Look out, here's Basil

By ANGELA McCARTHY


Some employees feel that their manager is like TV's Basil Fawlty - always breathing down their neck and not letting them get on with what they have been employed to do.

And some managers may feel that they are the only ones who can do things properly and that when they look across the office they are inclined to think trained chimps could do a better job.

Having someone forever telling you how to do your job is not only frustrating, it also saps initiative, morale, motivation and creativity, says business psychologist and executive coach Jasbindar Singh.

"This is micromanagement and it is a productivity issue because it under-utilises an organisation's biggest asset - people.

"One of the most common reasons employees leave organisations is because of their relationship with their immediate boss."

Employers who get into "telling mode" are prone to micromanagement, says Singh, of SQ Executive Management.

"The interaction pattern tends to be one of parent to child rather than adult to adult."

Foresight Group human resource development consultant Jamie Ford says micromanagers are those who monitor employees too closely.

"They are highly alert to the actions of employees and focus on the here and now rather than the longer term."

But it is an easy trap to fall into, says Ford, who recently caught himself in Basil Fawlty mode micromanaging a telemarketer.

"We have an open-plan office and I started to notice that when the employee made calls I had a tendency to give comments and feedback uninvited. Of course, from my point of view, I was offering excellent advice from many years of experience."

Perturbed with his behaviour, he asked the staff member how he felt.

Sure enough, Ford was told his actions were off-putting - so they agreed that Ford would leave the office when the employee was telemarketing, but they would record some of the calls for Ford to listen to for feedback and coaching.

"There I was, over-monitoring and focusing on the activity and not the results, and the employee was becoming stressed and anxious."

It was a good reminder, says Ford, that a manager should focus on the outcome, not the detail within activities.

Technical people promoted to management positions are another group that often tend to micromanage, Ford says.

Technical brilliance doesn't indicate managerial brilliance and analytical people, in particular, may find it hard to assume a hands-off role. "They feel most comfortable and safe using their current expertise."

Pressure from above can also cause micromanagement. It might be a demand for increase of sales or reduction of costs. "Managers sometimes then think that part of the solution is to micromanage everything."

Family businesses are a breeding ground for micromanagement because owners who have built up the business and are used to doing everything have difficulty letting go.

It is important to check that your energy is focused on what you want and not how you want it, says Robyn Walshe, who runs NZIM's assertiveness and communication skills programme.

"So, you want 15 boxes of product stacked in each carton within five minutes. Your way of stacking may work for you but if someone else can get the result you want in less time, then who's to say it's not a winning way?

"Process improvements often come because the entrepreneur has been able to create the space where a new level of innovation is possible," Walshe says.

And Ford points out that a good manager allows people to learn by their own mistakes. "Mistakes are a normal part of learning, so if you're constantly correcting people or doing the task for them they can't learn."

The point to remember as a manager is that you achieve results through your staff.

"After all if you can do it all by yourself, why have employees at all?"

Ford suggests the following litmus test. "Are you confident your team is able to carry on without you when you are out of the workplace or on holiday? If not, you're probably micromanaging."

So what advice to micromanaged staff coping with battered egos and sapped initiative?

It is all about communication, says Ford, and it is better to do something about it before it becomes unbearable and you reach meltdown.

One suggestion he makes is for the employee to take a step back from their role and work out which "chunks" the manager or employer is obsessed about, then ask them for training and development in that area.

"Or request feedback and coaching on a planned basis so you get together and talk about areas you can improve in. You could say, 'I've noticed you've been telling me about this task quite a few times now and I think I need some development around that'."

Walshe emphasises the importance of assertiveness and communication.

Moving the boss from micromanaging to strategising can only be done if employees are confident they understand what is really needed and there is a safety clause so the risk of failure is minimised.

"For example, the boss tells you to put all client files into three piles - A, B and C, then write a letter to the A group, give the B group an incentive of some sort, and set up the C group with a prize draw as the attractor. "Plenty of detail, but the strategy is buried. The boss is too focused on the operational issues and not enough on the strategy."

The employee needs to be assertive and ask: "Can I just clarify what we're after here? You want a priority list of clients going from those most likely to buy to those who are least likely to buy. And you want a strategy for each group so that we make the most of this opportunity.

"Have I got that right? "How about I develop some ideas for each group and come back and check them over with you so we can decide how we might progress that list?"

Walshe says that by paraphrasing to the employer you ensure you actually do understand what is required, and offering a checkpoint ensures there are no surprises.

So what can a manager do who realises he or she is over the top?

Bad habits die hard, says Singh. Mindset has to change first, then behaviour and management or leadership style.

"To start, instead of picking on what is wrong or incomplete, try to change your focus to what the staff member is actually doing well and have a dialogue about this: 'That was a great idea. How did you arrive at that?'

"It is about changing your mindset from 'these people are not to be trusted' to 'how can I get the best out of them?'

"Nothing is learned until behaviour is changed."



You are micromanaging if:



* You think you're the only one that can fix any mistakes

* You "might as well do it" because you're faster, better and it's easier

* You enjoy feeling you're the only one who can really sort things out

* Your employees come to you for advice on every task

* You feel you have too much to do but have people there who could be doing the work


Employees should ask:


* What is it you want me to achieve?

* What expectations have you about this task?

* What are the end results of this?