OK - My name is Katymac & I am a micro manager - I need help & support

[KatyMac]

I am really bad at delegation
I want to keep all the work so I can control it - I am a perfectionist (well actually shaper & completer finisher equally - if you know Belbin)

I need help

I have to give a large (very large) project to someone AND then let them do it by themselves

I do not know how I will do this - I want to hang on their shoulder watch how they do it set up the spreadsheet for them and monitor it all

I know I am being a bit flippanyt about it but it really worries me

Please help?

Tell them what you want done, give them some guidance on how you want it done

Ask them to go away and come back to you with a project plan showing all the tasks and when they will be done by

set up a weekly session to go through progress. Make it clear they can cmoe to you with issues/questions

Other than that you need to leave them to it

Or, do it yourself. But delegating well is an important skill imo

If it is important to keep an eye on the project yourself progress meetings might be a solution (although time consuming and time wasting to the person that does the actual project).

On the other hand be open and frank about your style and see if they can cope with you being around all the time.

I think I have to be open about it - otherwise she will wonder why I am being a pain

I agree about progress meetings - very necessary

Like the idea about the her doing a project plan

i do need to learn how to delegate

Message withdrawn

That's it exactly

They say understanding your problem is the first step in solvig it.....but I don't see any evidense that it is happening

I've just written this (coursework - yuk)

My own leadership style tends toward an autocratic/bureaucratic style and I continually slip into telling/teaching. This is confirmed by exercises on this course and people?s descriptions of me. The childminding has lots of systems (which I created) ensuring things are done ?my way?. I struggle with delegation and this comes across as a lack of trust, which I don?t believe it is, as because I want everything to be the best and ?perfect?. Perhaps due to my high score for completer finisher in Belbin.
I need to develop my coaching skills, being careful not to teach or tell. I need to delegate more and be accepting that tasks may not be completed to my high standard initially. I also need to allow people to develop their own systems and ideas.
Hopefully I will become more situational with my leadership combined with action-centred leadership.

Bottom line Katy..... Do you trust this person? Do you think you could grow to trust them? Could they do a small part of the project first, working with you so that you can have faith in their professionalism.

We've talked about leaving professionals alone to do their job on another thread . This is one of those times.

Choose the person well, have regular update meetings (daily to start with if you need to),
then trust them to get on with it.

Pie in the sky stuff, sorry! I'm really bad at it too.

You see If I drank too much or took drugs there would be lots of support groups for me

This is just as much an addiction and I need just as much help

Of course I trust them ish.....maybe...well a bit

I like the regular update meetings

btw I think I finished my coursework maybe (but it's not perfect)

Today is my big day

I hand over the project

I' scared

How did it go Katy? Who have you handed it over to?

Scarey - but OK I think

I have explained how unsure I am & that I will be very over protective - but that I need to control my possessiveness

I think she understood...maybe?

Take a deep breath, and don't phone her tomorrow "just to check how she's getting on". Give her a couple of days to start getting to grips with things, then give her a call on Friday so that you can relax at the weekend!

Don't be silly - she works for me I will see her everyday

I'm not that brave - she might not start it until the weekend

remember to hand over the project woth words of encouragement and faith in her abilities. she's probably as nervous as you

No - she only recently started to work for me and has no understanding of the sheer scale of the problem

She thinks I am a little bit nervous......

Rather than almost OCD about it (I'm not being too flippant when I say that - I have lots of almost OCD tendencies & get quite worked up about them)

If she thinks you are only a little bit nervous, then you are obviously doing a good job of covering up how you are really feeling. It's good that you're giving her the feeling that you feel confident(ish) about her doing this role.

It will get easier I'm sure. Could you set her some small tasks which you review with her in a week's time?

katymac, the troble will lack of delegatory skills means you miss out on stuff you want to do because you lack the time to do it beccause of micromanagement,
also by being inflexible in including others yuo may miss out on really great opportunities to change or really great ideas. Also its not conducive to good team work
BUT, you,ve done the course , you know this, just keep rpting to yourself

Completer Finisher as a manager - sounds like my idea of a nightmare (as an off-the-scale Resource Investigator).

However, as you say, you understand yourself, which is a huge help. Might it be possible to do Belbin team role tests with (some of) your team and then use the guidance that comes with Belbin to shape/use the team accordingly?

I am hoping to do belbin with them - but they are a bit wary of management stuff

I am aware that I have failed in lots of opportunities because of my problems

Actually my team work is pretty good - I am scarily low in Monitor Evaluator & co-ordinator tho

Completer Finishers are an undervalued role type, IME - you would never have got this far with your nursery project if you weren't one.

I think you are going to have to be upfront with the person you are handing this project to - tell her you know you micro-manage, you know that it is annoying, and that she will have to tell you if/when it gets too much for her.

Then cross your fingers and bite your tongue!

actually you know its not a problem, its the way that YOU deal with things, its good to be aware of it and have it in the back of your mind, just dint let it worry you too much,
some people may look at it is as you always being there for any problems

Thanks I guess you are right - I have been telling her this - so far it hasn't been too annoying - but she has promised to say if gets too much

My deputy has said I am actually much better - probably due to the course & what I am learning