Micromanagement has a negative connotation associated with it and everyone fears it, rather hates it. It is a management style where a manager closely monitors the employees, observes or maybe even controls their work. Sometimes it is needed to ensure that tasks are performed in an expected and a precise manner. But, it might not just be as productive as you might think it is. It can lead to a bunch of frustrated employees which can affect their work and spread unhappiness in the workplace.

Management is an art and no one likes to be bossed around. Getting work done skillfully is important. And, micromanagement is not an answer to that. Micromanagement has quite a few dangers associated with it.

1. Loss of Trust – Micromanagement can destroy the trust between the manager and the employee. A manager should be able to trust his employees as much as they trust him. Constant nagging and interference will just prove that the manager lacks trust in his employees. This will lead to loss of productivity and loss of employees. And, nobody wants to lose good employees.
2. Increases dependency on the manager – Micromanagement will increase and shift all the dependency on the manager. Instead of working as a team, the team will reach out to the manager for constant guidance. Every team member has certain skills they are good at and which is why they are hired in the first place. It is important to give them responsibilities and freedom to make decisions at some level. This will help share the work and responsibilities amongst the team.
3. Loss of employees – No one likes to be micromanaged. Employees generally quit the team or the organization when they are not allowed to breathe. Micromanagement can be disastrous when employees are not happy and choose to quit.
4. Takes away sense of responsibility from the employee – People often work better and give their best when they are responsible for something. If you take it away from them, they will not go that extra mile for the task. They will not work as if they solely own it.
5. Loss of peace of mind – Micromanagement not only frustrates the employees, but also leaves the manager exhausted at the end of the day. Looking over every single task and every single employee will burn you out completely. As a manager, you have many other things to do. Learn to trust your employees and their work and realize that the team can handle their tasks.

Micromanagement is not the best way of getting work done. As a manager, you have to keep an eye on what’s going on in the team and how the work is progressing. But, you have to give your employees enough space to breathe and entrust them with responsibilities. There are ways to get status on the work done and give regular feedbacks. It is very important to keep your employees happy and you should strive hard to make it a happy workplace.

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