Q&A: Is my boss micro-managing me?
admin | Dec 31, 2011 | Comments 4
Question by MrsRiesling: Is my boss micro-managing me?
I’ve just returned from a long holiday weekend, to learn that, so far again, my boss has gone through my inbox that I keep on my desk. This is not the initially time. She has done this quite often when I am not at work and she is. It drives me CRAZY.
Additionally, I am responsible for “managing and plotting” some special events that our organization handles. But, I always have to run the prices of EVERYTHING I buy through her, instead of her giving me a budget. Additionally, I never make to make any of the final decisions. I am constantly presenting options to her, that she is deciding on.
These two things are seriously driving me crazy. Is she micro managing me? Is there any way I can nicely make her to quit it?
Preeminent answer:
Answer by muncie birder
It does appear that your boss is not letting you do your job. The preeminent option is for you to sit down and talk with her about this problem in a non-confrontational way. I don’t know you might initiation by saying that you reckon you could do your job better and more efficiently if you were to be given a budget for each project and you would like the skill to make some decisions yourself. Be specific about exactly which decisions. Clarify that you want to grow your abilities and this will allow you to.
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Regarding the Party Plotting–you might want to suggest that she can save herself alot of time if you have a budget; if you have a track record of excellent plotting and managing then she just may let go of it.
Regarding your inbox: You might want to question her if there is a touch she is looking for that you can aid her find?
Are you able to communicate with her so that she understands and knows how you feel?
If you do sit down and have a chat –use the sandwich technique—
make a positive statement about her leadership—-then place the issue(s) that bother you in the midpoint—and then end on a positive statement.
It could be also that she is a control freak–and you will just have to deal with it.
Initially of all, excellent morning! I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday.
This is a fantastic question. I have been a business consultant for a number of years now and I have boiled down managers into two general buckets. Those that believe that you want to work and those that believe that you don’t want to work (or can’t successfully).
Those that believe that you want to work and can do the job at hand give you much more freedom and flexibility to make the job done. Some will give you tasks, others will even house a majority of that to you. Once they give you the tasks, they house you alone to exact them. These are not the micro managers. They will but check in from time to time to see that the tasks are on schedule, no roadblocks are standing in your way and the project is within budget.
Those that believe that you don’t want to work or can’t do the job will be much more hands on. They will check on a daily basis or hourly if they have the itch really terrible. They believe that you would rather surf the web than do the tasks at hand. This may be a valid point, but in most cases we want to work and do excellent at our job. These managers need to be reassured that their job and the work at hand is not in jeopardy.
What I see here is that you do not have a micro-administrator. You have a administrator that gives you tasks but ultimately not the authority to make budgeting decisions. This is common practice in most companies. They have an analyst do the investigate, recommend the products and give the choice maker (usually a administrator or sometimes a director) the details of the choice making administer including all data to ensure that they come to the same conclusion.
Managers often have a budget that they must adhere to and in order to do that must weigh all financial decisions very carefully. Can we cut this corner or does this area need to be boosted. Usually it is because they are not allowed to or don’t feel comfortable with giving their employees the lofty picture. Often times there is pressure from upper management to change direction, focus on certain needs or other things that they cannot share with you so they need to handle it this way.
Anytime a key worker like yourself is out of the office and there is a paper system (inbox), it is imperative that another worker checks that inbox to ensure that nothing critical has come through your desk while you are out. If for instance somebody sent you a touch in your inbox and it was critical (had to be handled that day), what would have happened if your administrator didn’t check your inbox? Who would be responsible for that delay? Keep in mind that she is covering for you and herself in this area. She wants to keep you around and in order to do that, while you are out she needs to take these measures to ensure there are no hiccups.
Sounds like you are doing a fantastic job at what you do and that your administrator trusts you completely. She thinks highly enough of your opinion to do the investigate. That in and of itself speaks volumes.
Have a wonderful day and take it simple. She is only doing what she must in order to keep things running smoothly and to keep upper management off the naughty list
To answer your final question, she will never quit. She has a job to do as well as yourself. There is no team with you. You are frightened of losing your job, for some reason your bosses feel you may be holding back.
I reckon you are incompetant and do not want to be terminated for terrible calls you have made.
place on’t take this as an attack as to your abilities
It depends on your job description. Does your boss have the aptly to review your “in box”?
Probably.
It will never make better unless you approach her and review this.
Your other option is to look for employment elsewhere.
I manage 80 people and frequently remind other managers in akin positions that we are paid to deal with stress and morons while at work. And all this is on TOP of the normal duties.
Excellent luck.