You may have heard the phrase “people quit bosses, not jobs” because, let’s be honest, ain’t nobody got time for that. YOLO! In all honesty, though, while good pay and benefits and company loyalty can make up for a distant, underachieving or out of touch supervisor, most employees are not going to sit around and deal with the extra stress and anxiety caused by having a micromanager for a boss.
What is a micromanager?
Micromanagers are the classic “Big Brother” of the workplace. They are always up in their employees’ business, double-checking their work, pointing out their mistakes, telling them to do things they already know they need to do, etc. Through these actions, micromanagers make their employees worry more about their manager watching over them than about the actual work they’re doing. Inadvertently or not, micromanagers foster an atmosphere of fear and anxiety, causing their employees to feel that they aren’t trusted to do the work they were hired to do.
So what do you do if you have a micromanager for a boss? Most people would say, look for another job. And they’re not wrong. But maybe that’s not an option for you. And even if you go somewhere new, micromanagers are a common part of workplace life and knowing how to cope can help release the pressure valve of stress they cause. Here are two things I’ve found that can help:
Empathy
Why are micromanagers the way they are? This will vary for everyone, but the most common causes that I’ve uncovered during my career are insecurity and stress. Micromanagers are people too, and whether it’s for business or personal reasons, when people experience feelings of insecurity and stress, it often results in a strong need for control. For people in a managerial position, an easy outlet for exercising that control is, unfortunately, the people they are managing. This is not an excuse for their relentless nitpicking, but it can help those employees reframe how they view their boss’s actions. Even if you don’t know what’s going on, remember that this person may be experiencing personal stress, pressure from higher-ups or something else. If you view them through an empathetic lens, it can remind you that this is a person—not a dictator—and you can model the patience and understanding you would like them to show to you.
Communication
Unfortunately, having a micromanager can mean extra work for you to figure out how to get them off your back—aka manage their anxiety. A good way to help a micromanager feel secure is proactive communication. You can copy them on emails, share overly thorough personal work updates at one-on-ones, ask for their input regularly, etc. When a micromanager sees clearly that you are working super hard, it can help keep them from looking to make sure you are doing everything exactly as they want you to. (Should you have to do this? No. Does it help to do it anyway? Sometimes.)
As someone who has stayed at a company despite struggling with management, I know this isn’t easy, and while managing a micromanager should not be something required of employees, it can—sometimes—be worth it in the end. Hang in there!
