We have all either heard the horror stories of leaders that micromanage or experienced it first-hand. Even the term micromanagement causes a visceral reaction, thoughts of being watched every minute of the day, and being questioned about every decision that you make. Micromanagers seem to think that by managing all facets of your working life, they can maximize your productivity. However, there is plenty of research that indicates that micromanaging your employees breeds distrust that leads to a toxic work environment. Toxic work environments lead to a decrease in productivity because they negatively affect employee engagement. A lack of employee engagement will ultimately be reflected in your bottom line—in 2018, lack of employee engagement cost American organizations more than $450 billion per year[1].
Social science researchers in organizational behavior and industrial psychology have shown time and time again that authentic leadership and trust are paramount to creating a healthy organizational culture; however, there are still those that subscribe to the notion that micromanaging the work environment maximizes productivity. You are probably asking yourself why? Good question. Here’s what researchers tell us about leaders that micromanage:
- Toxic leaders that employ micromanagement tactics want to demonstrate their superiority and dominance.
- Micromanagement in leaders breeds distrust among employees and often is perceived as ego rather than genuine regard for employee productivity.
- Micromanagers are more preoccupied with their perceived and actual level of authority than the benefits that autonomy could bring to the organization.
- Micromanagers often misunderstand the mission of the organization or place very little importance on it—therefore, they feel a sense of comfort in controlling the tasks within their narrow purview[2].
The most detrimental effects of micromanagement are that it limits the team’s capacity to grow—a by-product of autonomous decision-making, missing the big picture, and creating an environment wrought with distrust. If you don’t trust them to make decisions, they don’t trust you either. However, social science researchers assert that leading with authenticity and exhibiting the ability to trust is the best antidote to micromanagement and a great way to boost productivity.
Leading with Authenticity and Trust: The Antidote to Micromanagement
Authentic leaders exhibit behaviors that are focused on building meaningful relationships with employees by enhancing trust, garnering support, and, most importantly, projecting their true selves to their employees. To increase trust, these leaders not only allow employees to make autonomous decisions but also create an environment that celebrates creative, independent thought—which motivates co-workers to act in the same manner.
Being authentic means admitting when you’re wrong, being able to say “I don’t know,” and actively engaging your employees through action, not words. Talk is cheap in life and in organizations. You have to take chances and allow employees to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes—while maintaining active support to those employees. Over time, social science researchers have found that trust forms not only between employees and leaders but also between employees and their organizations. This trust yields higher levels of employee engagement, which results in higher levels of job satisfaction and productivity.
So, the next time that you or a colleague feel the need to be CC’d on every email that your employee sends ask yourself, “Is asserting dominance and control more important than being successful?”. Ultimately, your answer to that question determines how successful you are as a leader, and how successful your organization will be.
Being authentic means admitting when you’re wrong, being able to say “I don’t know,” and actively engaging your employees through action, not words. Talk is cheap in life and in organizations. You have to take chances and allow employees to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes—while maintaining active support to those employees. Over time, social science researchers have found that trust forms not only between employees and leaders but also between employees and their organizations. This trust yields higher levels of employee engagement, which results in higher levels of job satisfaction and productivity.
So, the next time that you or a colleague feel the need to be CC’d on every email that your employee sends ask yourself, “Is asserting dominance and control more important than being successful?”. Ultimately, your answer to that question determines how successful you are as a leader, and how successful your organization will be.
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Twenty percent of the workforce leaves an organization because of the culture. A recent study done by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) shows that over the last five years, the cost of turnover because of organizational culture totaled $223 Billion. Cracking the Organizational Climate and Culture Code takes a deeper dive into how organizations behave and provides tips to help leaders create a healthy organizational culture. Cracking the Organizational Climate and Culture Code can be purchased at https://www.amazon.com/dp/0988756943
In times of change and crisis, the true underlying foundations of an organization's culture and climate will be exposed. If you have a great culture and climate, that will help your organization navigate difficult times successfully; but if your culture and climate are lacking, then you are definitely going to need some help. Nicole L. Turner Consulting is here to help. Contact us at Nicole@NicoleLTurner.com.
[1] Gallup, 2018
[2] Tavanti, M. (2011). Managing toxic leaders: Dysfunctional patterns in organizational leadership and how to deal with them. Human Resource Management, 2011, 127-136.