Keeping Control Without Micromanaging

Maintaining the appropriate level of control is essential for effective delegation.

On the one hand, a completely uninhibited attitude can lead to turmoil or allow your team to get off track. Holding the reins on a project too firmly, on the other hand, can demoralise your staff and suffocate innovation.

What you need is a middle ground between these two extremes, a way of controlling projects without micromanaging and stifling the flow of new ideas.

Here are 6 tips to achieve this delicate balance:

• Early on, establish clear expectations for a project’s scope, outcomes, and responsibilities. What does it mean to be successful?

• Set deadlines for large projects and split them down into smaller milestones.

• Hold regular meetings to keep in touch with your team and encourage communication. Ensure meetings are booked and invites sent in advance to your team.

• Focus on results rather than strategies for reaching them.

• Detect and delegate problems rather than trying to address them yourself.

• To gain a better understanding of your team’s progress and process, use project management software.

The key takeaways

Micromanaging everything yourself is never a good idea.

Concentrating on high-level advice, feedback, and direction will allow you to make better use of your time and resources. Allow your team to handle the details.

Make your participation in the project a top priority. Getting involved in all of the projects may quickly deplete your time and energy.

• Establish clear expectations for a project’s scope, outcomes, and responsibilities.
• Set project deadlines.
• Hold regular meetings with your team.
• Focus on results rather than strategies for reaching them.
• Detect and delegate problems.
• Use project management software.