# How to avoid micromanaging employees ## How to Avoid Micromanaging Employees as a New Leader [Embedded content](https://www.youtube.com/embed/9aii9D_KOVo?rel=0&controls=1&fs=0&modestbranding=1&cc_load_policy=1) × 0:00 the worst thing you can do as a new 0:02 leader is a micromanage your employees 0:05 but without the right practice and 0:07 skills you could be micromanaging 0:10 without knowing it let's talk about what 0:13 you can do instead to be a better leader 0:16 hi I'm Dr George love and I have been 0:18 teaching courses in leadership and 0:19 management and business settings for 0:21 over two decades we're going to talk 0:23 about some tips to improve your 0:25 leadership skills but before we get 0:27 started make sure to hit that subscribe 0:29 button and give us a like if you're a 0:32 new leader or on the track to becoming 0:34 one it is easy to think that the key to 0:37 being an effective leader is to drive 0:40 people to be like you unfortunately this 0:43 means that you have decided to be the 0:44 one thing that employees dislike more 0:47 than almost anything else a 0:50 micromanager as a result you end up with 0:53 disaffected and unhappy employees or 0:56 find your people quitting so what drives 0:59 one to be a micromanager and what can 1:01 you do to Be an Effective manager that 1:03 people actually want to work for let's 1:06 dive into it what makes us want to 1:09 micromanage employees the reason is 1:11 usually simple fear your success is now 1:15 going to be based on others not just you 1:18 if you were leading people you used to 1:20 work with you were also getting used to 1:22 setting new boundaries with former peers 1:24 to address concerns with performance if 1:27 needed it's okay to feel nervous but one 1:30 of the worst things you can do if you 1:32 find yourself in this position is to 1:35 micromanage breathing down your 1:37 employees neck is likely not going to 1:39 improve productivity and instead we'll 1:41 do a number on t- morale there's three 1:45 tips I'd like to share with any new 1:46 leader that can help them avoid the Trap 1:48 of 1:50 micromanagement one of the first things 1:52 you should do is keep a work Journal 1:54 journaling allows you to engage in the 1:56 practice of feedback analysis feedback 1:59 analysis provides insights into your own 2:01 personal strengths and aptitudes as part 2:04 of this identify leaders you admire and 2:07 see if they will help Mentor your growth 2:09 as a leader this gives you a chance to 2:11 learn specific practices that work for 2:14 others so you can try out those actions 2:17 keep what works for you and discard what 2:20 does not fit your natural strengths and 2:22 abilities you can also use mentors as a 2:24 sounding board they can help suggest 2:27 options for dealing with the challenges 2:29 and opportunities you will face as a new 2:32 leader you might be asking what should I 2:35 do if I'm not going to micromanage the 2:38 answer delegate this doesn't mean 2:41 getting your employees to do all your 2:43 work instead it means developing your 2:45 people to be self-managing so everyone 2:48 can focus on their role without burning 2:51 out I know this from personal experience 2:54 when I was a regional director in my own 2:57 organization I saw a talented person 2:59 burn themselves out and leave a 3:02 high-paying position why their attempt 3:05 to handle everything work until it 3:08 didn't if you need some tips on how to 3:11 delegate pick up the classic books on 3:13 the subject the one minute manager and 3:16 the one minute manager meets the monkey 3:19 these books provide a framework and 3:21 Pathway to delegating in a way that 3:23 frees you up to be a better 3:25 leader you can learn many of these 3:28 skills by using volunte opportunities as 3:31 a leadership sandbox When developing new 3:34 software applications organizations 3:36 often work in a sandbox environment this 3:40 allows developers to learn to use an 3:42 application without negatively impacting 3:45 systems in the real world volunteering 3:48 at an event or an 3:49 organization having to learn to manage 3:52 other volunteers is a great way for you 3:55 to make mistakes and learn how to lead 3:57 all without worrying about the impact on 3:59 what you do for a living it's like a 4:02 Sandbox environment for leadership do 4:05 some research on where you can pick up 4:07 some volunteer experience and try it out 4:11 check out the article I've included in 4:13 the description for more on this subject 4:15 okay I hope what we have covered today 4:17 helps you understand why micromanaging 4:20 is such a bad idea if you want to be a 4:23 better leader remember the strategies we 4:25 covered these are all practices that may 4:28 help you become an effective manager 4:31 that will develop employees and retain 4:33 good performers in your 4:36 organization what are your tips for 4:38 being an effective leader let me know in 4:41 the comments and make sure to subscribe 4:42 for more helpful content like this see 4:45 you next time How to avoid micromanaging employees, including why new leaders fall into it, how delegation supports better decisions, and what helps employees become more self-managing. The video was uploaded on 10/20/2023. The video lasts for 4 minutes and 47 seconds. **Key Moments** 00:00 Introduction 00:16 Why new leaders may micromanage 01:06 Fear, pressure, and changing responsibilities 01:44 Three ways to avoid micromanaging 01:55 Work journaling and feedback analysis 02:03 Mentorship and leadership growth 02:32 Delegation and self-managing employees 03:25 Volunteer experience as a leadership sandbox 04:15 Final leadership takeaway ```html ``` ```html ```