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Chief
Depends. Maybe they’re just like that. Maybe the client is tough, the acct team is scared, their boss is also a perfectionist or you need more oversight than other people. Or they just see potential to push the work more. Or they’re sadistic or a workaholic.
But it’s an odd question that assumes that any managers’ goal is not to manage too much so that you will like them, and assumes that everyone wants the same light touch. Trust me, no one wants teams resenting them, I’ll never micromanage just to do it. But if I give the project a light touch just so you feel good about me, I’m failing you as a manager.
So I’d talk to them. Tell them what it’s doing to you. You might hear some uncomfortable truth but you might both gain some empathy for the other person.
Chief
Then why ask the question? There’s a real chance they say “i didn’t know you felt that way, what can we do?”
Be honest, you’re afraid that if you ask them, they’ll tell you something that humanizes them or hurts your ego. Easier to just write them off.
You’re also going to manage people one day and realize you unnecessarily villainized people and burned bridges. I’ve done it. It feels bad.
People micromanage because they don’t think you’re doing your job well.
Chief
Nah. The clients and team dictate how closely you manage. Usually, think the narcissists are the ones who never micromanage because their egos desperately need the teams’ praise + approval. Micromanaging makes enemies.
They will have a few comments on your delivery. Maybe want to see options
I do, FCB 1. You saw right through me. Honestly, I’m surprised I’m employed. I want to change my ways but I need someone to hold my hand. DM me.
You’re going to have to better define micromanagement. If your manager is new to the team or hasn’t run through a full process yet, they should first do that for the entire team so they can see what is expected.
First it shows they can do it themselves and aren’t posturing so you trust them, second there might be things your team has done in the past that can’t get done that way anymore.
I said this in another thread but we’re now beyond “throw a team intro the fire and see” to “our rope with the client is so thin that you better be actively managing your team.” Noticing it’s Gen X and older millennials struggling most with this. Not because of their age necessarily but because of how they came up.
Chief
Exactly. My millennial peers struggle with it because we were raised to be people pleasers, servant-leader 360 review culture means that we’re “safer” if teams love us, and frankly, some of us just want teams to like us because of personal insecurity.
But even when things are going well and you might not need to micromanage, there’s a nervous CCO or acct exec (no offense) who thinks you aren’t doing your job if you aren’t hovering a little. And I get it.
They don’t know. If they were self-aware, they wouldn’t be micromanagers in the first place.
If you tell them, they won’t stop being micromanagers. So there’s no point in telling them.
Name the pushback comments, I’m curious which ones you think are genuinely correct.
i’ve had account/client service giving feedback before work is even shipped to client for review. it’s pretty darn annoying