Hi EDN,
I have a great job and I love it except for one thing, my boss is a micromanager. She wants to be CC’d on every email even when she has nothing to do with a topic. If I step out of the office for a meeting and she’s in the office, I need to basically plan an additional 20 minutes to travel because she’ll stop me to want to “strategize” whether or not I need the support! I do my job well, but this is unbearable! Don’t we learn from mistakes?!! She watches me like a hawk- it’s hard to work. I’ve been there a little over a year, I’m a recent grad. I did well in my 6 month review but this just feels intense. How do you deal with a micromanager?
Signed,
Micromanaged
Response:
Thank you for your question! We shared your question on our different social media platforms and got some great advice and feedback from our EDN Community, which we have incorporated in our response.
No one likes the feeling of constantly being watched or having a boss breathing down your neck. It is important to realize that a micromanaging boss typically has nothing to do with you or your work, but rather the boss’ desire to control situations. However, this can have a negative impact on your feelings toward your boss and your job. While it may seem impossible to change your boss’ micromanaging and overbearing habits, there are some actions you can take to deal with your boss without offending them. First, although you had a great 6 month review, it may take time for your boss to gain trust that you are capable of doing the work. Again, this doesn’t have anything necessarily to do with you, but your boss’ own control issues. Continue to produce excellent quality work and eliminate any potential reasons she would want to micromanage or feel that you are not capable of doing the work without her constantly watching you. Also, consider being proactive in updating your boss about your progress on different projects or your workload. This can be morning emails to your boss letting her know what you plan to work on for the day (and if you need her input) or weekly in-person meetings where you give your boss updates. This will show your boss that you are getting work done, what your plans are, and how (and if) she can be involved. She will still be involved and have an opportunity to provide input, but without constantly checking in throughout the day. This will also benefit your situation because she will see how you are able to plan and manage your responsibilities on your own (further gaining her trust). Most importantly, communicate with your boss! Consider being transparent in how you are feeling and how her current behavior is affecting you and your work. However, you want to be sure you don’t put your manager in defensive mode when you approach her. As suggested by a member of the EDN Community, request a meeting with your manager to get her feedback and outline how you both can best collaborate. You want to be sure to highlight what worked well for you that she has done in the past, and some situations where you did not need as much of her guidance or constant scrutiny. You can then discuss strategies for how you both can collaborate better in the future for you to gain more autonomy and responsibility in the workplace to continue to do a great job. Be sure to go into the meeting with some strategies that are realistic and use language that is positive.
We hope that your boss will begin to pull back and allow you to flourish without her constantly watching you. Please check out our Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for some more tips and strategies shared by our EDN Community. Keep us posted on how everything goes.
Best,
EDN PD