From Micromanagement to Empowerment

Date

06.12.22

From Micromanagement to Empowerment

My work allows me frequent and very interesting learning experiences. Not long ago, I came across Michael in a speaking engagement at a local University. He was an employee of a client of mine in the content design industry. I remembered Michael had always been a recognized senior individual contributor with very good performance reviews.

He let me know that he had been promoted to a manager’s position and that he was very excited about the opportunity. He was now managing a team, had five young direct reports and was pushing himself to be the best leader he could be.
Michael confessed to me, however, that most of the days he was feeling anxious and overwhelmed. He was picking up work and closely watching everyone’s activities to make sure the team was successful. Michael was starting to doubt his abilities to lead his team, be of value to them and to the company.

This is a common situation, where new managers start doubting themselves and their value. They end up doing individual work to help them feel more productive and safe, forgetting what they are there for. Moving from a successful individual contributor’s position to a successful manager or leader’s position, requires a shift in mindset – it is necessary to become less task oriented and more oriented towards results, contribution, and growth of the people. It requires shifting the focus from what you are doing, to the value your team is bringing.

Are you feeling less productive now that you are a manager?

Empathy: be kind to yourself, your professional skills have brought you to where you are. Now, your job is to help your team members grow.

Situational Leadership: pay attention to the way you communicate to the different members of your team. Adjust your communication according to the needs of each of them, and to where they are in their professional journey. Your challenge is to continue moving forward while keeping a close look on your team’s needs.

Engagement: your team will feel more engaged when there is a clear and tangible goal ahead. When they understand your vision and the reason for your priorities, they will make smarter decisions and feel more empowered throughout the day. Move from merely explaining tasks to explaining your vision and the value of the work they do. By becoming more value focused and less task focused, you will empower and engage others.

Gather your team and together define your organization’s mission statement and a concise list of core values that will guide actions and positioning. Experimenting, allowing mistakes, and highlighting the learning points helps people grow. If you lead by example and make accountability and ownership part of your organization’s identity, you will be making an important shift from micromanagement to empowerment!