"Micromanagement" is a dirty word in today's workplaces. Bosses who intervene too often or too extensively in their subordinates' activities get a bad reputation, and most forward-thinking organisations have come to value employee autonomy more than oversight. Research shows that people have strong negative emotional and physiological reactions to unnecessary or unwanted help and that it can erode interpersonal relationships. Even the US Army General George S. Patton understood the danger of micromanaging: He famously said, "Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do, and they will surprise you with their ingenuity."
Managers shouldn't be completely laissez-faire, however, especially when subordinates aren't co-located, as is the case for many during the global Covid-19 pandemic. People doing complex work often need more than just superficial advice or encouragement; they need assistance that is both well-timed and appropriate to their issues — and providing it can be challenging without opportunities for serendipitous encounters in a physical office. Extensive research indicates that pervasive helping in an organization correlates with better performance than letting employees go it alone does. So how can you give subordinates the assistance they need without undermining their sense of independence?
Over the past 10 years we've been studying how leaders effectively offer help without being perceived as micromanagers. We have observed and talked to people inside various companies, conducted a large-scale qualitative study and run two behavioral experiments, exploring how 124 groups responded to differently timed interventions. Together those projects have yielded important insights into how managers can better assist their employees. As a starting point, your employees need to know that you're willing to offer help — and they must feel comfortable asking for it. Additionally, you need to have a baseline understanding of their work and its challenges, as well as time and energy to give.
But just how and when should you roll up your sleeves to get involved in employees' work? We've uncovered three key strategies: Time your help so it comes when people are ready for it; clarify that your role is to be a helper; and align the rhythm of your involvement — its intensity and frequency — with people's specific needs.