Working for a micromanaging boss can affect your productivity at work. Your boss constantly scrutinizing your work processes instills a lack of confidence in your abilities and makes it difficult to perform well and bring up new ideas at your job.
If you have a boss who cares about the tiniest detail of every task and demands feedback too often, then you have a micromanager, and here’s how to manage such a boss.
- Be Clear About Your Manager’s Expectations.
One very common cause for managers micromanaging team members is the fear of you delivering a task that is sub-par or delaying the project. Reach out to your boss at the start of every task and deliverable and ask questions about what is expected of you. Be clear on all your tasks to ensure that there is no discrepancy with what you consider your deliverables
2. Seize every opportunity To Prove Your Credibility
Your boss could have issues delegating tasks. You could help them see the need to delegate and keep them calm that the task will be well done by seizing every little opportunity to prove your credibility to your boss. This can be a very difficult conversation to have because you are not sure how your manager will handle this but you can start with something small and find ways to talk to them about how you can be trusted with something that small task first. This way, your boss begins to see the need to delegate and he can then begin to trust you with bigger tasks.
3. Get Feedback
When you are trusted with any task, regardless of how little it may seem, ask your manager for feedback. This way you can depict areas that need to be improved on and you can also deliver better on your job. Ask for less permission so your boss doesn’t question your decision-making skills and credibility. Instead, keep your boss in the loop of every task, email, and process. When the task is done, give your boss feedback on it and also get their feedback so there’s space for you to grow.
4. Empathize with your boss
Yes, you read that correctly! Sometimes, we get overwhelmed by the constant checkups that make us forget that even your boss has a boss who could also be putting him under some pressure to get the work done. Hence, the transfer of pressure. If there’s an urgent need for a task to be done, get on it and reduce the chances of your boss doubting your abilities. Seize every opportunity as a chance to prove your abilities to your boss.
5. Get a new job
If you ever find yourself in a situation where you have tried everything possible to prove your credibility and let your boss see the need to delegate. Maybe it’s time to let go! There are some cases where you won’t be able to influence your work relationship with a boss that micromanages. If this is your case, you will need to be ready to find a new job.
As you try hard to manage your micromanager boss, if you observe there’s no improvement, start planning your exit strategy. Working long-term for a micromanager is a career killer. Sharpen your skills if you have to do that to get a new role, do that but never let your micromanager boss make you feel less deserving of your job at any point.
Remember, You deserve every good thing that comes your way!
