Micro-Managing Boss

[Burgoo]

Just looking for thoughts on how you would approach this...

I have an employer who started with the team around 2 years ago. We used to have a solid team that were around for years. Since she started though we have lost upward of 20 people (we only have about 8 in total at the best of times, they are lasting 6 months then going).

The fact is, they all say she is a micromanager and they can't tolerate it. I've recently got a promotion and found that she wants to over-see EVERY aspect of what I do. I managed 30 people at one point, I can make a few calls! I get constant emails asking for updates on things and I recently called her out and told her I felt untrusted. She was surprised and apologised though continued demanding that she get the data (which is NOT standard for all managers in my area of work, this is very much a "her" thing).

I've tried to raise it with the team as a collective in meetings and been told its a "national problem" of people leaving the industry. In my view - unless people are moving to better themselves or for promotion - people don't leave jobs they enjoy, feel fulfilled by and are valued in. When I have said this it gets met with passivity; literally a blank stare or a shrug of the shoulders.

The deputy is just as unusual and gets people's backs up which isn't helpful and when people have raised the issue with them in the past they were told it was "their problem" and put under performance review. Raising it higher is a high risk strategy as the industry is well known for bullying cultures and I am not assured that I wouldn't get blocked for jobs in the future.

I am a rather forceful, assertive character who has no problem raising my difficulties openly. At the same time I need to think about my long term prospects. I love my job in many ways and don't want to leave it (its highly specialised so its not like there are huge numbers of jobs locally).

SO! My question...

What do you do in this scenario?

I would see the request for data as her wanting overall sight and not see that as unreasonable, try and reframe that in your mind, perhaps seeing if her having access to regular data dumps or even live data will help her to reduce her micromanaging of you?

I'm not sure whether you've had a 1:1 with her yet, since your promotion, but perhaps a way forward is to request or wait until yours, let her say all she needs to say, listen to her take on the situation and how you're doing. It matters not what you have done in the past, if she thinks otherwise, so best to get a take on how she sees it. Then you could review what she's said and put across your side and issues. There may well be a gap between what you think and what she thinks.

That's obviously the least conformational manner. All others involve really rattling cages.

I've spoken to her and she admits needing control and feeling anxious about not knowing what is going on. The fact is, this is the first person in this industry who I've come across who is like this. She doesn't have the soft "people" skills that you really need if you are going to nag about data and I've been clear it doesn't work for me.

Its more the issue of staff leaving. We have such a huge turnaround that we never feel contained or stable. Its really unhealthy for the whole team.

I'll keep persevering!

I would address it head on.

I'd schedule a meeting with an agenda. On that agenda I would add "updates". On that agenda point say "I'm finding there are a lot of updates required throughout the week. This is taking too much of my time. Please could we limit updates to once per week? This is my proposed structure of updates (produce a word doc - one side max pertaining to KPIs)."

Try and negotiate with her and be reasonable. If she wants 2 updates per week, fine, agree to it.

Enforce this after the meeting. "Hi X thanks for your request for an update. I will provide full details on Friday per our conversation".

If she refuses point blank to cut down / structure updates tell her you're disappointed with her response and you'll be speaking to the big boss. Then discuss with your big boss and be Frank.

What yoh think?

I’ve got the same problem op. It’s draining and I’m no longer enjoying a job I loved and previously excelled in. I’m very actively job hunting as I really don’t know the answer.

Same here as @whatwouldsueheckdo.

Imho micro-management is the thing you can't fight back against. Trying not to collude with it just puts you on the defensive, because you get challenged on why you have a problem with being accountable. It's awful. You don't see micro-management in people who feel on top of their brief.

You can't really manage it if senior staff don't see the cost of high staff turnover. 20 months of training time lost for a team of 8 is a whopping loss in productivity for any department.

So it's comply or leave.

One management method would be to have her cc'ed on everything and anything the team are doing and open a team project management file effectively a timesheet of tasks with a blurb and status update (start, in-progress, delayed and finished) plus a 5 min team problems needing her management input update every week.

The cc'ing can be a problem if she is going to want to take over.

Unless you're directly impacted by the turnover, ie the time cost of recruitment, training, probation etc, it doesn't sound like anyone cares.
If you are, then you may well have a good argument to request analysis of exit interview data. If they're not recording or seeking this, that maybe your way in.