I'm not a big fan of micromanagement and like to leave my team to get on with their work. But after the disastrous delivery of a recent project, I was accused of being too hands-off and not providing the guidance needed. How do I find the right balance? MM, Abu Dhabi
There is a fine balance between stepping in as a manager and standing back and letting teams make their own decisions. It is refreshing to hear you are comfortable letting your subordinates get on with their own work. Recently, many organisations I have been working with seem to have reverted to a more directive management style to cut costs, drive efficiencies and try to achieve greater success in a challenging and competitive market.
Yet, the benefits of not micromanaging your team and letting them get on with things through delegation are commonly discussed in most forms of management education. Team members feel empowered, motivated and engaged as they are able to share their opinions and ideas without the fear of being shut down. Most experienced personnel want to work for someone who takes a hands-off approach, as long as they are there when they need them and provide enough challenge, support and feedback. You are fortunate to have mastered this, as effective delegation is easier said than done. Research has found that only 30 per cent of managers think they can delegate well and of those, only one in three is considered a good delegator by his or her subordinates. This means only about one manager in 10 really knows how to empower others.
That being said, your own experience has shown you that completely stepping back, observing and letting other people make decisions, possibly in the service of their own growth and development, is not always the right approach.
The challenge is delegating the right things, stepping back and checking in at the appropriate times. Like everything in the leadership and management space, it is a juggling act often dependent on the people you have and the situation you are in. Generally, if you have highly skilled, knowledgeable and experienced people you can trust, then a hands-off approach is more likely to yield results, whereas with lower levels of experience or those who you are unsure about, it may require you to monitor matters more closely. It is likely that you have a mix of people, so your style may have worked for some but had disastrous effects for others.
Remember, just as there are benefits to being hands-off there are also some real advantages of a more day-to-day and connected approach, which some may see as micromanagement. There are some classic cases of global success using this approach. Apple’s Steve Jobs and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos both were unapologetic and even proud micromanagers Some see this as “not trusting others to do the job as well as you could”, yet look at it at from another point of view – you remain involved because you are so passionate about what you are doing that you are always striving to make it better. Or you have a vision for what your area should look like and you are prepared to back that vision with action.
In your case, it seems you needed to monitor performance, set regular milestones and drive execution more closely than you did. It appears that with the team you have, setting the project and then letting people deliver in the way they wish to, simply did not work. Instead, work with them more closely to scope and plan projects, allocate resources and drive it to completion. It may be unsettling and uncomfortable at first, because it is not your natural style to be so involved. But if you don’t, you will experience a repeat failure and the team will continue to blame your lack of guidance and direction.
Doctor’s prescription:
The paradox between delegation and micromanagement is false and misleading. It’s not one or the other, it’s both. Just as stepping back to give people the chance to grow works at certain times, so does an approach where you are more involved and central to projects. Some of the best micromanagers can also be the best talent developers. Your attention to detail, knowledge of the business and the particular project and your deep involvement for what is going on enables more, not less, delegation. Taking a position in the centre of the work creates an opportunity for you to challenge and support subordinates precisely because they feel guided, informed and connected.
Alex Davda is a business psychologist and client director at Ashridge Executive Education, Hult International Business School, and is based in the Middle East. Email him at business@thenational.ae for advice on any work issues.
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