192:. A micromanager tends to require constant and detailed performance feedback and to focus excessively on procedural minutia (often in detail greater than they can actually process) rather than on overall performance, quality, and results. This micro focus on trivial matters often delays decisions, clouds overall goals and objectives, restricts the flow of information between employees, and guides the various aspects of a project in different and often opposed directions. The sum of such inefficiencies is unlikely to be a net gain for the organization, even if it allows a micromanager retention of control or the mere appearance of it.
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The most frequent motivations for micromanagement are internal and related to the personality of the manager. However, the external factors such as organizational culture may also play a major role. Other factors which can induce micromanagement include the importance of a project and its timeline,
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and lack of trust. When a task or project is delegated in an unclear way, or where a lack of confidence exists between the manager and the person doing the work, both common characteristics of too little management, micromanagement, however, may instead ensue. Preventatives include clear delegation,
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A pattern of micromanagement suggests to subordinates that a manager does not trust their work or judgment, which can lead to individual or workforce disengagement and other forms of a dysfunctional workplace. Disengaged employees invest time, but not effort or creativity, in their assignments. The
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and narcissistic behavior. Micromanagement resembles addiction in that although most micromanagers are behaviorally dependent on control over others, both as a lifestyle and as a means of maintaining that lifestyle, many of them fail to recognize and acknowledge their dependence even when everyone
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There are multiple potential effects from micromanagement, which include failure to meet goals, loss of the "big picture", lack of trust, employee disenchantment or disengagement, and an erosion of creativity and initiative in the workforce - any combination of which can lead to a
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effects of this phenomenon are worse in situations where work is passed from one specialized employee to another. In such a situation, apathy among upstream employees affects not only their own productivity but that of their downstream colleagues.
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Rather than giving general instructions on smaller tasks and then devoting time to supervising larger concerns, the micromanager monitors and assesses every step of a process and avoids
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of decisions. Micromanagers are usually irritated when subordinates makes decisions without consulting them, even if the decisions are within the subordinates' level of authority.
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Although micromanagers may have good intentions, micromanaging most often arises due to a lack of trust and respect. Some common reasons why people micromanage include:
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defined micromanagement as "atten to small details in management: control a person or a situation by paying extreme attention to small details."
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reasons, to delegate work to subordinates and then micromanage those subordinates' performance, enabling the micromanagers in question to both
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style characterized by behaviors such as an excessive focus on observing and controlling subordinates and an obsession with details.
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Often, this obsession with the most minute of details causes a direct management failure in the loss of focus on the major details.
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for negative results to their subordinates. These micromanagers thereby delegate accountability for failure but not the
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53:'s online dictionary defines micromanagement as "manage especially with excessive control or attention on details."
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with more important work and more demanding deadlines increasing the stakes for the manager in charge.
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This article is about the management style in business. For micromanagement in video gaming, see
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The most extreme cases of micromanagement constitute a management pathology closely related to
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defines micromanagement as "manage or control with excessive attention to minor details."
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Micromanagement can also stem from such dynamics as a breakdown in the fundamentals of
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Organizational
Realities - Micromanagement: What It Is and How to Deal with It
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that would have led to success or at least to the mitigation of that failure.
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A belief that work deemed superior to their own may make them look inadequate
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403:. Berrett Koehler Publishers, San Francisco. Retrieved on 20 June 2008.
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It is common for micromanagers, especially those who exhibit
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a well defined goal, and a firm grasp of constraints and
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Micromanagement also frequently involves requests for
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199:tendencies and/or micromanage deliberately and for
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541:Canner, Niko; Bernstein, Ethan (17 August 2016).
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169:Learn how and when to remove this message
38:Micromanagement generally has a negative
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543:"Why is Micromanagement So Infectious?"
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236:Extreme need for control and domination
190:unnecessary and overly detailed reports
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608:?", Harvard Business Review, 17 August
566:Bielaszka-DuVernay, Christina (2008).
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418:Small Business Resource Centre (2006)
230:Fear of loss of control over projects
213:authority to take alternative actions
606:Why is Micromanagement So Infectious
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107:adding citations to reliable sources
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442:Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary
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840:Narcissistic Personality Inventory
604:Niko Canner and Ethan Bernstein: "
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490:"Micromanagement is Mismanagement"
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776:Narcissistic personality disorder
619:Softpanorama micromanagement page
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324:Machiavellianism in the workplace
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629:The Real Cost of Micromanagement
302:Increased stress among employees
239:Poor self-image and insecurities
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459:. Retrieved on 21 June 2008.
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672:Similar personality concepts
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349:Psychopathy in the workplace
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997:Counterproductive behaviour
849:Related psychology concepts
515:Narcissism: Behind the Mask
488:McConnell, Charles (2006).
453:Encarta Dictionary (2008).
329:Narcissism in the workplace
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299:Declined employee retention
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568:Micromanage at Your Peril
475:Definition of micromanage
456:Definition of micromanage
314:Abusive power and control
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207:for positive results and
1499:Aspects of organizations
1147:Hostile work environment
397:Chambers, Harry (2004).
290:Damaging employee morale
275:hostile work environment
1484:Aspects of corporations
1272:Quality of working life
962:Artificial intelligence
769:Pathological narcissism
547:Harvard Business Review
472:Dictionary.com (2008).
334:Narcissistic leadership
1494:Aspects of occupations
319:Blame in organizations
56:The online dictionary
1232:Performance appraisal
982:Computer surveillance
735:Collective narcissism
714:Narcissus (mythology)
400:My Way or the Highway
344:Outline of management
1377:Workplace harassment
1367:Work–family conflict
1082:Employee recognition
793:Malignant narcissism
103:improve this article
1247:Positive psychology
1142:Health surveillance
1072:Employee monitoring
1067:Employee experience
1062:Employee engagement
1057:Employee assistance
1042:Effects of overtime
947:Abusive supervision
719:Superiority complex
293:Delay in every task
1545:Waste of resources
1277:Queen bee syndrome
694:Healthy narcissism
359:Setting up to fail
220:workplace bullying
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296:Reduced ownership
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1443:Organization
1433:Labor rights
1413:Headquarters
1332:Toxic leader
1312:Spirituality
1201:
1177:Kick the cat
1167:Intervention
1107:Feminisation
957:Anti-pattern
856:Compensation
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550:. Retrieved
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1458:Trade union
1448:Remote work
1423:Job sharing
1398:Corporation
1347:Undermining
1267:Psychopathy
1117:Goofing off
1112:Generations
1097:Empowerment
942:Absenteeism
926:Aspects of
871:Grandiosity
866:Entitlement
740:Don Juanism
689:God complex
463:2009-11-01.
205:take credit
159:August 2023
40:connotation
1530:Narcissism
1525:Management
1519:Categories
1504:Employment
1403:Employment
1212:Narcissism
1162:Inequality
1157:Incivility
1132:Harassment
1102:Evaluation
1037:Drug tests
952:Aggression
928:workplaces
833:withdrawal
788:Dark triad
750:Leadership
728:In society
665:Narcissism
376:References
257:delegation
183:delegation
129:newspapers
46:Definition
33:management
1540:Workplace
1477:Templates
1262:Profanity
1257:Probation
1197:Menopause
1187:Listening
1127:Happiness
1027:Diversity
1012:Democracy
1002:Coworking
552:23 August
201:strategic
1391:See also
1382:Workwear
1372:Workload
1362:Wellness
1352:Violence
1342:Turnover
1337:Training
1317:Strategy
1307:Sabotage
1282:Rat race
1222:Overwork
1052:Emotions
1017:Deviance
987:Conflict
967:Bullying
887:Category
813:neurosis
679:Egomania
571:Archived
461:Archived
307:See also
75:Symptoms
1408:Factory
1357:Virtual
1292:Revenge
1252:Privacy
1207:Mobbing
977:Culture
972:Climate
861:Empathy
818:elation
781:history
760:Parents
684:Egotism
268:Effects
143:scholar
59:Encarta
1438:Office
1322:Stress
1242:Phobia
1172:Jargon
1122:Gossip
935:Topics
828:supply
808:injury
699:Hubris
598:
517:(2010)
499:8 June
440:, via
247:Causes
145:
138:
131:
124:
116:
1152:Humor
150:JSTOR
136:books
31:is a
596:ISBN
554:2016
501:2008
122:news
1418:Job
277:.
105:by
1521::
577:.
545:.
492:.
430:^
416:,
384:^
264:.
919:e
912:t
905:v
657:e
650:t
643:v
556:.
530:.
503:.
444:.
172:)
166:(
161:)
157:(
147:·
140:·
133:·
126:·
99:.
23:.
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