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3 Reasons Why Micromanaging Your Employees Is Bad
What is Micromanagement?
Micromanaging is a management style where a manager or supervisor closely monitors and controls the work of their employees. More often than not, the authority figure who is a micromanager often over involves themselves in the details of the work, making decisions for their employees, and frequently checking in on their progress. While micromanaging may seem like a great way to ensure that work is being done correctly, it can often produce negative outcomes for both the manager and their team. Here are three reasons to avoid micromanaging your employees.
Stifles Creativity and Innovation
When employees are constantly being watched and told what to do without any consideration for their own opinions and feedback, they could lose their drive to think creatively or they may feel uncertain about taking risks and trying new concepts. They might come to believe that their ideas and opinions do not matter, ultimately leading to demotivation and disengagement from their work. Without the freedom to come up with fresh ideas and take initiative, employees may not be able to produce high-quality outcomes.
Causes Employees to Lose Trust and Autonomy
Typically, employees lose trust in their manager when their autonomy and ability to work independently is stripped away. When employees believe their employer does not trust them to do their job, they might develop resentment. They could even begin to rely too heavily on the manager for direction and guidance, leading to a lack of critical thinking, self-actualization, and decision-making skills. Managers must understand that always checking in and questioning employees perpetuates a work environment of mistrust and self-doubt, leading to unnecessary stress and anxiety among the team.
Leads to Burnout and High Turnover Rates
Working long, tiring hours is more than enough to deplete someone’s energy for the day. Couple that with the feeling of constantly being watched and judged, and that spells disaster for the employee’s well-being and productivity. This kind of atmosphere causes employees to become stressed and overworked, leading to extreme burnout and potentially resulting in employees quitting their job for a healthier work environment. High turnover rates are usually very costly for a company, as the loss of valuable knowledge, skills, and experience means having to use more resources to train new employees.
As you can see, micromanaging your employees often does more harm than good. It stifles creativity and innovation, leads to low morale and high turnover rates, creates a lack of trust, and even makes it difficult to delegate tasks appropriately. If you want to build a positive and productive work environment for the team, it is crucial that you trust your employees and give them the freedom to do their jobs autonomously with minimal supervision. Instead of micromanaging, set clear goals and expectations while providing support and guidance when needed. When your employees are allowed to complete their duties independently, they are better equipped to develop new skills, build trust, and work diligently.