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My Way or the Highway
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My Way or the Highway

The Micromanagement Survival Guide

Harry E. Chambers
Berrett-Koehler, 2004
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Applicable

Recommendation

No one likes micromanagers. They are petty dictators. They constantly interfere with their employees. They waste everyone’s time. They hurt morale. They reduce productivity. They make staffers’ lives hellish. The problem is, micromanagers exist in almost every office. Nearly eight out of 10 employees report that they work for micromanagers or have in the past. Despite its near universal prevalence, few executives, managers or supervisors acknowledge micromanagement as a personal failing. Harry E. Chambers discusses why micromanagement occurs. He teaches you how to deal with a micromanager – whether you work for that person, or he or she works for you. And he explains how to eliminate your own micromanagement tendencies. getAbstract applauds Chambers for his thoughtful treatise on a common – and odious – problem. Particularly note his recommended tactics for dealing with a micromanager’s outbursts proactively before they occur. It’s like making sure dynamite doesn’t explode by never connecting the fuse.

Summary

Looking at Micromanagement

Micromanagement is a negative activity that extends far beyond the standard workplace disagreements and misunderstandings between employees and their supervisors. Micromanagers attempt to minutely – and quite negatively – control the activities of their direct reports. This approach stems from a manager’s inability to subordinate himself or herself. It represents constant, unnecessary, counterproductive disruption and interference. Micromanagement never makes processes better or improves individual performance. Micromanagers have these behaviors in common:

  • They attempt to dominate their staffers’ time, but they cannot delegate.
  • They must win in all encounters and they never collaborate.
  • They need to control how things get done and they use raw power to get what they want.
  • They constantly monitor and must approve all aspects of their employees’ work.
  • They insist on endless reports, but fail to provide clear information or direction.

A huge gap exists between how someone being micromanaged sees this behavior versus how the perpetrator views it. Micromanagers insist that they do not micromanage...

About the Author

Harry E. Chambers is an author of books on business and management topics, including The Bad Attitude Survival Guide. He is president of a consulting and training company in Atlanta.

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