This is a conflicting topic. However let us start from a generic concept which is, everything is good and bad both, and the difference comes only with context. So any thing can be bad at one point for few people, however can be good at the same time for others. Same applies to Micromanagement also.
What is micro and macro management? Management is about planning, execution and delivering the desired results with given resources in given time. Macro management is when you believe in your team and manage them considering their skills. If you bank upon the skills of your team members, and try to nourish their skills by giving proper guidance with a desired level of challenges, you will never feel like to go in details of every aspect of execution. Rather, you would like to spend your time on more productive work items, like planning the things which your team can not do, or other important activities like client management, resource management, and strategical planning. It does not mean to loose control on project, Project Control is an important aspect of Management. However, micro-management is about managing every aspect of execution yourself. Where team does not have the rights to take even execution level decisions and every new step is blocked for your approval. Where you are spending most of your time on what the team is doing and how this is being implemented, rather than to devote your time on other activities matching to your skills like planning for future. Such environment shows the lack of confidence in team, or manager expectations are very high from team and she thinks that work can not be done perfectly till she participate herself. This could be the personality traits of an individual or some kind of insecurity feeling or could be the control freak.
There could be some instances while managing the team when you need to micro-manage every single aspect and that brings the desired results. Consider a scenario, when you have a crucial delivery in coming days and things are not going in right direction. At such point, your team may need all of your experience at every point and by devoting your time to every aspect of execution can add a lot of experience in the execution. Here becoming a micro-manager is a welcome step. However, intent should be clear and should be shared with team to build confidence in the environment, otherwise team can take it otherwise and can loose confidence and enthusiasm. So if situation demands for Micro-Management, it can be managed properly with a good communication bridge.
But at most of the times, micro-management does not considered to be a good management style apart from the exceptions as mentioned above. Why is it considered to be a bad management style? Answers are:
What is micro and macro management? Management is about planning, execution and delivering the desired results with given resources in given time. Macro management is when you believe in your team and manage them considering their skills. If you bank upon the skills of your team members, and try to nourish their skills by giving proper guidance with a desired level of challenges, you will never feel like to go in details of every aspect of execution. Rather, you would like to spend your time on more productive work items, like planning the things which your team can not do, or other important activities like client management, resource management, and strategical planning. It does not mean to loose control on project, Project Control is an important aspect of Management. However, micro-management is about managing every aspect of execution yourself. Where team does not have the rights to take even execution level decisions and every new step is blocked for your approval. Where you are spending most of your time on what the team is doing and how this is being implemented, rather than to devote your time on other activities matching to your skills like planning for future. Such environment shows the lack of confidence in team, or manager expectations are very high from team and she thinks that work can not be done perfectly till she participate herself. This could be the personality traits of an individual or some kind of insecurity feeling or could be the control freak.
There could be some instances while managing the team when you need to micro-manage every single aspect and that brings the desired results. Consider a scenario, when you have a crucial delivery in coming days and things are not going in right direction. At such point, your team may need all of your experience at every point and by devoting your time to every aspect of execution can add a lot of experience in the execution. Here becoming a micro-manager is a welcome step. However, intent should be clear and should be shared with team to build confidence in the environment, otherwise team can take it otherwise and can loose confidence and enthusiasm. So if situation demands for Micro-Management, it can be managed properly with a good communication bridge.
But at most of the times, micro-management does not considered to be a good management style apart from the exceptions as mentioned above. Why is it considered to be a bad management style? Answers are:
- A micro-manager devotes most of her time on activities which can be performed by his team members with proper guidance and motivation, hence the manager herself is not able to utilize her skills and time for the right activities which are required as per her position in Organization. Consider there are limited hours in a day and human mind and body both have limited capabilities, so if we are not directing the energy in right direction at right time, then mind, body and time will not be in your favor.
- Everyone wants others to believe in her skills. Everyone wants freedom to exercise her skills. This actually instill a feeling of confidence and achievement in her. When she is being micro-managed by her manager, it feels like lack of confidence in her skills. Where at every steps she is being directed, and is stopped from taking decisions for work execution. This is the worst scenario for a performing and enthusiastic team member and can kill all of her enthusiasm and motivation to add any creativity in work. Sometimes even it hurts the self respect of the team members.
- When team members are not happy, they are not involved in the work. And any project can not be done successfully without a team which is involved in the work. The scenario can show results in short term, however, in long term only a team can bring the good results. Success projects are not the job of individual.
- Micro-management stops the growth of team. When every new thing is being feed to the team by spoon, they forget to flex their mind muscles and become dependent for every new challenge. This is actually a dead end to the team, when growth is being hampered and team is always dependent on a single person for all of its work. A best team is when everybody in team is learning and is growing in her desired direction. Only then the project goals can be achieved.
Overall micro-management is a slow poison for team spirit and hence can bring losses to whole operations. Poisons are also used in Medicines, however with greater precautions and in very minute quantity. Same is applicable for Micro-Management also. However for being enough mature to exercise the micro-management at desired point of time, being good in macro-management should be the the prerequisite.
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