How to Stop Micromanaging Employees

Joseph Stubblebine
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If you are a bad micromanager, letting go of the reins can be difficult. However, if you don’t back down from your employees, you can push them out the front door. Release the urge to micromanage and you may have happier employees.

Train Employees Well

If you're a bad micromanager, your fears are warranted if you have untrained workers at your disposal. Ensure that every employee is up to par with the latest policies and procedures for work. When employees are knowledgeable about what to do at work, they make fewer mistakes on the clock.

Use employee evaluations and skills tests to determine which employees are performing well and which employees need essential work training. Taking the time to hire efficient, independent workers also relaxes managers with a tendency to micromanage.

Limit Your Direction

Most seasoned employees don't need a reminder on how to do their work, so don’t berate employees with step-by-step advice. Give them the directions once, and allow employees to work independently. Resist the urge to verbally address an employee if it's not absolutely necessary. Your employees are able to concentrate better when you're not constantly critiquing them. However, when an employee asks for your help or advice, use that time to assist him.

Allow Employees to Be Creative

If an employee's work style is a bit different than you like, don't fret about the procedure if the end result is satisfactory. Your employees must be allowed to do the job the way that is best for them so they can work more efficiently. Allow your employees to have creative freedom to do a job the way that suits them or you risk becoming a bad micromanager.

Relieve Your Stress

A bad micromanager often feels the pressure of deadlines on their shoulders. Prioritize tasks at work for higher efficiency, and have employees work toward the most important tasks first. If you prioritize tasks around meeting crucial goals first, you can micromanage less and still achieve work objectives. This way you can keep your supervisor off your back by making consistent progress, and you can give your employees room to work.

Build a Motivating Work Atmosphere

Being a bad micromanager makes employees feel incompetent, but building an atmosphere where employees are seen as capable workers is motivating. Developing a positive culture in the workplace helps you to see your employees as partners in the business instead of subordinates to direct. When you get to know your employees as individuals, you are better able to direct them in work-related situations in a way they can understand. Offer big performing employees rewards and bonuses, and other employees may be inspired to go beyond basic work standards.

Stop trying to control your workforce by being a bad micromanager. Learn how let go of the urge to control every element and become a helpful, motivational leader who allows employees to perform well.

Photo courtesy of iosphere at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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