Few things are more demotivating than having a manager who controls every step we take or every task we perform at work. This article is precisely about micromanagement. What are the dangers associated with this type of management? And what can be done to prevent it from prevailing in the company?

At Coverflex, we believe that not supporting micromanagement is intrinsically related to the organizational culture, which is composed of the practices, processes, and values of the company. "Educating middle management through mentoring programs, for example, and providing managers with self-development resources are ways to - and may be necessary to - ensure a corporate culture that does not leave room for micromanagement," explains Laura Moreira, Senior People Specialist at Coverflex. She adds that "having a culture where failure is allowed and accepted makes people much less anxious and much less likely to try to control the team." Coverflex won the award for best national company in the category of human development in 2023, awarded by Great Place to Work®, the global authority on workplace culture, and ranks 1st in the Best Workplaces 2023 ranking in the category of companies with 51-100 employees in Portugal.

So what is micromanagement? Micromanagers are supervisors who excessively control their employees' work to the point of hindering their performance. The term gained greater relevance in the workplace with the onset of remote work, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, with some managers practicing this heightened control over professionals who were not on their visual radar. However, micromanagement is not limited to fully remote work models. And the dangers associated with this type of management are numerous, even going against the creation of a healthy work environment.

From loss of trust and autonomy to high turnover or burnout, we will list the dangers at stake, as well as what you need to do as a leader to avoid falling into this type of management or to stop applying it.

Loss of Trust
One of the greatest dangers is the destruction of the trust relationship between managers and employees. A leader who excessively controls the daily tasks of their workers beyond what is reasonable - and even beyond what is healthy - ceases to be seen as a leader. Trust is a mutual relationship that is built together. If the manager does not trust their teams, giving them space and autonomy to work, it cannot be expected that the teams will trust them.
Suggestion: To stay connected with employees without compromising trust, try to listen to them more often. Practice active listening to understand how they feel, what stages of life they are going through, and what they need professionally. Listen to your team's suggestions and act accordingly.

Lack of Autonomy
By controlling every step of their people, the leader is also creating a dependent team that cannot react autonomously and with the confidence that they are doing a good job. In other words, micromanagement makes workers feel that they constantly need to be guided by a superior. This also requires more time and effort from the manager.
Suggestion: Remember that you hired those people because they are an asset to the company. They have talents, skills, and unique characteristics. You just need to let them work with minimal control.

Burnout of Managers
Micromanagement is not only bad for employees; it can also affect the well-being of managers themselves. Controlling is highly exhausting. It is easy to drain your energy, develop work aversion, and even decide that it is time to "abandon" the ship, reconsidering whether to accept supervisory roles again.
Suggestion: Micromanagement puts all the weight on the shoulders of managers. Do not allow this and choose to distribute the "weight." According to Harvard Business Review, people who exert excessive control have difficulty relinquishing responsibility. However, one of the advantages of having a team is precisely the distribution of responsibilities. As a manager, learn to delegate. Create a sense of responsibility within your team and let each person be a leader themselves.

Increased Anxiety and Stress for Employees
While it affects the physical and mental health of leaders, employees also suffer from this type of management, which typically generates higher levels of stress and anxiety. Work is a crucial part of our lives. If the approximately eight hours we spend working daily become highly stressful, the likelihood of feeling anxious, developing illnesses, and experiencing sleepless nights increases. Studies show that autonomy and longevity are directly related, so working in a micromanagement environment negatively affects people's health.
Suggestion: Micromanagement creates a monotonous environment for workers and is more conducive to burnout. Focus on your employees' emotional well-being, a concept that encompasses various aspects, all of which have one thing in common: the health and happiness of employees.

High Turnover
Most people do not deal well with micromanagement. Working in an environment of constant control is usually a factor that leads professionals to consider leaving their jobs. Nearly 70% of employees would consider changing jobs if they experienced micromanagement behavior, according to the findings by Trinity Solutions. And remember, high turnover can be detrimental to the company.
Suggestion: In a highly competitive job market, we believe you do not want to risk losing your top talent due to micromanagement practices. Focus on providing them with a healthy and stimulating work environment where each person truly feels valued and heard.

Innovation Discouragement
Another significant danger of micromanagement is discouraging the spirit of innovation and creativity among employees. By canceling people's autonomy and proactivity, the leader is also refusing to take risks in innovation and denying potential progress.
Suggestion: The team is at the forefront of the project and knows better than anyone - sometimes even better than the manager themselves - what is happening. Furthermore, if employees do not depend on a manager to take every step, they will think more independently and consequently perform better.

This does not mean that the manager cannot or should not get involved in the activities of employees. Each company and each leader will have their leadership style, and each project will require different levels of monitoring. We are referring to the daily tasks in this article: those that do not directly require the involvement of managers and where adopting this type of behavior carries more disadvantages than benefits.

By the Coverflex team.