MDS Alert

Published on Mon Jan 28, 2013 PDF

Standing over employees’ shoulders may send your good workers packing.

As a supervisor you’re ultimately responsible for your employees’ completing work. How do you accomplish this? Do you hover over them as they proceed from one step to the next, or do you trust that they’ll get their jobs done?

Micromanaging your team members can make them feel dissatisfied, potentially costing you thousands in turnover costs. Take our quiz to find out if you’re a micromanager.

Answer each question either True or False.

1. When I give my employee a task, I like to know what’s going on every step of the way. After all, my job is on the line.

2. I prefer my employees come to me with issues that involve other departments so I can speak to that supervisor directly and solve the problem.

3. When I see my employees approach their work in a manner different from my own, I will offer them my solution because I’ve found it to be very efficient.

4. I run a tight ship and require all employees to arrive at a certain time. If they are more than five minutes late, I write them up every time.

5. I’ll often do the work myself rather than delegate it because I am more confident in my own abilities.

Find out whether your management technique needs tweaking.

Count the number of TRUE answers you checked to determine if you need to tweak your management technique.

0: You are not a micromanager. Wanting to know what’s going on in your department is only natural, and you have every right as a supervisor to request certain information from your employees. You trust your employees, and they appreciate you for it.

1-2: Moderate tendency toward micromanaging. For the most part, you let your employees do their jobs without meddling in every decision along the way. But you should pay close attention to how involved you try to get with their day-to-day work.

3-5: You are a micromanager. Take a step back and re-evaluate your tactics. If you notice your employees don’t perform well, they may be frustrated because you don’t give them the freedom they need to excel. Give them some space to do their jobs and focus on yours.