If you’re not sure if you are a micromanager, or you firmly believe your management style the best, consider these points...

If you think that holding your employee’s hand every step of the way ensures the smooth running of your company, you could be a micromanager. And if you believe your management style is the best, experts say you’re wrong! Interfering, intervening, nit-picking, breathing down somebody's neck, controlling and meddling in fact all lead to lack of productivity.

If you’re not sure if you are a micromanager, or you firmly believe your management style the best, consider these points:

Employees shouldn’t depend on you

Do you get irritated when subordinates make decisions without consulting you first? If you micromanage your staff, you’ll never be able to trust them to complete a task independently. They’ll have to consult you on every single decision. You hired them because of their particular set of skills, right? So it makes no sense to do their work for them. Give them room to take initiative and watch your company grow.

You will burn out

Do you believe the saying:  “If you want a thing done well, do it yourself”? If you cannot trust your employees and resign to holding their hand with each step you’ll fall into the trap of overworking yourself.  Being over-involved will leave you more stressed and less able to meet the deadlines you’re struggling to reach. Lack of delegation and time-management skills are physically, emotionally and mentally unhealthy.

You will struggle with high turnover

Are your employees quitting left, right and centre? They are unhappy with how you constantly hover over them. Micromanages are, frankly, annoying. When your employees realize you are not listening to them, they also become confused, annoyed and despondent. As such, your staff will always be looking for greener pastures and your company will have to continue investing in recruitment and training. Allow them to do their job independently and remember that your employees are rational competent adults. And if you really aren’t confident in their abilities, get them the training they need to further the interest of the company.

You think you know what’s best

But you don't. The way you prefer things shouldn’t be forced upon others. Their minds work a little differently to yours – as everyone’s does. What you think is complicated, may seem easier to another and vice versa.  Remember, 5+3 equal 8 but so does 7+1 and 4+4! There is more than one right way to complete any task. Your employees are smart functional human beings with their own expertise. They yearn for independence, decision capabilities, experience and to prove their worth. Grant them these liberties. Allow them to employ their unique set of skills. You render their jobs redundant if you’re the only one capable of completing their tasks.