I can’t think of any, can you?

When confronted, I have found that there is not a micro-manager alive who can honestly say that they are confident that this is the very best way to manage a team.

Truthfully, it’s simply a matter of fear. They are afraid to let go for numerous reasons; and often their reasons are unfounded and can easily be resolved prior to even hiring their employees. Many will also tell you that it’s a way to assure that everything is done correctly, that NO mistakes are made (since they can catch them first) and that–most significant–they have control over their employees and their business.

This management style is one that offers NO advantage, but rather causes unnecessary stress and pressure on the team, as well as the person who feels that there are great benefits to staying on top of his/her employees at all times. Not only is it detrimental to the morale of those who aremonitored, but if there are others in the group who have been fortunate enough to be unaffected, they too can be directly impacted by this behavior as it trickles down to everyone in the practice.

Let’s start from the beginning so that we can dissect and explain what causes the employer/leader to take this approach to Leadership.

• Hiring without any preparation
• Not supplying the team members with clearly defined job descriptions
• Improperly monitoring , or not monitoring them at all
• Not supporting them when they ask for training or guidance

As a result there is:

• Continued fear of not having enough control
• A climate of non-trust
• Unsure of the team member’s true abilities
• An insecurity that grows bigger over time
• Team members that truly want to be valuable contributors, but need some guidance and coaching

How do we fix this? How can an owner/employer/leader learn to properly manage their team?

• Proper and thorough hiring techniques and protocols
• Making certain everyone has an accurate, up-to-date job description (one that is actually written and documented).
• Have the team monitor themselves and yes, you do need to keep your eyes and ears open, but not on their backs!
• Encourage them to share their challenges openly and help them to get the proper training they need and desire
• Trusting an employee should occur early and does require some due diligence. Background checks, drug testing and early monitoring will help with trust initially, then the rest of the trust will come over time. But it shouldn’t take long and it shouldn’t been an ongoing concern. If it’s a problem, then maybe this person is not right for your practice.