A client asks:
“I’m a new manager and know that I shouldn’t micromanage, but I’m not sure how to perform my role without being totally involved. How do I make sure that work gets done well without actually micromanaging?”
This is a common dilemma for new managers. It can be tricky to stay involved without micromanaging, especially when there’s a lot of pressure to deliver results. While micromanaging often stems from good intentions, such as ensuring high-quality work or meeting deadlines, it can backfire—resulting in frustration, low morale, and stifled creativity for employees.
In this guide for managers, learn actionable strategies to find the sweet spot of giving clear guidance without being controlling. Dive into how to build trust, communicate effectively, and empower your team—in other words, conspire and align to reach success. By shifting from micromanagement to intentional leadership, you can foster a collaborative environment where both you and your team thrive.
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What is micromanaging?
Micromanaging is a management style where a leader closely observes, controls, and excessively involves themselves in someone’s work. Rather than delegating tasks and trusting employees to complete them independently, a micromanager scrutinizes too many details, makes frequent interventions, imposes their preferences, and requires constant updates. As a result, staff may feel demoralized, miss out on opportunities to develop new skills, and lack a sense of ownership over their work.
What is the difference between an effective manager and a micromanager?
Effective managers are clear on the desired outcomes, offer appropriate support (without taking the project back), and check on progress. When there are issues, they help troubleshoot and course correct before it’s too late. They also debrief with staff to foster learning and accountability.
Being an involved manager or checking in with your team is not micromanaging. A micromanager delegates work without trusting their staff to get it done. They hold onto all the decision-making power. They dictate exactly how to do something and watch over every small step of the process. While a side-by-side approach makes sense when you’re training staff or helping them develop a brand new skill, a micromanager consistently intervenes in a way that undermines their staff’s growth and leadership.
How do I stop micromanaging?
If you read that last section and felt a pang of guilt, you’re not alone. One of the common causes of micromanagement is lack of trust, so start by figuring out where the low trust is coming from. Ask, “Do I have confidence in [this staff person’s / team’s] knowledge, skill, and ability to do the work?”
- If so, use your delegation toolkit, get clear on the best division of labor for your team, and set staff up for success so you can stay in the mix without overdoing it.
- If not, ask:
- “Have I seen a pattern of mistakes, unfinished work, or misunderstandings with this staff member?”
- “How will I clarify expectations, support skill-building, and give feedback?”
- “Am I imposing preferences and traditions that aren’t really required for getting strong results?”
- “What biases might be shaping my trust in this person or team? Who can I ask for more perspective?”
How do I manage and hold people accountable without micromanaging?
Sometimes, an effective manager should manage more closely, such as when a staff member is new to their role or type of project, struggling with performance problems, or when the stakes are very high. These are all opportunities to get curious and roll up your sleeves—so you can provide better support, not do more of the work. Decide ahead of time how engaged you’ll be during the project, and use slices to delegate without micromanaging. Offer guidance, feedback, and resources, while still giving space for your staff to do the work.
To foster accountability for performance issues or mistakes, use your regular check-in meetings to share concerns, identify the root cause of the problem, seek their perspective, and share feedback with CSAW. Instead of micromanaging, push toward excellence by asking questions that encourage their own problem-solving, growth, and agency. Collaborate on a plan to get things back on track.
If the staff member needs more investment or if the performance problem is more serious, read How to Manage Employee Performance Problems.
Managing vs. Micromanaging: how to differentiate?
As a manager, your job is to make sure you deliver impactful, sustainable results with team members who are empowered to thrive in their roles. You need to set them up for success and give them room to do their jobs well. With this approach in mind, here are specific ways you can shift from micromanagement to effective management:
| Micromanagement looks like… | Effective management looks like… |
|---|---|
| Dictating how to do a task or approach a problem, even when it won’t affect the quality of the results. | Clearly communicating goals and expectations at the outset. Getting everyone aligned on what success looks like, inviting staff perspectives, and sharing insight when it aids the results. |
| Redoing work or undoing their decisions. | Guiding more, and doing less. Giving feedback when something could be improved and asking staff to try another round. |
| Constantly checking on work that a staff member has already demonstrated they can do well. | Forecasting how work will unfold and setting milestones and benchmarks. Having regular check-ins to touch base and normalizing feedback—in both directions. |
| Asking to see all emails before they go out or joining every project meeting (even if “just to observe”). | Asking to see “slices” of work (i.e., a sample of the whole, like one page from a new website design or part of a class/training). |
| Never allowing a staff member to take ownership of a full project or area of work, only assigning it out task-by-task. | Shifting a project or responsibility to a staff member and trusting them to drive the work forward. |
| Managing experienced, skilled staff members in the same way you manage more junior, less experienced ones. | Adjusting your approach to fit the context. |
| Managing low-stakes projects as closely as you would manage high-stakes ones. | Adjusting your approach to fit the organization’s priorities, your role, and the stakes. |
Staying involved without micromanaging is a delicate balance that requires trust, curiosity, and clarity. Managers can foster a culture of accountability and collaboration by setting clear expectations, offering support when needed, and sharing feedback. Tools like check-ins and slices can help leaders monitor progress, while empowering staff to take ownership of their work. Ultimately, the goal is to build a team culture where staff feel trusted, supported, and capable of getting great results, allowing both the manager and the team to succeed together.
The Management Center is a 501c3 organization that helps leaders working for social change build equitable, sustainable, and results-driven organizations via trainings coaching, and online resources and tools.