How to Stop Micromanaging: Part Two

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Comments

[Michiko Diby]

Thank you! This is excellent and extremely well written. I can use it right away! As a manager, I've been focusing on strengths in my staff to great results. And trust me, there are a lot of weakness, but I've just not focused on them. Managing up is harder as the people who own my company are more used to hierchical style of leadership. So we've bumped heads at time. But they can't argue with the results my team is getting. I find that old style management is excessivly focused on controlling weakness. this does nothing but get people mad. Thanks again!

[Rosa Say]

Thank you so much for visiting and commenting for me Michiko, I appreciate having this opportunity to meet you. Thrilled to know this will be immediately useful for you!

I have been a fan of the Gallup Organization's strengths revolution movement, now championed by Marcus Buckingham as well, and it sounds to me that you would really enjoy his book, Go Put Your Strengths to Work. What most appealed to me about it - making it very useful and not just academic or theoretical - was his focus on strengths and weaknesses as activities rather than character flaws which negate the talent you have.

I believe that "managing up" is fairly straightforward (though admittedly not always simple): We manage up by making it easier on our superiors, so they too can focus on their most effective strengths. What you are doing - delivering stellar results - is exactly that, so well done!

[Michael A Han]

Aloha Rosa,

Often, my intention to help develop and monitor processes is mistaken for getting into areas deemed 'their kuleana'. I also think managers I manager prefer that their processes or how they go about achieving the goals not be measured. I believe in management for results and by process instead of management by results.

I also feel that at times the word 'micromanagement' is used to defend against 'scrutiny'.

Great article, thanks for bringing light on to this important topic.

Mike Han

[Rosa Say]

Aloha Mike,
I appreciate your feedback, and I’m guessing what you say will resonate with other managers who read this as well.

That bucket above I framed as “Is it a people issue?” involves those things you have mentioned: It includes the agreement between you of how their Kuleana is accurately defined (and hence, exactly how they are held accountable if they want you to otherwise stay out of what they accept as their responsibility). I agree that managers struggle with measurement and it needs to be more pragmatic and useful for them (you need not compromise on what you must measure in your business model and business plan). It includes their attitude, and their willingness to be a team player, preferring to collaborate with you versus exclude you. I feel it should be made clear in healthy work cultures that independently done work does not mean you are an island or a silo: Vibrant businesses are highly interconnected, and managers should use each other well, not keep each other at arms’ length.

And yes, it does mean that in a healthy work culture, no one should have to worry about coming under scrutiny, or staying off your radar. Self-protective behavior is usually a warning sign of a bigger problem or developmental/learning need.

Mike, I have an article queued up to post on July 30th which is called “The 30-70 Rule in Managing and Leading” and I think you will find it useful, for it is about metrics and measurement.

Thank you so much for commenting here so we could continue the conversation within the Talking Story Ho‘ohana Community!
Rosa