Why Micromanagement Is So Harmful

"It makes you feel like a 5-year-old."

This was the candid description a friend recently gave me of what it felt like working for a micromanager. It was the most succinct personal encapsulation of this workplace predicament I've yet heard.

Unnecessarily close management undermines autonomy and breeds frustration.

Source: Alex Green / Pexels

Nothing against 5-year-olds, of course. They're great; it's a wonderful age. But I wouldn't say it's optimal to have a workforce comprised of them.

Excessive Direction

In my friend's circumstance, she felt like a young child because she was constantly being told to do things she already knew she needed to do and routinely given precise, specific directions on how to do them even though there were multiple effective ways to get the job done.

In short, it was classic micromanagement: a steady stream of copious instruction when very little was needed, as she was an intelligent, diligent employee who knew her job well.

It reminded me of exactly why micromanagement is so dysfunctional both for individuals and organizations.

Organizational Problems

There's considerable data on the prevalence of micromanagement; it's common to see stats indicating that a solid majority of employees have at some point worked for micromanagers. I firmly agree. But the larger question is: Why is micromanagement so undesirable? The list of problems it causes is limited mostly by your imagination, but after observing it for decades in the corporate world, here are some major ones... that I feel are relevant to the case noted above.

First and foremost, it undermines autonomy, which is an important element of job satisfaction. Employees like to be trusted as adults and have a degree (depending on the role of course) of independent decision making.

It stifles creativity. Since micromanagers provide so much direction, there's minimal room for personal solutions and out-of-the-box thinking. "My way or the highway" is the bumpy road most frequently traveled.

It dampens motivation. While some employees can just shrug it off and still calmly go about their business, many, not surprisingly, find it exasperating, frustrating, and simply demoralizing.

It reduces productivity. When employees are upset with their management, they're rarely in a mindset to work harder for them. They feel like doing less, not more.

It's bad for organizations for all of the reasons noted above. (What management wants an unmotivated, unproductive workforce?) It can also lead to increased turnover, which is naturally costly and inefficient.

The outcome of the story discussed at the outset? Predictably, not enjoying the heavy dose of management, my friend voted with her feet and took her considerable skills elsewhere. Because feeling like a 5-year-old at work isn't what you'd call a positive, forward-looking state of mind. Unless you're 3 or 4, that is.