Understanding and Minimizing Micromanagement Triggers

To minimize your micromanagement triggers, you must first learn to identify them. Micromanagement behaviors often arise following a trigger, which means something external has happened, causing us to have an instinctive internal reaction to jump in and correct the situation. We've built a mental model that without our intervention, there will be a bad outcome. In other words, we believe someone is probably doing something wrong.

Identifying Your Triggers

A common scenario might be when you hear a team member discussing a project, and you feel compelled to jump in and correct them, saying, "Hey, actually, that's not quite right. The project we're working on has a different scope." Such behaviors can be off-putting to those who feel micromanaged by you. To cease these behaviors, you need to understand your triggers and work on minimizing their occurrence.

Diagnosing and Brainstorming

For each team member identified with micromanagement issues from previous observations, spend a few minutes brainstorming using the vocabulary developed around micromanagement. Ask yourself:

• What do they do that triggers your urge to butt in, backseat drive, or chase them impatiently? For example, suppose they send a message that, in your opinion, is very direct and blunt, triggering you to intervene because you worry about how it will be perceived.
• What do they not do that triggers you? For example, if they do not send a "next steps" message after a meeting, you may feel an urge to chase them because you are unsure if they understood the assignment.

Emotional Awareness

To get to the root of your triggers, focus on your feelings rather than behaviors. Identify when you feel frustrated, annoyed, or irritated. These emotions often lead to corrective micromanagement behaviors, as you believe resolving the issue will make the negative emotion disappear. When examining these emotions, only focus on those leading to micromanagement within the scope of this course.

Pattern Recognition and Categorization

Once you have a list of triggers, look for patterns across behaviors or people. Categorize your triggers based on common actions or statements. Often, triggers boil down to dissatisfaction with either the quality or the quantity and speed of work. Despite their relationship, you might feel doubly dissatisfied, thinking "Little work got done today" and "This project will take another two weeks to complete."

Prioritizing Change Efforts

Finally, prioritize where to focus your change efforts. Determine whether quality, quantity, or speed is a greater concern for you. If you find it hard to prioritize, consider flipping a coin to decide, which can make the work more sustainable and the changes more likely to stick.

Through this process, you can gain better control over your micromanagement triggers and work towards a more effective leadership style.