While it's good to be in control of things, you can become too controlling. How do you know when you've overstepped the line?
Managing is good, but micromanaging won't win you many friends. There is such a thing as wanting too much control. When a boss has to scrutinise and give feedback on every tiny detail, employees can be left feeling they're not trusted to do their jobs. If you can spot the traits emerging in yourself, take action to change your management style.
Micromanagers often find themselves redoing their employees' work, because they feel they would have done a better job in the first place. Not only is that demoralising for the other person, it will eventually increase your own workload beyond what is manageable in the working day.
Another tell-tale sign that you're becoming a micromanager is an ever-growing list of things you need to check and sign-off. The more you demand that employees must have your approval, the longer the list gets. If you feel you need the final say on even the tiniest of decisions, it's time to take a step back.
You may also find your schedule filling up with meetings – meetings to plan more meetings, and further meetings to discuss how they went and what the outcomes were. Few people other than you will enjoy spending so much time in group debates, so hold off and let people get on with the 'real' work.
Finally, you know you're a micromanager if you sense there are too many revolving doors in your office. If staff turnover rates are high, it may well be because people don't like being micromanaged.
It's hard to recognise the signs, but if you can change your style, you and your employees will feel much more relaxed.
You find yourself redoing other people's work
Your list to sign-off gets longer and longer
You plan far too many meetings
Staff turnover rates are high
