There has been plenty written about micromanagement and still I can't seem to find much on any benefits! The benefit of micromanagement most written about is advice to a micromanager to micromanage themselves out of micromanaging everyone else! I think for me the m word just replaced the f word!
So how does it feel to be on the receiving end of micromanagement? Frustrating, annoying, debilitating, exhausting, inhibiting, suffocating, strangulating....And what effect does it have on productivity? It's stifles all creativity and innovation, promotes tentative behaviour, encourages lack lustre performance, disengages employees, destroys confidence, splits teams, promotes an environment of anger and distrust - need I go on?
Why would you micromanage if these are results of micromanagement? If you are Richard Branson or Steve Jobs and you have the ability to see both the big picture (otherwise known as macro management) and take notes to improve the detail but get the balance of delivery right and therefore your employees don't feel like you are hovering over their every call, their every email, their every move - then it might be OK to micromanage. And unless you want to go from Productive to Disempowering in 5 seconds - make sure you can do both!
Innovation requires risk taking! It means taking an existing rule and bending it to create a new one. It means support and trust and empowerment and fun and achievement and nurturing. It's a no brainer that this won't happen under micromanagement.
To those of you who experience positives at work - go forth and innovate and make sensational contributions to your world. To those at the mercy of micromanagers - somethings gotta give - make sure it's not your sanity or your health...
