Taking Back Your Power and Giving Others Space to Grow
Tom stared at his computer screen, dreading the knock at his office door that came right at 9am every day. As if on cue, his manager John, poked his head in.
“How’s that report coming along?” he asked, glancing over Tom’s shoulder.
“I’m making good progress,” Tom replied, trying not to let his frustration show.
“I thought I’d have a first draft for you by this afternoon.”
“Just making sure you’re on track,” John said. “Let me know if you need any help.”
He lingered a moment longer than necessary before closing the door.
Tom sighed.
John had been his manager for 6 months now and micromanaged every detail of Tom’s work.
From reviewing his emails before he sent them to double-checking spreadsheets for typos, John’s constant hovering was draining Tom’s creativity and independence.
Tom wasn’t the only one suffering under John’s microscope.
During their weekly team meeting, the complaints were pouring in.
“I can’t get anything done with John breathing down my neck,” Maria confided in Tom later.
Sara, one of the senior managers, had also noticed the drop in morale.
She decided to have a talk with John to address his management style before it impacted productivity.
“John, I’ve been meaning to check in on how your team is doing,” Sara began at their one-on-one meeting.
“I’ve noticed some concerning things — people seem stressed and unmotivated. Is everything okay?”
John shrugged.
“My team just needs to work a little harder. A lot is riding on these projects and I want to make sure everything is perfect.”
Sara chose her next words carefully, not wanting to come across as critical.
“I understand the desire to ensure quality work, but micromanaging can have the opposite effect. When people feel trusted and empowered, they’ll perform their best. Maybe give your team some space to problem solve on their own.”
John bristled at the suggestion.
“I’m just doing my job to oversee them. What’s wrong with double checking work to catch mistakes?”
“Little things add up to employees feeling unsupported,” Sara replied. “Have an open conversation with your team about setting clear expectations and checking in periodically instead of daily. See if that helps boost morale and ownership.”
John reluctantly agreed to try Sara’s approach, though he remained unconvinced. He asked the team for feedback at their subsequent meeting, and he was surprised by what he heard.
“It’s exhausting to have you over my shoulder all the time,” Maria said. “Just give me the goal and timeline and let me do my work without micro-adjusting all my decisions.”
The others nodded in agreement. Tom added that he was constantly second-guessing himself, afraid to make any choice without John’s approval.
John realised his intense supervision was backfiring. He decided to test driving Sara’s advice for more autonomy.
At their following catch-up, John asked Tom broad questions about progress instead of granular details. He let Maria solve an issue on her own rather than inserting his own ideas.
To his amazement, things improved quickly. Work was getting done faster without as many unnecessary meetings and approvals. Morale was higher too — people seemed happier and more engaged with their duties now that they had more ownership.
John realised micromanaging was partly a coping mechanism for his own perfectionism and trust issues.
But letting go of control was liberating for both him and his team. Instead of a manager, he shaped himself into more of a coach who guided from a distance.
The moral?
Micromanaging might seem like diligence but often backfires by diminishing others’ motivation and creativity.
Both managers and employees benefit when clear goals are set and space is given to solve problems independently. With trust and flexibility on both sides, the best work can be achieved.
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