There is a potential problem popping up again with remote work: The Micromanager boss.
It is bad enough to have a micromanaging boss when you are in an office with them.
When you are remote, the boss anxiety shoots up to painful heights. Remember, micromanagement by a boss is her or his problem, not yours. If I hire someone, I expect them to get the work done and, if they let me down, then I will address it.
I have had my share of micromanagers and the resulting loss of my hair not to mention my brain cells! It is incredibly painful to work for one of those types.
The micromanager loses sight of the goal of the team: to get the work done.
Instead, they are absolutely obsessed with the hours worked by each person. They feel they are not a good boss if everyone does not have their nose to the grindstone 8 plus hours a day.
If I have an employee that gets their work done in less than 8 hours a day, good for them.
The micromanager also does not realize how much time is lost each day in the office by talking to each other and other activities.
Micromanagement Strategies
There are several reasons why bosses are micromanagers.
Micromanager #1: The first type of managers are usually new at management and very, very afraid. They want to prove they can be a successful manager and will beat their team members into the ground to prove it. What I have seen is usually that these managers end being failures because the members of their team will either ignore them or quit and go work somewhere else.
Micromanager #2: The second type of micromanager are just plain scary. I have not worked for one of these but have I heard all kinds of wild stories. These are (in my opinion) very mentally troubled people. They genuinely love to watch people squirm and be miserable as they mistreat them. I bet they pulled the wings off flies as a child. Very scary. If you find yourself working for one of these types, make plans to get away from them as soon as possible. You will never have peace under one of these troubled people.
Micromanager #2a: There is a variation of the second type. They pick on one or more team members to make miserable. The rest of the team members are untouched. I don’t know what motivates them to do this. Frankly, I also don’t want to know either. Too scary.
Micromanager #3: This is a valid reason for being a micromanager. It usually occurs where an employee has dropped the ball on a project and the manager needs to track it carefully. I have been that employee. I have screwed up projects before and had to get micromanaged. I deserved it. My manager was fully within his rights to watch me closely.
If your boss is all of a sudden micromanaging you, take stock of yourself and find out if you may have contributed to it.
Causing Micromanagement
In defense of micromanagers, there is one valid case (see #3 above) where micromanagement can be justified. When your work is not up to par results in the manager following up on everything.
If you don’t get your work done or mess up on something, that can result in micromanagement.
However, I found out one big thing that can result in micromanagement: silence
This becomes a critical problem when you are working remote. Not hearing from a team member for a day or two or three can cause the best manager to become concerned. Some work activities will result in nothing being visible for a couple of weeks (think of a programmer).
This requires some changes in your work style.
Preventing Micromanagement
There are steps you can take especially these days when we are all working remotely.
It is fairly simple but requires a change in your work habits.
You need to keep your manager updated at least once a day, even if it is by email, to show you are working.
The easiest way I handle this is to try and think like my manager and what would I like to know. Would it be 12 emails a day? Never. Would it be multiple phone calls to update me? Not a chance.
What I would like is a couple of update emails on the progress I am making on a project or other activities.
Keep your manager updated goes a long way to suppressing micromanagement.
Confrontation
If the constant emails and requests from your manager with directions, demands, and questions on every little thing, that can become extremely annoying and/or slowing down your work, then you need to take a risk and confront the issue.
This does not mean cussing out your boss (only do that when you are in the shower).
It means asking nicely what the issue is and generally clearing the air. Ask why your boss needs so much feedback and info. Is there a problem with your work? Is the manager very worried about meeting the deadlines? Or, are they just crazy (well maybe don’t ask that one!).
Despite how nice you phrase these questions, be prepared for a blow back as some managers really, really, hate being questioned – especially new managers. Just asking those questions may result in an upset manager. My view is that it is still better to ask what the manager wants from you rather than let it just ride and you guess what to deliver for them.
Be a Star
When you are first working remote, do everything you can to be a star. Turn out the work at a high pace and that will help calm most managers feel comfortable.
One warning about being a star: you can do so much by putting in extra hours and really attacking the work that it sets an expectation for the future. You cannot keep up that pace forever so doing too much in a short time can come back to bite you.
But, a burst of speed at the beginning of remote stint can do much to calm the nerves of a manager. Bottom line is getting the work done and the more you contribute to that goal, the easier life will be.
Throw in the Towel
Regardless of what you do, if your boss is still being a jerk for no good reason, then it is time to hit the road. There are many great and sane bosses out there and you don’t deserve to spend your days with a struggling manager especially if they are new in that role.
If you have tried everything and your boss is still micromanaging you, then may be time to look elsewhere.