Is it a trust issue? Do micro-managers think that for something to be done right, it must be done themselves? Is it because it takes longer to train employees to do something than it is to do it yourself? Just what makes big MM a necessary evil?

Or is it? Could it be that micro-management isn’t a necessary evil at all? Could it be that it’s just plain evil? I say “YES!” And I think most of you would agree with me.

Let’s take an honest look at this thing. We all hate being micromanaged, right? And why do we hate it? Because it makes us feel like we aren’t trusted or respected or thought highly of by our own managers. And these yucky feelings don’t do much for our employee morale do they?

So why in world would we knowingly do this to our own employees? Aha – maybe that’s it!! Maybe there are legions of Micro-managers out there who don’t even know that they are micro-managing! WOW!! Could this be a historic discovery? Probably not, but it’s worth considering anyway.

First of all, can we all just agree that Mm-ing our employees just plain stinks and we won’t do it anymore? Great! But now that we’ve agreed that we won’t do it, it’s up to us to take a long honest look at ourselves to determine areas in which we might just be Mming and not even really realizing it!

So, in tradition of Jeff Foxworthy…

You might be a Micro-manager if:

1. You spend a measurable amount of time handholding employees. Ask yourself: Why do I do this? Are they not capable? Is there training to be given which would improve their skills thereby freeing up my hand-holding?