Are You a Micromanager or Macromanager?

What kind of manager are you?

You’ve had one of those leaders before, right? The one that micromanages everything. These managers are remembered, for sure, but not for the right reasons. If you’ve experienced a micromanager, you can likely recount how you lost motivation and inspiration to be innovative and forward-thinking, knowing that every step you took would be criticized, analyzed, or challenged. Or that — even before you had a chance to think for yourself— your micromanager would tell you exactly what to do or give you their solution. Micromanagers may be effective at accomplishing projects or as individual contributors, but they aren’t effective in leading teams to be better, work more effectively, or accomplish more.

Over the past several months, I’ve talked with many people across different industries who are finding themselves frustrated and disempowered. With the switch to virtual working environments since the pandemic hit, their managers have reverted to micromanagement (or have amplified these tendencies), asking for updates on minutiae, to be a part of every meeting, and to be copied on all emails. Several of these individuals I’ve talked with have contemplated leaving their organizations or finding another role.

Earn trust by giving trust

Never forget that trust is earned and can quickly be lost. Micromanaging is a quick way to lose one of the most fundamental factors for team success that is hard to regain. In moments of fear and uncertainty, people tend to seek ways to control what is within their control. But sometimes this attempt at “gaining control” actually has the opposite effect. Team members lose respect for their manager and become disengaged. It’s in moments like this that leaders are tested, and those who are open to learning to lead, again, shine.

Your team may be virtual in nature today, but don’t let that turn you into a micromanager of their work.

Instead, seek to be a macromanager.

Macromanagers are not hyper-focused on the details. Instead, they focus on the big picture and how to support their people. Be a leader who sets the direction, who provides clarity on goals and targets, and then who offers support, nurture, and systems that allow your people to learn, achieve, and communicate. Your team’s role is to utilize their skills set to solve problems, achieve goals, and help the organization fulfill its purpose (while fulfilling their own). Your role as a macromanager is to provide the support they need to build the confidence and capabilities to achieve the goals.

With all of the changes in our world — and likely to your organization — now is the time to pause, reflect, refocus, and continue to learn to lead, again, as we navigate into to a new future and working environment.

Tips to Lead from a Macro Level

As a macromanager, you can lead (and coach) a team to achieve new challenges and goals while supporting them along the way. This deliberate form of leadership focuses on prioritizing the necessities, and allows the team to be innovative, process-focused, and curious while experimenting their way towards achieving these challenges. The result? While your team and you may experience setbacks, pitfalls, and failures along the way, your team will be stronger, the outcomes more sound, and your trust deepened.

Here are a few ways to focus on the big picture and allow your team to achieve the success you know is possible, even in this new world order!

1. Connect the macro with the micro.

Macromanagers are focused on understanding bigger picture of where the organization needs to go and how their team’s efforts fit into the priorities and goals of the organization. They prioritize the vital “must-dos” so that team members can focus their energy in the right direction — and they clearly articulate this direction to the group. Macromanagers not only help their people understand the priorities of the organization, but also how they connect to the priorities of the team, and then how they connect with each individual team member’s responsibilities. Macromanagers understand that it is their job to define and communicate the bigger picture — the direction and challenge — while supporting their team members to accomplish their parts.

By reassessing your team's priority goals and “must dos”, you can help them focus on the bigger picture efforts that will make the greatest impact. And never forget to empower your team by sharing how their contributions are working toward the overarching goals and purpose of your organization. Just as important as it is to connect the macro with the micro, it’s critical to also connect the micro with the macro.

2. Be available and be proactive.

Macromanagers demonstrate that they trust their team members by giving them a clear challenge or goal, and then giving them autonomy and responsibility for solving the assigned challenges, while not “throwing them into the deep-end” without knowing how to swim. Macromanagers proactively check-in with their team them to ensure that they have the resources and knowledge needed to be successful. They regularly ask how their people are doing (not just at work, but as whole people) and are available for help when needed, but they don’t overstep into taking over the work. Macromanagers don’t expect their team to be available at 24/7 but rather, they seek to be available for their team when they need them.

Your team needs access to you — as a guide, as a listener, as a coach. Have your first priority be your people. Be available to listen to them, encouraging each to pause, reflect, and reassess when they hit a hurdle. Be available to be a support, to remove barriers, to assist when needed, and to help when they are stuck or a celebrate when they’ve excelled. Especially important in our virtual environment, set aside time to regularly check-in with your team so that they become comfortable in reaching out to you when needed.

3. Build a system to make the invisible visible.

I totally understand. You don’t want to micromanage, but sometimes it’s hard to know what is happening. To be able to macromanage and stay focused on the bigger picture, you need to know the status of work progress and know the status of your team’s work towards the goals. However, if you find yourself starting to insert yourself in the details of the work, it’s likely because you don’t have an effective system to make work status visible. It’s critical to have an effective process to know if things are on or off track within your team, especially now when it is even more challenging to “see” what your team is doing. This can include routine huddles at the start of the day or “visibility” boards to track the status of work (regardless if they are physical or electronic).

Leaders whose teams have set up systems to make work visible, routines for your team to “escalate” issues or ask for help with needed, or promote collaborative and consistent brainstorming, find that they can stay focused on macromanaging. Collaborate with your team and collectively identify systems and routines that you can put in place to make work visible while not becoming a micromanager. You need the macro view, not the micro perspective. Empower your team to help you gather it and to make the invisible visible!

Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn

In the book Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn, you have the opportunity to dive into several real stories of both successful macromanagement and limiting micromanagement from Isao Yoshino, a 40-year Toyota leader. The insights you’ll gain from these stories can help inspire you — as they have inspired me — to reflect on your own leadership approach and seek ways to grow.

Pause, Adjust, and Learn to Lead, Again

As you learn to lead, again, take an intentional pause to reassess and define what the top priorities are for your team, articulate the bigger picture challenges, and help each team member understand their role and how it fits in the macro purpose of the organization. Instead of inserting yourself in the micro-details, create the systems and structures to help make the work visible, and use that time to provide support to your team members without taking over the ownership for their contributions. Imagine how you can increase motivation, trust, and morale by helping your team understand their contributions to the macro — and supporting them along the way to achieve the micro.

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Katie Anderson is the author of the book Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn Lessons from Toyota Leader Isao Yoshino on a Lifetime of Continuous Learning which debuted an international Amazon #1 new release. For more information about Katie Anderson, visit www.kbjanderson.com.

Learning to Lead, Again Article Series

This article is the second in the series "Learning to Lead, Again". Other articles include:

• Moving From Crisis to Intention
• Are You a Micromanager or a Macromanager?
• Connection is the Heart of Intention