How To Deal WIth A Micromanager 1

[maybeimaleo]

My job is great - I'm involved in projects, my opionion is sought out, I have much responsibility, I've even heard through the grapevine that the boss holds me in high regard.

The big problem is the micromanaging. The boss comes by 5-6 times a day, sometimes within an hour of each visit, asking the same questions. The boss is knee deep in management consoles, constantly telling us how to tune systems, document the environment. All the while the boss has hands in each of these, doing the work that we should be doing. Holding IT back from getting stuff done.

This one characterisitic is driving me away from here; and I've only been here nine months!

Does anyone have any advice on how I should deal with this? Do I want to leave, no, unless the micromanaging doesn't stop.

 

[goombawaho]

I think someone has to tell him what is going on because I have found out that everyone under his direction feels the same way that I do.

OUCH. If you tell the boss about the micro-managing, prepare for anything. He might accept it nicely, he might be secretly extremely angry and get even with you and he might just froggin' go off on you like a tirade. When people are confronted a la intervention style, they can get pretty squirrely because it's their way of life you are threatening. It's not just a personality quirk, it's a way of life. Can't live without booze, can't live without speed, can't live without MICRO-MANAGING.

Again, I am totally serious. Any time anyone tells me I can't do something I try in every way to go against them. Sorry to say, but it's the way I'm wired. They are challenging you and you must overcome their assault. That's why I post on here because I want to be right.

I know I've said a lot of things about my personality, but you can be happy to know that I know how I am and I work alone so it minimizes all conflicts.

If you go it alone (talking to him) there is more danger in you getting fired but if a group does it, it would be extremely threatening for someone like that.

 

[maybeimaleo]

I agree that if the group talked to him that would be bad. The project manager was thinking of talking to him in a 'i've-heard-through-the-grapevine' type of stuff.

I am hoping an interview comes together with a place of my dreams. It would be a nice way to styate why I am leaving without getting into an argument with my boss (which might happen regardless of what I say in a resignation letter).

 

[Andrzejek]

I just want to throw something here, but I have no idea if that’s the way to go.
Does your boss have anybody above him? If so, would ‘going over his head’ be the way to go? What if HIS supervisor would talk to him about his micromanaging ‘problem’?


Have fun.

---- Andy

 

[goombawaho]

I'm going to tell you this, "going over his head" is almost NEVER a good idea unless you have no fear of alienating everyone and you don't mind putting yourself on the fast track to unemployment. If you're a whistle blower and you don't care, then that's one thing. If you want to stay employed until you can find something better to move on to, probably not a good idea.

 

[maybeimaleo]

I thought about doing that but I'm not sure. My boss and his boss don't necessarily get along, so I have no idea what would come out of me going over his head.

 

[MikeHalloran]

A couple of points:

- Going over the boss's head is NEVER a good idea. Repeat that ad infinitum.

- Showing up for an exit interview is NEVER a good idea.

- Saying ANYTHING during an exit interview is NEVER a good idea.

If they coerce you by withholding your last paycheck,
either show up and remain totally silent,
or don't show up and report them to the state labor department or similar labor board for not paying you.

If you are so foolish as to show up for an exit interview, it will be recorded, probably without your knowledge or permission, and every word you say will be used out of context to defame you to anyone who will listen, especially your next employer, who may decide to not be your next employer, so sorry.

- Identifying your next (potential) employer is NEVER a good idea.

Your resignation letter/email should read:

I, {name}, hereby resign,
effective {date}.
{signature}

... in its entirety.
Do not include anything else.
Do not pee on your desk.
Take your stuff and go.

 

[flapeyre]

Got to agree with the others. Unless you are under a contract, you need not give any notice - just gin up a resignation letter, sign it, drop it on the boss's desk, grab your stuff, and leave.

Five years ago, I did exactly that (after learning that my old employer wanted me back, and I was totally miserable in the new job).

-- Francis
Francisus ego, sed non sum papa.

 

[maybeimaleo]

Really? Don't state why I am leaving? Don't go to the exit interview? Just resign, give them their remote access stuff and leave?

 

[flapeyre]

Really? Don't state why I am leaving? Don't go to the exit interview? Just resign, give them their remote access stuff and leave?

Really. Don't give them any ammo. If you tell them everything, there's a good chance you'll be bad-mouthed by them. It's happened.

-- Francis
Francisus ego, sed non sum papa.

 

[stubnski]

Talk to your boss one on one, do not go over his head, do not have a group intervention. If you are correct in your assessment of how your boss thinks of you (holds a high opinion of you) then talk to him about one or two things that is frustrating you. We all know it comes down to the manager's personality if they will attempt to change to keep you around or fire you (very unlikely) but at least you attempted to fix the situation.

I've said it before, I've had micromanagers change when I talk to them about my frustrations with them and together come up with a solution. Be very calm, professional, and unemotional. Only pick a few things that frustrate you so you don't overwhelm your manager - ie him stopping by every hour to ask the same questions, telling you how to tune the network.



@MikeHalloran - Did you have a bad experience with an exit interview? I've shown up and answered questions in every exit interview I've had without any issues, in fact I still have people at those companies on my resume's contact list.

I did not burn any bridges by speaking foolishly, aka - saying this manager is the reason I am leaving, or this company is horrible to it's employee's. I always give the PC speech - I am leaving to further enhance my career, I liked working here with the all these great people, I am sad to leave, I appreciate all of the opportunities XYZ company has provided, blah blah...

 

[maybeimaleo]

Well, I was going to use the exit interview to state that the micromanaging was killing all of the fun. Funny in that of all the years I've worked in IT I have only gone through one exit interview.

 

[blister911]

I know this is getting off topic...

If you don't go to the exit interview and state the reason(s) you're leaving, how is the company supposed to fix the problem(s)?
Let me put it another way. If a client sends you a letter stating that they've had enough, they can no longer use your software, they are terminating contracts, and going somewhere else with their business...wouldn't you want to know more details? It may be just my point of view, but that's what I see in a resignation letter, that doesn't provide any other information, dropped off just before you walk out the door.
Speaking from the support person side of my job, I can't fix it if I don't know it's broken.

I agree that if the only person in your exit interview is the one causing all of the issues, you'll want to be extremely cautious. However, normally there is a Human Resources person involved. And if you're afraid of them using what you say out of context, let them know that you're recoding the interview...and record it.

Again my perspective, unless you HATE the company and all of your co-workers (who still have to deal with the micro manager), you're doing them a disservice by not stating why you're leaving.





Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

 

[MikeHalloran]

Let me clarify HR's role here:
Once you are a former employee, you are not HR's responsibility.
When you are not a former employee, you are chattel. You are _not_ human. You are _not_ a resource.
For liability reasons, HR will not say anything actionable about you, but they are thoroughly practiced in communicating a message without saying it overtly.
You will be defamed. You will not be able to prove libel or slander.
As you may have guessed, this has all come to my attention on several unpleasant occasions.

There are of course exceptions, HR people who are always honest, ethical and professional.
I know them both.
I know a much larger, statistically significant sample of HR folks who grow their own sharkskin suits.


As for doing the company a favor, there are people at a much higher pay grade than you who are paid to know what's wrong.
If they don't know, it's unlikely they'll listen to you. Since your departure is a mark against HR for hiring you in the first place and/or not retaining you, HR is not going to paint you as anything other than a disgruntled ex-employee.
If they do know, as is more likely, they have good reason for not having fixed the problem already, and they sure don't want anyone bringing attention to the problem's continuing existence.


As for not speaking ill of people, that's a fine idea. Suppose, then, you decide to praise everyone? If you unintentionally damn someone with faint, or not sufficiently glowing, praise, you have made an enemy. If you fail to even mention someone, you have made an enemy.
You can only lose; better to not speak.

 

[goombawaho]

It's certainly up to the OP if he wants to try to fix things or just find a another job and leave. Simple decision to make. But I don't understand all these dire warnings about exit interviews. If you're going to leave, give them two weeks notice, go to the exit interview if there even is one, which is not always the case and just mention the micro-managing very lightly along with "furthering your career" speech. If the only person there is the manager, then you could be more honest in a nice way. If HR is there, I wouldn't try to crucify the boss.

I don't think in any respect that the exit interview is going to be used to crucify you so long as you aren't frothing at the mouth. Employers are just required to say you were employed between certain dates and not get personal when another company calls. Besides, you will have already landed a job before you announce you're leaving.

What is with all these comments about getting lynched at exit interviews? Usually they just want to know of any passwords you have that nobody else does. It's all about them continuing on without you and not about your future.

 

[maybeimaleo]

When it comes to the exit interview I am not going to skewer anyone. I will politely tell the HR person that the micromanaging is making it hard for a happy person at their job to stay happy.

I'm not sure what else to do...

 

[goombawaho]

Sounds reasonable to me. First things first though - update resume, contact your contacts, start looking, start interviewing, accept job, two weeks notice.

The question is why other people have had such bad experiences with exit interviews. Do you even know that you would have an exit interview? What would be interesting is if your boss is in there with the H.R. person and how you phrase "I'm leaving because of your micro-managing" with that person sitting right there. A bit of a delicate operation unless you want to just blurt it out in a matter of fact way, again with no seething anger seeping through.

I think you owe to yourself and others that might work for him that someone in H.R. is aware of the issue and the person is also made aware.

 

[KornGeek]

I could not disagree with MikeHalloran more regarding exit interviews. The ones that I've had have been pretty casual (often just a form that I filled out) and never recorded. (There are legal ramifications to recording someone without notification, btw.) I've always given a minimum of 2 weeks notice (except in two instances in my career where the employer and I both agreed that it wasn't working out and it was best to part ways immediately). I've also always told them where I was going and why (more pay, better benefits, relocating, etc.). I didn't bad mouth anybody and kept it positive.

Nearly all of my employers have had me come back either as an employee (with a pay increase) and/or as a consultant to help them out. Except for the two instances mentioned above, I have always left on good terms and have been honest with them.

With my most recent job change, I notified my employer as soon as the offer was official. I didn't have an official start date yet, so I hadn't made my resignation official or given my 2 weeks notice. It was a courteous heads-up. When I did give my notification, my employment would have ended the day before Thanksgiving, meaning I wouldn't get paid for the holiday by either employer. I discussed this with my employer, and instead worked things out with both employers so that I actually gave about 3 1/2 weeks notice. This allowed me to wrap things up cleanly at my old job before transitioning to the new one. Both employers appreciated that I wanted to leave things cleanly and were willing to cooperate with me. I'm still on great terms with the old employer (and have helped them out via telephone a few times, and did some consulting work for them), and things are going great with the new employer.

When it comes time to leave a job, my advice is to be honest with them, but filter things so that it comes across as friendly and constructive. (Rather than "John micromanaged me.", you might say something more like "I wanted to seek more independence.") I've have never had being polite to an employer come back to bite me.

 

[goombawaho]

except in two instances in my career where the employer and I both agreed that it wasn't working out and it was best to part ways immediately

Sounds like ex-girlfriend: "let's part ways immediately if not sooner".

But seriously, that's what I thought about exit interviews, not what was said a bit further up.

Rather than "John micromanaged me.", you might say something more like "I wanted to seek more independence."

That's very nice, but it doesn't get the message across strongly enough that THIS was the PRIMARY reason for leaving the job, hence the need to really spell it out but not with an accusatory or angry demeanor.

Advice:
1. If you just don't care any more, then just don't mention it in the interview. Easy peasy
2. If you care enough about the survivors, mention it clearly enough for it to be noted by all present
3. If you can't do it nicely or without anger or stress, see item 1.

Note:
There's no way I could ever do it without getting so mad that I would start to breathe hard. So credit to you if you can keep your stuff together. The reason I would be mad was that I had to bust my hump to get a new job because of the boss.

 

[maybeimaleo]

I can state how I feel calmly. I did that when I left my last job. I want them to understand why I am leaving, not listen to be whine and become "a dis-grunted employee".

 

[maybeimaleo]

After all of the talks I have had with my boss nothing has changed.
The only thing that will change is where I work. I think I am in a good position to move on.