Micromanagement is not just a fancy term practiced in organizations; there’s a complete psychology behind it. 

But before we make quick judgments about whether it’s good or bad, let’s check out: 

  • What is micromanagement?
  • How does it impact your employee’s performance? 
  • What does the research say about it? Is it healthy for your workplace or not? 

Besides, there’s a bonus at the end, so track us below!

Read: Mindset Coaching And How Is It Beneficial For A Peaceful Life?

What is Micromanagement? 

Micromanagement is a leadership style in which an employee’s performance is continuously analyzed, and each move is observed. 

Furthermore, micromanagers keep an eye on the employee and take all the aspects of projects under their control. 

So, it might cause an employee to feel distress and spoil their creativity. But, in some cases, it’s good, like for training new team members. 

Read: 6 Tips To Deal With A Toxic Boss Without Quitting

How to Spot Micromanagement? (Major Signs) 

It’s not easy to spot micromanagement, but the following signs can help you out in this regard: 

  • Excessive criticism, 
  • Constant monitoring,
  • A high turnover rate,  
  • Reluctance in delegation, 
  • Demands continuous updates or check-ins,
  • Approval is needed on almost all decisions, 
  • They don’t get satisfied until they do the task by themselves. 

Causes of Micromanagement

Remember, micromanagers don’t have bad intentions, but their inefficient process of handling things can be bothersome for their team members. 

Mostly, they don’t get satisfied if the work is done in their absences. This type of behavior can result due to different reasons like: 

  • Perfectionism,
  • Bad leadership qualities, 
  • Inefficient team members, 
  • Lack of trust in their team members,  
  • A mindset like their work is superior to their team.

Employees with better performance are promoted to higher positions without providing proper training in leadership/management. 

So, they don’t know much about how to manage a team and handle different situations. Due to the lack of preparation, specific issues like micromanagement are raised. 

Research about the Psychological Impacts of Micromanagement 

Harvard Business School states that micromanaging employees makes them vulnerable to anxiety, despair and stress. 

Furthermore, a survey was done by the staffing agency Accountemps, and here are the results: 

  • 59% of employees reveal that they have worked with a micromanager,
  • 68% claimed it decreases their morale, 
  • & 55 percent reported it hurt their productivity. 

A study found that long-term micromanagement leads to a reduction in productivity and creativity. 

Besides, another study done by Academics had similar findings that micromanagement leads to lower creativity and innovation and reduces problem-solving abilities. 

Also, micromanagement increases employee turnover, which is a waste of resources and time.

Read: Dissociation Vs Disassociation; What’s The Difference?

Positive Impacts of Micromanagement 

Although micromanagement has some severe drawbacks, it has some advantages as well. Its benefits include the following: 

I- Avoid Miscommunication 

Micromanagement helps to avoid miscommunication since all the team members remain on the same page and work in alignment. 

II– Provide Support to Those Who Need It 

Some people are not confident enough and work better under supervision. They require continuous support, and micromanagement is quite useful for such people. 

III- Prevent the Risk of Making Mistakes 

During micromanagement, managers continuously observe their employees and can quickly spot out the mistakes if they find any.

Psychological Effects of Micromanagement 

Micromanagement can leave long-term negative impacts on the employees and can spoil their performance. 

Let’s have an in-depth look at the psychological effects of micromanagement! 

1- Development of Self Doubt 

Continuous monitoring of employees and excessive criticism make them doubt their abilities. Hence, It badly affects employees’ confidence and leads to self-doubt. 

Instead of exercising their decision-making muscles, employees rely on their managers and learn to ask for help before doing anything. This makes them dependent on their managers.  

2- Leads to Mental Health Issues 

Furthermore, employees remain stressed when they are around their micromanager. Constant criticism and prolonged feeling of self-doubt badly affect workers’ mental health. 

Ultimately, employees develop various issues like sleep problems, continuous fatigue, depression and anxiety. 

3- Decrease Morale 

Mutual trust, flexibility and teamwork are the foundation of a positive and thriving company culture. 

Continuous stress and self-doubt decrease the morale of employees. Also, when employees don’t have the time and flexibility to work according to their will, they are more likely to face burnout. 

4- Hamper Creativity 

Creative employees are an asset to any organization, and by thinking outside the box, they bring many new opportunities to the company. 

Yet, when employees are micromanaged all the time, their creative process is disturbed, resulting in poor performance. 

5- Increase Turnover 

When employees are facing so many issues in a company, they eventually leave. 

According to the retention report by the work institute, replacing a worker results in an extra cost of more than 33% of the employee’s salary. 

Also, increased turnover is costly for the companies since it requires time and resources for recruiting and training new employees. 

Bonus: Effective Strategies to Manage the Negative Impacts of Micromanagement  

i. Delegate Tasks 

Trust the abilities of your team members and make them feel important. Moreover, delegate tasks to them according to their skills and let them manage the rest.  

II. Limit Interruptions

Once you assign a task to your team members, don’t ask them repeatedly about the updates. 

Let them handle and complete the tasks comfortably. Afterward, If you find any mistakes, you can ask them gently to resolve the issues. 

III. Open Communication 

Proper communication is the key to building a positive work environment. 

Therefore, allow your team members to participate in the meetings and share their thoughts. Appreciate their ideas and trust their expertise. 

Takeaway 

Micromanagement has profound psychological effects on your team members. It leads to a loss of trust, decreases the problem-solving abilities of the employees and makes them vulnerable to stress and anxiety. 

So, managers should use balanced approaches and work on their leadership qualities to nurture a positive work environment. 

Remember, you deserve to be treated RIGHT, and If things are not going your way and making you distressed, it’s time to ask for help. 

If you are struggling with mental health issues due to a toxic work environment or any other reason, book a call right now with our Mindset Coach

FAQ’s 

How do you deal with someone who micromanages? 

Have a direct conversation with them and tell them politely how their behavior is affecting your performance. Example: “When you watch me while I am doing monthly audit, I feel anxious and the task takes more time than normal.” 

What are the psychological effects of micromanaging in the workplace? 

Micromanagement makes the employees feel stressed, leads to low self-esteem, loss of trust, and low motivation and hampers creativity.

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