How To Deal With A Micromanager Boss

Take A Deep Breath And Accept What You Cannot Change
Your micromanager boss is a control freak, and there are probably a lot of people who have come before you who have tried to change that. Don’t waste your time. The micromanaging boss is probably a micromanager in every aspect of his or her life, and that’s just the way he or she operates. So, take a deep breath and accept what you cannot change.

Don’t Take The Micromanagement Personally
I’m a competent person, you might be thinking. Why can’t this person leave me alone and let me do what I said I’d do? If your thoughts run this way, you’re not alone, but see above. Why can’t your boss stop? He just can’t. Why does he micromanage you? Well, it’s not just you, you’ll probably notice, it’s everyone in your department. This is just a management style, and admittedly, it’s not pleasant for the people who don’t need to be guided along every step of the way.

Try To See Micromanagement From The Micromanaging Boss’s Point of View
But, maybe not everyone is as competent as you are. Look around. If you are operating at the top of your professional game, how do you know that that’s the case? Chances are it’s because others around you are not. Even if there’s no dead wood currently in your department, your boss might have had experiences with other employees who required constant oversight in order to get the job done. Perhaps your boss is -- either consciously or unconsciously -- ensuring that he or she does not get burned again in a way that happened before.

In addition, bosses -- even the ones who don't micromanage -- are responsible not just for themselves, but for everything that their employees do. If you had a department to manage and were answerable for everything that went right or wrong that came out of your department, don't you think you might face the temptation to do a little bit of micromanaging of your own? You have responsibilities at work; that's true. But, in addition to the responsibilities your boss shoulders in the performance of his or her own job, he or she must also answer to a higher authority in terms of the work of your whole department.

And Don't Forget About The Advantages of the Micromanaging Boss
Yes, it certainly might be irritating to be checked up on every step of the way, or several times during every step of the way. However annoying as that may be, though, you can sleep easy at night because your micromanaging boss will be there to ensure you never falter in the carrying out of duties.

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