Comments on: Making the best of a micromanager http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/11/20/making-the-best-of-a-micromanager/ Advice at the intersection of work and life Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:05:50 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Nhia http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/11/20/making-the-best-of-a-micromanager/comment-page-1/#comment-174610 Nhia Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:08:04 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/11/20/making-the-best-of-a-micromanager/#comment-174610 I'll have to agree with Patrick. First of all, one can only play this game for so long before as they say, "the sh!t hits the ceiling fan". For one thing, it's easy to play along if you are (as Penelope said, just doing an "office" job and punching in data). But if you are working on a project that you ACTUALLY care about then having a micro-manager breathing over your shoulder all the way is NOT going to sit well. In which case, there are two alternatives: if at all possible, decline to work on such project at all - or at least give reasons for why you can only get involved at a minimal level, OR only get involved on certain conditions - like stating that you'd like to be the one to oversee the project. I find that micromanagers have no problem with either of the two if stated clearly. They ONLY understand BLUNTNESS. Too many times people think such type of person will get all offended and it'll come back as a bad review but in my experience, I find this is the ONLY way such people know how to communicate. I'll have to agree with Patrick.

First of all, one can only play this game for so long before as they say, "the sh!t hits the ceiling fan".

For one thing, it's easy to play along if you are (as Penelope said, just doing an "office" job and punching in data). But if you are working on a project that you ACTUALLY care about then having a micro-manager breathing over your shoulder all the way is NOT going to sit well. In which case, there are two alternatives: if at all possible, decline to work on such project at all – or at least give reasons for why you can only get involved at a minimal level, OR only get involved on certain conditions – like stating that you'd like to be the one to oversee the project.

I find that micromanagers have no problem with either of the two if stated clearly. They ONLY understand BLUNTNESS. Too many times people think such type of person will get all offended and it'll come back as a bad review but in my experience, I find this is the ONLY way such people know how to communicate.

]]> By: Patrick http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/11/20/making-the-best-of-a-micromanager/comment-page-1/#comment-174391 Patrick Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:11:31 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/11/20/making-the-best-of-a-micromanager/#comment-174391 Dear Ms., You started very well and caught my attention when you mentioned managing upwards, toward the superiors, as opposed to managing downwards, towards the subordinates, in a company's hierarchy. You also mentioned, "One of the most important workplace strategies is managing up. And one of the easiest types of boss(es) to do this with is a micromanager." Well I agree. However, I do not agree with your following statement. "So look, if you have a micromanager, you don’t have to do your work because your boss is doing it for you". This might be true in a factory when you are making rivets and there is a minimum quota that needs to be filled in a day, say 100 units, and your boss does all 100 units- hell, then we can all go home right? Wrong! I want to tell you something Ma'am! There are some employees like myself who like to make rivets or who like to run Fortune 500 companies, and I am guessing that we are all passionate about what we do and our work. That is why we get out of bed in the morning. So, to have a micromanager in your opinion, as a solution to a person’s slacking off at work is nonsensical, juvenile, and offensive to people like me who are proud of what we do- whatever that may be. I have to admit that it might be easier to escape blame if something goes wrong when one is working with a micromanager, as he usually gets the blame since he or she is so meddlesome. Nevertheless, working with a micromanager is not at all pleasant. They do not instill any type of confidence in their subordinates, they do not project any sense of trust to their subordinates- to trust them to do their work properly- and they are not fun to work with, or be around, when they are breathing down your neck 24/7 and nailing you for each mistake. As the saying goes being “penny wise and pound stupid” is not the hallmarks of a good manager, a good GM or a good leader. Some employees like to work with micromanagers and I am not one of them. Patrick A. Dear Ms.,
You started very well and caught my attention when you mentioned managing upwards, toward the superiors, as opposed to managing downwards, towards the subordinates, in a company's hierarchy.
You also mentioned, "One of the most important workplace strategies is managing up. And one of the easiest types of boss(es) to do this with is a micromanager."
Well I agree.
However, I do not agree with your following statement. "So look, if you have a micromanager, you don’t have to do your work because your boss is doing it for you". This might be true in a factory when you are making rivets and there is a minimum quota that needs to be filled in a day, say 100 units, and your boss does all 100 units- hell, then we can all go home right? Wrong!

I want to tell you something Ma'am! There are some employees like myself who like to make rivets or who like to run Fortune 500 companies, and I am guessing that we are all passionate about what we do and our work. That is why we get out of bed in the morning. So, to have a micromanager in your opinion, as a solution to a person’s slacking off at work is nonsensical, juvenile, and offensive to people like me who are proud of what we do- whatever that may be.
I have to admit that it might be easier to escape blame if something goes wrong when one is working with a micromanager, as he usually gets the blame since he or she is so meddlesome.
Nevertheless, working with a micromanager is not at all pleasant.
They do not instill any type of confidence in their subordinates, they do not project any sense of trust to their subordinates- to trust them to do their work properly- and they are not fun to work with, or be around, when they are breathing down your neck 24/7 and nailing you for each mistake.
As the saying goes being “penny wise and pound stupid” is not the hallmarks of a good manager, a good GM or a good leader.

Some employees like to work with micromanagers and I am not one of them.

Patrick A.

]]> By: Caitlin http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/11/20/making-the-best-of-a-micromanager/comment-page-1/#comment-172241 Caitlin Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:59:02 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/11/20/making-the-best-of-a-micromanager/#comment-172241 @Diane You don't HAVE to do anything. It's about what you CAN do, if you want to, that might make things slightly better for yourself. It doesn't absolve the micro-manager or mean that you are in the right but you can't MAKE them change. The only thing you have control over is how you respond to them and Penelope is offering some suggestions. @Diane You don't HAVE to do anything. It's about what you CAN do, if you want to, that might make things slightly better for yourself. It doesn't absolve the micro-manager or mean that you are in the right but you can't MAKE them change. The only thing you have control over is how you respond to them and Penelope is offering some suggestions.

]]> By: Diane Goodwin http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/11/20/making-the-best-of-a-micromanager/comment-page-1/#comment-172236 Diane Goodwin Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:04:04 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/11/20/making-the-best-of-a-micromanager/#comment-172236 I don't agree with your article. I don't feel I should have to try and figure out what my boss needs and wants, and play this game to try and win them over. That is disgusting. I believe micromanagers have some sort of obsessive disorder and need to recognize the hard they are doing in the work-place. Also I believe people need to be frank, yet respectful, and make it known to the micromanager what difficulties they are causing. If more people were to address the manic individual, then they would have to stop destroying the moral of the employees. Micromanaging is not a positive trait, and can be insulting for those who can clearly see that they possess more skill in a certain area than you do. Why should someone have to cow down to an overbearing micromanager who has no respect for people performance level and intelligence? Again I don't agree with you. The only reason you are writing this article is to justify your own problem with micromanaging. You need to "TAKE A LOOK AY YOURSELF" and make a positive change with this negative behavior. Diane I don't agree with your article. I don't feel I should have to try and figure out what my boss needs and wants, and play this game to try and win them over. That is disgusting. I believe micromanagers have some sort of obsessive disorder and need to recognize the hard they are doing in the work-place. Also I believe people need to be frank, yet respectful, and make it known to the micromanager what difficulties they are causing. If more people were to address the manic individual, then they would have to stop destroying the moral of the employees. Micromanaging is not a positive trait, and can be insulting for those who can clearly see that they possess more skill in a certain area than you do. Why should someone have to cow down to an overbearing micromanager who has no respect for people performance level and intelligence? Again I don't agree with you. The only reason you are writing this article is to justify your own problem with micromanaging. You need to "TAKE A LOOK AY YOURSELF" and make a positive change with this negative behavior.

Diane

]]> By: Donna http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/11/20/making-the-best-of-a-micromanager/comment-page-1/#comment-2942 Donna Wed, 22 Nov 2006 17:11:17 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/11/20/making-the-best-of-a-micromanager/#comment-2942 I have been a micro and have worked for one. Some staff needs that kind of oversight, others do not, and it takes a skilled observer to know the difference. Your 3 key points are right on target. Kudos on the book completion ~ Need help marketing it? I have been a micro and have worked for one.

Some staff needs that kind of oversight, others do not, and it takes a skilled observer to know the difference.

Your 3 key points are right on target.

Kudos on the book completion ~ Need help marketing it?

]]> By: Dave http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/11/20/making-the-best-of-a-micromanager/comment-page-1/#comment-2542 Dave Tue, 21 Nov 2006 04:08:35 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/11/20/making-the-best-of-a-micromanager/#comment-2542 And some people micromanage because they don't know how to give good, clear, understandable, executable directions. I had a colleague who was brand new at managing people. Her team often came to me complaining that they were unable to please her. Of course they weren't: she was horribly deficient at communicating. She ended up getting the results she wanted only by micromanaging her team. And some people micromanage because they don't know how to give good, clear, understandable, executable directions. I had a colleague who was brand new at managing people. Her team often came to me complaining that they were unable to please her. Of course they weren't: she was horribly deficient at communicating. She ended up getting the results she wanted only by micromanaging her team.

]]> By: Gordon http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/11/20/making-the-best-of-a-micromanager/comment-page-1/#comment-2521 Gordon Mon, 20 Nov 2006 18:56:40 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/11/20/making-the-best-of-a-micromanager/#comment-2521 congrats on the book..will look forward to it..being celtic by birth and nature..I just go find a new job...don't want to waste my time or the company that I used to work for.. Slainte Gordon congrats on the book..will look forward to it..being celtic by birth and nature..I just go find a new job…don't want to waste my time or the company that I used to work for..

Slainte

Gordon

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