A better way to approach the situation is to carry out the work that is required of you and then explain why you’ve done it that way, what it’s likely to achieve and then open it up to feedback.