Micromanaging sucks — especially when it’s about your ‘Zoom shoes’
Why it feels like an attack
It can be easy to lose sight of the bigger picture when you’re faced with a crisis.
Yes, having to suddenly send your entireworkforceto work fromhomecan be unsettling, I get that. But just because youremployeesare out of sight, it doesn’t mean they’re not working.
Why would you stop trusting someone to do theirjobjust because you can’t see them?
“Micromanaging is linked to anxiety and hyper vigilance. It is caused byanxietyand it can cause anxiety and frustration,”Olivia James, a London-based performance and confidence coach, tells me.
It’s an attempt by an employer to have control and avoid serious problems with productivity or quality of work, she adds.
The reason why it feels like an attack is because we, the employees, perceive it as a questioning of our professional integrity and competence.
“Ourconfidence,identity, and self-worth are linked to our pride in ourwork,” James explains. “This can re-activate the dynamic we may have had with a hypercritical parent, teacher, or partner — making us even more anxious.”
Why managers micromanage
As I’m an empathetic person (read control freak)I can sort of understand why some managers tend to micromanage — especially now.
COVID-19has caused a lot of stress and uncertainty. Ourhealth— both physical and mental — is underthreatand in some instances, job security is hanging in the balance. This is exactly the type of situation where people mightsubconsciously drift towards micromanaging as it creates a comforting illusion for them.
“Micromanaging can be an attempt to re-establish a level of control,” James says, adding “It’s also motivated by self-preservation.”
What James means is that employers may think that by keeping a close eye on their newly remote staff they can secure their own survival within a business.
So it wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that if you’re being micromanaged, it’s likely due to your manager feeling anxious too. And if you’re a manager, make sure not to let your own insecurities affect your employees and management style.
Overall, micromanaging can have devastating effects on employee morale, staff turnover, and productivity. It sends a signal of distrust — and let me tell you, in 2020 trust is the cornerstone of survival.
