Coaching for Micromanagers

This coaching tip was originally published in the Coaching for Excellence newsletter.

What drives micromanaging behavior? Instead of telling managers to “chill out” it is more helpful to understand contributing factors.

Managers are encouraged to understand employee’s behavior, but who is doing this for managers?

Midmanagement is sandwiched between pressure from the owner and team members. Because of this positioning, they’re less likely to get helpful + candid feedback.

If you’re an owner, here are questions to consider for this type of behavior:

💙 What’s the scenario? Is micromanaging a daily behavior or tied to specific moments (new hire, training, accountability)?

💙 Are they feeling extra pressure (external + internal) to make them behave this way? How can that pressure be alleviated or reframed?

💙 If daily behavior, are they aware they’re doing this? If yes, why?

💙 If no, do they trust their team? If not, why not?

💙 What specific moments led to a breakdown in trust? Were these situations addressed? If yes, how?

💙 If no, create a plan to restore trust. What conversations do they need to have with team members to build the trust?

💙 What milestones can be put in place to strengthen trust?

💙 What support do they need to improve their leadership abilities?

If we want our leadership teams to improve, we need to identify the source of their struggle.
Growth is a process for all of us.

@theCEOffice