How to deal with a micromanaging boss

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We all joke about how difficult our bosses can be sometimes, but wait until you experience the leadership style of a micromanaging boss.

Imagine constant mistrust, zero autonomy, and other members of your team constantly watching over your back because they are afraid of making mistakes.

Micromanagement acts as a slow poison on workplace culture and is contrary to the logic of a productive work environment.

Micromanagement is a sign of a manager who is out of touch with his or her team.

Amy Edmondson, Professor, Harvard Business School

However, there are ways to deal with a micromanaging boss (that don't involve leaving the organization). In accounting directors email list this article, we'll alleviate some of that worry as we tackle the difficult question of how to deal with a micromanaging boss using leadership skills and productive conversation.

First, take a deep breath before you start.

What is micromanagement?
Nearly three in four workers say micromanagement is the biggest red flag in the workplace. And nearly half, 46% to be exact, would leave their job because of it.

So what exactly is this workplace killer lurking in office hallways?

We use the term micromanagement frequently, but it actually refers to a particular and often painful management style.

Micromanagement involves excessive supervision and control and a general lack of trust. It is a pattern of behavior in which managers limit decision-making and constantly hover over employees' work processes, becoming overly involved and leaving the employee with zero autonomy.

So how do you spot these micromanaging tendencies? Here are some classic signs :

They want to be included in every email. That's right, they're practically your digital shadow.
They are always looking over your shoulder - literally and figuratively - watching every move you make.
Updates are never enough. They need to know the status of tasks every five minutes, and don't get them talking about the "small stuff" - they'll ask you for details on every single one.
Bosses who micromanage love control and often leave no room for independent decision-making. In fact, it may seem like they don't just want the job done, they want it done their way, every step of the way.

Here's a real-life example: In a BBC article , Alison, a 24-year-old software engineer from Bristol, UK, shared her struggles with micromanagement: "If she sees my status on Slack change to 'away', I know that within 30 minutes there will be an email asking how my project is going."

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