1. They assign responsibilities without granting commensurate authority to accomplish those responsibilities.

2. They demand excessive detail in excessively frequent reports, oral or written.

Micromanaging leaders like to show they are in charge, but they make it clear when something goes wrong that the fault lies with those whom they are micromanaging.

Although Voice maintains that the current City Commission (four are leaving) has gone further than most toward micromanaging, it is fair to remember that some long-time City Staff suggest the Commission's interference with routine operations began when widely loved Barbara Hallman was mayor.

It is appropriate for the Commission to request that the Police or Fire Chief, say, submit alternate budgets, showing in general what the impact of each option will be on staffing and operations. It becomes micromanaging when Commissioners begin publicly asking how many left-handed women are being hired or whether a new piece of equipment is made of steel or aluminum. Those questions can easily be asked informally, off-stage, if at all. Either the department head knows what he is doing or he should be replaced -- following the guidelines on the page below.

It is a combination of micromanaging and posturing when the Commission spends more than two hours listening to dog-poop stories -- when the Commissioners already know what they have to do and Staff is fully prepared to do what has to be done.

It is a combination of micromanaging and posturing when during public hearings about lot splits -- hearings which are not required by law -- Commissioners ask Staff questions that the Commissioners know the answers to, just so they can comment after the vote that they personally don't like lot splits but they have to follow the law.

It is micromanaging when a Commissioner moves a topic off the Consent Agenda just to be able to make a comment -- send a warning to Staff? -- about some trivial detail.

All that said, here are the guidelines which Versagi Consulting uses when conducting day-long workshops about delegation and leadership for businesses and nonprofit organizations.

==========

How To Avoid Micromanaging
or
Management by Exception
The Goal: Establish a corporate culture which avoids micromanaging and in which customers are served well because everyone in the organization understands what is expected and is able and willing to meet those expectations.

HIRING
For every position, hourly or salaried, always evaluate an applicant's competence and attitude by appropriate testing and with one or more interviews. Never hire without checking an applicant's track record. Former employers may be cautious, but the overall tone of the conversation will provide clues. Some say such things as, "I'd take her back in a minute." Excessive reluctance to discuss a former employee's performance is a warning that competence or attitude should be looked at again before hiring.

TRAINING
Provide training continuously: seminars, in-house classes, video library, votech school, college, whatever. Cross-train to the degree which can be cost-justified. Do not become discouraged by the sometimes less-than-enthusiastic participation of employees. Training, like profit, is a permanent management responsibility.

PROCEDURES & POLICIES
Reserve the right to veto suggestions, but involve employees in establishing those procedures and policies which pertain to their specific tasks and responsibilities. Use a loose-leaf binder with dated pages so that modifications or deletions can be made without having to worry about fitting the changes into a bound document.

MANAGEMENT BY EXCEPTION
When you hire wisely, train continuously, establish realistic procedures and policies, and delegate appropriately . . .

. . .You can safely manage by exception.
That means you stop acting as though only you are qualified to put out fires. That means that you don't waste time or de-motivate employees by micromanaging. What happens is that you and your employees expect the great majority of matters will go well without your participation. Instead, you become involved only when they ask for your help or something happens which can't be handled by people you have hired well, trained continuously, and provided with guidelines and appropriate authority. You handle the truly unusual.

That is how to avoid micromanaging.   That is management by exception.

Versagi Consulting  .  248-542-7449

Select a 90-minute private tutoring session

In business or family
Handling the Bad Apple

Decision-making tips

Problem-solving, Resolving Differences

Control Growth,
Avoid Downsizing

Manage by Exception,
Avoid Micromanaging

The Boss has a right to be happy, too!

Effective Memos & Letters

Use a 1-to-5 rating scale to evaluate options

Personal & Organizational Development tools

Take the Financial Pulse of your business

Effective & Understandable Writing tips