Why not to Micromanage employees

Firstly, what is micromanagement? 

It's peering over someone's shoulder, taking over halfway through a task, not allowing them autonomy on the tasks they should own, and generally checking up on them. It's a controlling style of management. There are obviously different extremes, but whilst it may feel like effective management to you, it's not. So, what's the impact? It will of course vary, but these are some of the inevitable outcomes:

1.      Low morale/lack of engagement

Gallup's 2020 research found that disengaged employees cost their company the equivalent of 18% of their annual salary, every year. If micromanagement is affecting the whole team or company, that cost adds up fast.

2.      Employee stress

Why does it cause stress? It's annoying, frustrating, and it removes the control employees have over a huge part of their life, which negatively impacts many other areas, including their mental health. And this matters for business to, as poor mental health costs UK employers up to £51 billion a year.

3.      Leader/manager stress/burnout

It's not just employees who feel the strain. As a manager or leader, overloading yourself with all that extra work and worrying over every detail might give you a brief feeling of empowerment, but it will start to cause stress, especially when the outcome you were hoping for doesn't materialise. Going back to point 2, an unwell leader carries costs too, but often at a much higher level.

4.      Lack of innovative ideas, poor decisions, lack of trust

Maybe as a leader you don’t need your employees to come up with good ideas or make good decisions.  Or maybe you would like that? Google invested a lot of time and money in trying to work out why some of its teams performed better than others.  What they found was in the highest performing teams when people had a chance to talk equally, the team did well.  Their collective intelligence increased and better decisions and better ideas came about.  If employees don’t feel they are allowed or are not encouraged to talk then this won’t happen.   However, they also won’t speak up if there isn’t trust.  If they don’t feel you have their back or you trust their ability then they won’t put themselves out there.

Maybe as a leader you don't feel you need your employees to come up with good ideas or make good decisions. Or maybe you would like them to. Google invested significant time and money trying to work out why some of its teams outperformed others. What they found was that in the highest performing teams, when people had an equal chance to speak, the team's collective intelligence increased, leading to better decisions and better ideas. If employees don't feel able or encouraged to speak up, this won't happen. And they won't speak up if there isn't trust. After all, if they don't feel you have their back, or that you trust their ability, they won't put themselves forward.

5.      Staff turnover

If your stressed, unengaged, and bored employees decide they're better off elsewhere then your turnover increases. Research from Oxford Economics and Unum found the average cost of turnover per employee (earning £25,000 or more) is £30,614. It sounds high, but the same research shows it takes an average of 28 weeks to bring a new starter up to the required standard.

It's fair to say the impact of micromanagement is significant, and it won't help your business grow. If you'd like support building a management style that gets the best from your team without the micromanaging, a Fractional HR Director can help you get there. Get in touch and let's talk.