Read on Twitter
Let’s talk about micromanagement for a moment. There are patterns of it I’ve come across in my career.
A thread.
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🧵" title="Thread" aria-label="Emoji: Thread">
A thread.
1/ As an owner, you cannot try and control everything and then be frustrated when your team keeps coming to you about everything.
Frequently, we teach others how to treat us. If they’ve been trained that you are the decision maker, that’s what you will always be.
Frequently, we teach others how to treat us. If they’ve been trained that you are the decision maker, that’s what you will always be.
2/ Key to this is understanding if you do this implicitly or explicitly.
Many micromanagers don’t see how their behavior continues the very thing frustrating them: teams won’t think or take leadership themselves.
Many micromanagers don’t see how their behavior continues the very thing frustrating them: teams won’t think or take leadership themselves.
3/ It’s either because they aren’t capable and you treat them that way, or you’ve communicated you don’t think they are by uninteded actions.
If you nitpick everything, folks give up and just wait to be told what to do.
If you nitpick everything, folks give up and just wait to be told what to do.
4/ If it’s the former, you need to either get the right team, or hire the right person to manage them.
Don’t do the latter and then continue to hang on to everything.
The team will never stop going to you, otherwise.
Don’t do the latter and then continue to hang on to everything.
The team will never stop going to you, otherwise.
5/ Be VERY self-aware. It’s one thing if you don’t trust them to handle it on their own, and you’re all on the same page.
If you have never told them that, don’t feel they’re incapable, and you still feel like they’re coming to you for everything, you might be the problem.
If you have never told them that, don’t feel they’re incapable, and you still feel like they’re coming to you for everything, you might be the problem.
6/ 6/ When they come to you with something, start asking, “How do you think we should handle it?”
Brace yourself: they may not the way you would.
Start asking YOURSELF, “Does the answer still get us to the desired outcome?’
Brace yourself: they may not the way you would.
Start asking YOURSELF, “Does the answer still get us to the desired outcome?’
7/ Forget the small details in “your way.” Know what the final outcome is that must be achieved, and in MANY facets of business, the success of this can be measured, independent of what you think or feel about how you arrive there.
8/ Ask the team what YOU are good at. Pay attention to what they DO NOT say. They are never going to want to criticize their boss, so don’t put that on them.
Instead, find out what they see your strengths as. Whatever they aren’t naming, it means you should stop doing it.
Instead, find out what they see your strengths as. Whatever they aren’t naming, it means you should stop doing it.
9/ That’s not to say your teams should run you as an owner, but almost every time I see groups that DESPERATELY want the owner to go all-in with the things they’re astounding at - things they KNOW they cannot do.
10/ When they tell you what you’re good at, they’re usually telling you where you excel in ways they don’t, can’t, or have no interest in.
Most humans are not going to say “you’re great at what I’m actually supposed to be handling every day.”
Most humans are not going to say “you’re great at what I’m actually supposed to be handling every day.”
11/ It’s ok to feel like you have to focus on everything.
You made the company, and you’re amazing for it.
You can’t keep doing it that way at a certain point of growth. It becomes about all of you working together, and that includes insights from the team you handle.
You made the company, and you’re amazing for it.
You can’t keep doing it that way at a certain point of growth. It becomes about all of you working together, and that includes insights from the team you handle.
12/ This message brought to you by watching this rerun again, and me sitting and realizing how often I’ve seen this, and what it boils down to.
/end
/end
