Micromanagement can sneak into any management style. You want your employees to perform well, and you want to understand inconsistencies. The instinctual (and wrong) way to build this understanding is to hover. To constantly check in, want to review all work personally, and insert yourself into decisions that should be handled independently. You might tell yourself you’re maintaining standards, but what you are really doing is micromanaging. And micromanagement forces employees to take less individual accountability for their work.
If your team cannot function without constant direction and you cannot ever step back and take a break, then you have a micromanagement problem.
So, what is the solution?
The solution is twofold. You have to increase employee accountability while also ending your practice of micromanagement. How do you do that?
Keep reading to find out!
Accountability vs. Micromanagement: Understanding the Difference
Micromanagement is the practice of controlling how work gets done rather than whether it gets done.
A micromanaging owner or manager controls every step of work execution, checks in repeatedly before work is complete, and corrects minor deviations from their preferred method, even when the result would be identical.
You can tell when a manager is a micromanager when they require approval of all communications, sit in on routine client meetings, correct minor decisions, constantly ask for status updates, and take other actions that show their team the manager does not trust individual team members to properly do the work.
This creates a huge bottleneck at the top of the organization and limits the amount of work that can and will get done.
The solution to micromanagement is implementing an accountability system, which allows the micromanager to be hands-off. But it also requires that the micromanager take a step back and allow accountability to occur.
An accountability system would include defined expectations and measurable outcomes that support the work’s completion. Team members who are accountable for their work understand what they are responsible for, how success is measured, and when to report results.
Most employees want to embrace accountability systems, but I have yet to meet someone who enjoys being micromanaged.
Not only is accountability good for employee morale, but it’s also a vital step in scaling your business. You cannot grow a business that is being micromanaged because it has a bottleneck that prevents growth. So, implementing a system to build accountability and end micromanagement in your company is not only a boon to your employees, it’s a boon to your bottom line.
Five Systems and Tactics That Build Accountability Into Your Business
- Define metrics for every role.
Employees cannot be accountable for results they cannot measure. Build accountability by identifying up to four metrics that best indicate whether the role is being performed well. Document those metrics, make them visible to the employee, and review them on a regular cadence. Remember that most jobs don’t need four metrics to measure whether the employee is performing well. Some just need one.
- Document processes and assign ownership.
Every repeatable task should have a documented process assigned to a named owner. Ownership is key here, because it means that someone (usually not the manager!) is responsible for completing the task, following the process, flagging problems, and proposing improvements. Assigned ownership makes accountability part of the role, which means that no one needs to micromanage those tasks.
- Use structured check-ins.
Replace constant check-ins and follow-ups with structure. This allows your management to step away from a task because they know that they will hear about it at a specific time or in a particular report.
One note of caution here is that, if someone is very prone to micromanagement, they may build unreasonable check-ins. Ensure check-in times are reasonable, short, and nonintrusive. Your team wants to get work done, not spend all of their time on reports.
- Start accountability at the onboarding stage.
Every new hire should learn from day one how accountability works in your business. This means walking them through their role metrics, showing them where processes are documented, explaining the check-in cadence, and including them in the system. When accountability is introduced early on, it becomes part of the company culture.
- Recognize results publicly and address gaps privately.
Accountability systems work when the culture around them rewards follow-through and takes shortfalls seriously without creating fear. This can be done by celebrating employees who hit their targets and meet their deadlines. However, underperformance does happen, so ensure there is a system for addressing these issues in a one-on-one setting.
Building accountability into your business systems takes deliberate effort, but the payoff is a team that owns its work and a business that can grow without the owner's constant presence.
If you are ready to build accountability systems that support your team and give you the freedom to focus on growth, Business Success Consulting Group can help. Schedule your free initial consultation today and find out where to start.
