How to Manage a Micromanager

I have written several articles on micromanagement over the past several years. I get more hits on my website from people searching for information about how to survive the micromanager than probably any other topic. Some are searching for remedies that will help them overcome their own tendency to micromanage.

What does this say to me?

Micromanagement is an epidemic in the trenches of the corporate battlefield. As workers become more familiar with the whole concept of being micromanaged, they are searching for ways to deal with the pain. It is real pain. Micromanagers leave scars on their victims. They can demoralize even the most optimistic and some ultimately ruin careers.

It is not a matter of “if, but when” you will encounter your first micromanaging experience. If you have never been under the spell of a micromanager, you still have time to prepare. If you are currently under the micro-managed scope, there is hope. You must resolve to never fall prey to the micromanager.

A micromanager must be managed. When I say that to people, I often get a blank look.

“I don’t understand what you mean?”

People who are being micromanaged have a hard time with this concept. I assure you that it is a natural reaction. Don’t beat yourself up if you had the same reaction as you read this.

Micromanagers are most successful at what they do when their employees play a passive role. This allows them to completely manipulate at will. The result is tyranny. So, look at yourself in the mirror and say “I will be assertive. I will be professional. I will not react, I will play offense.”

The primary strategy to execute when managing your micromanager is to control information. Some people disagree with me on this point. My critics advise that you should feed the micromanager with all the information that you can possibly dredge up. This is like enabling the alcoholic. The more information you give, the more they can use it against you. The more you feed, the hungrier the beast becomes. Every piece of data you give them can be dissected into many pieces - each resulting in the need for more information and more explanations.

As you listen to your micromanager, try to determine what it is that they are fearing the most. A lot of what they do is a by-product of fear and insecurity. Figure out where they are most vulnerable.

For example, perhaps your boss is afraid that he is being left out of “important” discussions. If that is the root of his fear, he most likely IS being left out of the loop. If you were part of this important discussion, do not start off your status report by spewing out every last detail. Carefully pick one or two items about the discussion that are pertinent, but will not require the micromanager to ask more questions. If you feel there is nothing that you can share that will not trigger the incessant questioning, do not discuss it!

It is not your fault that you cannot share this information. Your boss has put you into a no-win situation. Don’t beat yourself up.

In the next installment I will talk about effective and productive confrontation as it relates to micromanagers. Do you know that confrontation can be a good thing?