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In an August 25, 2008 Business Week article, Robert Sutton, professor of management at Stanford and author of The No Asshole Rule, cites a scientifically proven phenomenon called “emotional contagion.” Basically, most people, regardless of their personality traits, will automatically and mindlessly start feeling and displaying the emotions expressed by the people around them. Combined with explicit peer pressure to “be like us,” this phenomenon transforms newcomers to a group into clones who think and act much like the people they work with. The good side: a really healthy corporate culture tends to change those who aren’t necessarily all that emotionally healthy into acting as if they were, thus preserving the culture. The bad side: an unhealthy culture will suck healthy newcomers into the abyss, making them feel and behave as badly as those they’ve joined. The lesson: if you have a healthy culture, protect it mightily but rest assured that it has a nice immune system built into it. Another lesson: if you have an unhealthy culture, plan on gutting it, really cleaning house, to start to effect positive change. Another lesson, if you are more on the participant, as opposed to the leadership, level: if you find yourself in an unhealthy culture, get out. The statistics say you won’t be able to change it and it will likely change you for the worse. |
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In the Tao Te Ching , the ancient Chinese mystic Lao Tzu said, “A leader is best when people barely know that he exists, not so good when people obey and acclaim him, worst when they despise him. Fail to honor people, they fail to honor you. But of a good leader, who talks little, when his work is done, his aims fulfilled, they will all say, "We did this ourselves." |
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Among negative behaviors afflicting leaders, micro-management may be the most difficult to overcome. That’s because the underlying driver is fear, and the fear body has a powerful survival instinct. But it can be overcome. And it must be to lead effectively over the long term. Otherwise, team members feel devalued and disrespected. They avoid taking risk. They take out frustrations on other team members and customers. They look for new jobs. In the end, the only ones that stay around are sub-A players because A players will not allow themselves to be micro-managed.
So how do you stop micro-managing? Here are some tips:
Redefine your role. Staff for a maximum of three to five direct reports. Write your own current position description, being completely candid, which should reveal where you are micro-managing. Then draft a vision statement for how you will lead without telling anyone how to do his or her job.). Offer support. Set accountability schedules. Detach. Commit to the discipline no matter what. Remember, if it’s not working, it’s because you are not leading an “A” player or there is a breakdown in leadership.
Lead by objective. Set goals. Set and assign action steps. Clearly define expectations (who, what, when, and why…not how
Hire and retain only “A” players. They won’t allow you to micro-manage.
With every task, ask “Who else can do this?”
Take it in steps and pieces. Don’t expect to overcome your tendency to micro-manage overnight.
Distinguish between helpful and meddlesome. Err on the side of not helping, at least until you are no longer micro-managing.
Prioritize rigorously. Have no more than five priorities and don’t work outside them.
Communicate your intent to no longer micro-mange to key constituents. Describe the behaviors you’re working on. Ask for suggestions. Make a commitment. And provide a “safe space” for them top provide you feedback.
Meet frequently with your team. Daily (15 minutes) to discuss what’s up, metrics, and where stuck. Weekly (1 hour) to focus on priorities. Monthly (4 – 8 hours) to address big issues and for learning.
Practice intention. See Chapter 4 in The Source of Leadership.
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Nearly all executives I work with are plagued to some degree by the nasty infection of micro-management. A high-impact leader doesn’t disempower people, diminish their confidence, sap their initiative, and stifle their ability to think for themselves. The reality is that if you micro-manage enough, you are just about guaranteed that the folks you are micro-managing will not be able to function without you. High-impact leadership is about active involvement – using knowledge to probe and question, bring weaknesses to light, and rally people to correct them.
My advice to micro-managers (once they see themselves doing it, which often takes months and even years – leaders just don’t want to admit to the infection), dispensed on almost a daily basis, is to work to replace themselves. When you are replaceable as a leader, you have succeeded. I tell micro-managing executives, "Set a goal that, in three months, if you were to die suddenly, your company will function without a hitch and possibly better than if you were alive." Most say, "But why would I do that? If I become replaceable, what is my value?" My answer: "That is exactly your value. This is what the best leaders do. You will be highly valued because of your ability to build an organization that does not need any one person steering the ship. Look at Jack Welch. The greatest testament to his leadership ability is the fact that he left and Jeffrey Immelt, without a hitch, made it an even better company." |
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Inquire about booking David M. Traversi to speak or lead workshops
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A New Leadership Paradigm!
A National Bestseller!
Check out David M. Traversi's much acclaimed new book, The Source of Leadership™ Eight Drivers of the High-Impact Leader. Click here for more information.
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