Tips for Surviving a Micromanager

Micromanagers are some of the most disruptive forces in the workplace. They often act like dictators rather than facilitators and leaders, and they tell their teams exactly how they should do things instead of setting goals and telling them what they ultimately need to achieve. Dealing with micromanagers is difficult, but there are strategies you can utilize to make the experience more bearable.

Assess the Situation

The first thing to do when dealing with micromanagers is to assess your own work habits before you start pointing fingers. If you routinely miss deadlines or produce subpar work, you may unwittingly be forcing your bosses into the micromanaging mindset; the same holds true for new employees who haven't quite mastered the job yet. On the other hand, it's quite possible that your boss is just a control freak at heart. If that's the case, you must face one simple fact: You can't fix the situation, but you can find ways to deal with specific behaviors.

Communicate

When dealing with micromanagers, communication is key. Micromanaging bosses are absolutely driven by information, and they need to know exactly what is going on every step of the way. Many live in fear that someone might ask them a question about their team that they can't answer. To combat this type of behavior, take a proactive stance and offer up information about what you're doing and how projects are going before he asks for it. If you keep his hunger for knowledge sated, you should find yourself less burdened with ongoing requests for meetings and status reports, which makes dealing with micromanager bosses easier.

Observe

Since people often act differently when they're under stress, it's worth taking the time to watch your micromanaging boss to see if she has any triggers that make her controlling behavior bloom. If you notice a different behavior toward the end of the fiscal year, or before a meeting with the CEO or the annual budgeting session, then you're positioned to jump in at just the right time to offer your controlling boss the assurance that everything is going as planned.

Discuss

Dealing with micromanagers on a daily basis can be draining. Before throwing in the towel, it's worth having a frank discussion with her about the problem. It's quite possible that nobody has ever told her before that by being such a controlling boss, she is creating a stressful work environment and is putting up obstacles that don't need to be there. Remember that tact is key, and it's always helpful to depersonalize the subject by removing the words "you" and "your" from the conversation.

Communication and observation are some of the best strategies to improving workplace conflicts that may arise when a micromanager is in charge. By keeping the right attitude, performing your job to the best of your ability and using specific strategies to ward off obstacles, dealing with micromanagers can be entirely manageable.

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