Micromanaging

Micromanaging the illusion of control and what you might want to do instead. This is what we're going be talking about today on how to lead the podcast for CEOs, founders, and leaders who want that perfect balance of empathy and authority. I'm Kate Waterfall Hill, and I'm going to be sharing some ideas from over 30 years of working in business and leadership development.

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So let's start with how Linda handles management.

“I think one of my core strengths as a leader is that I empower my people. I give them the freedom to make decisions as long as they're the decisions that I would've made. Um, and ideally without needing to check in with me, but somehow having got my approval in advance. Case in point, I gave Meira the lead on the presentation, and I only made 87 minor edits, which I think is rather fair.

And I booked time in her diary every morning so she can keep me updated with how empowered she's feeling. We'll do a quick check-in, check over and check through. I like to call it guided freedom. I mean, some people call it micromanagement, but those people don't work here anymore.”

So Linda's version of managing is more surveillance with a to-do list. Let's get into the reality of micromanagement and how to stop doing it without letting everything fall apart.

Why is it that so many of us tend to micromanage? We don't really mean to, but we can't help ourselves somehow. It rarely starts with bad intentions. Most of the time it comes from a place of care, some pressure, and maybe a little dash of perfectionism. You want things to be done just right.

You want consistency. You want to meet the deadline without things falling apart.

So you stay close, you double check, you step in just in case. But what starts as being thorough soon turns into reviewing every word, redoing every deck, and rewriting that email at 10:00 PM again, and before you know it, your team is stop thinking for themselves because they know you'll be right behind them fixing it anyway.

So what's really going on here? Why do we do it? Well, it's often the fear of mistakes because you'll be the one answering for them. it might be lack of trust in others' ability or experience might be that you're not sure on your expectations from the start, but also it's often a bit of control habit that's hard to kick.

The irony is, of course, that the more you micromanage, the more your team relies on you, and the more they rely on you, the more it feels like you have to micromanage. It's a self-perpetuating loop and it leads straight to burnout for you and your team. So some of this might sound familiar. I've covered a fair bit of this ground in the How to Lead episode about delegation, There's a lot of crossover, but I'm going be talking now about the cost of micromanagement. It's expensive, not just in terms of time and energy, but what it does to trust, confidence, and ultimately performance.

Here's what it quietly erodes your team's motivation because they stop feeling ownership. They stop taking initiative because they're waiting for your lead And it erodes your time because you're still doing bits of everyone else's jobs.

And then of course, there's the organization's potential because no one stepping up to lead, learn, or grow. When every small task needs your input, progress slows to accrual. Decisions get delayed, creativity gets stifled, and people start second guessing everything they do because they get in their own way.

They get in their heads knowing that you are going question it or control it anyway. Meanwhile, you are left wondering why you are still working late and while no one else just takes the lead and gets on with stuff between you and me, they probably would if only you let them. So what's the better way to lead? How do you shift from micromanaging to real leadership without things falling apart under your nose? Well, here's what I've seen work in practice as a leader. You need to set the what and the why, but not the how.

I talked about this in the How to Lead episode that talks about the difference between leadership and management, and then throws in the coaching element as well. Your role as the leader is to define the destination, not. To dictate the root, you need to clarify the outcome and the reason behind it.

So you give people direction and motivation, Then they can work out the best path to get there. So instead of saying something like, write the report like this, using this format and these bullet points, try, I'd really love to see a clear client ready summary of project outcomes.

What's your plan for getting there? Yeah, this shifts the ownership while still keeping the standards high.

Then there's, how do you do the check-ins? So often micromanagement fills the gap left by vague delegation when no one knows what the plan is. Everyone gets a bit twitchy.

So I suggest you co-create a clear timeline with short, regular check-ins. This lets you stay in the loop without hovering. so you could ask what support might you need between now and our next check-in, or what's the plan between now and say Friday? and where might you get stuck?

So now you've got visibility and trust in motion. One of my favourite coaching questions you can ask when you're delegating something to someone is What would be supportive for you without getting in your way?

Another thing you really need is a culture where it's safe to try things out. So if your team feels that mistakes are going be punished or worse, quietly judged, they'll wait for instruction rather than taking initiative. When they know for sure that you're going to back them, even if it goes a bit sideways, that's when they grow.

So you could say, rather than me be them bottleneck, I'd love you to have a go and then we can try and fix it together. If it needs it, it doesn't need to be perfect.

We just need to get moving. I'd love you to make a start. Psychological safety doesn't mean no accountability. It means accountability with support.

The other thing to note is that there might be a trigger that you need to spot, because micromanagement isn't always about the other person. Sometimes it's about you. So when you feel the itch to jump in, pause, take a breath, and ask, is this about their performance or my anxiety? Am I stepping in because I really need to, or because it makes me feel more in control. So awareness here is everything. Noticing your behaviours, noticing your emotions. Control often gives us short term hit of relief, but it costs us so much in the long term in terms of trust and growth. So try this with your team. Next time you delegate something, pause and walk this through.

What outcome are we aiming for? What freedom can I give to them to figure out the how? And what structure or check-ins will help them succeed? How can I make it okay for them to ask for help before things get derailed?

And I suggest you remind yourself regularly that doing things differently doesn't mean doing it wrong. It's just different. Sometimes their way won't be the same as yours. Sometimes it'll be better, and you'll never know if you don't let go. Micromanagement often comes from care, but it's not the same thing as good leadership.

If you catch yourself slipping into control mode, try these things.

Clarify the why and the what. So the purpose of something, that's your role as leader and the what do you need? What's the outcome? What's the expected deliverables?

That's your management role. and then let your team shape the how. That's your role as coach. Replace hovering with helpful check-ins that are booked in and that you agree to and that you turn up to create a space where it's okay to try and okay to fail. And also tune into your own triggers and choose to respond. Not react.Because being a real leader isn't about doing it all yourself. It is about building the kind of team that can do stuff without you.

So that's all for today's episode of How to Lead. Until next time, keep leading with Clarity, care, and Curiosity.

If you've enjoyed this episode, do follow for more leadership insights and remember, if you'd like my personal support, take a look at my website. Waterfall hill.co.uk. For more information about my one-to-one coaching and the new accredited Leadership Accelerator premium program, there's never been a better time to take your professional development seriously than right now.

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Thanks for listening.