One of the biggest frustrations among employees is a manager who micromanages. This is a management style in which the manager closely monitors the work of his employees, with an excessive amount of attention to details. The underlying idea behind this management style is often that the manager thinks he can improve the efficiency, quality and productivity of the employees. In practice, however, this often turns out to do just the opposite. Not only does it reduce employee productivity, but it also causes a drastic drop in morale when they feel like they are being controlled at every step.

Micromanagement can in some cases lead to short-term results, but on the other hand, you send the signal that you do not trust the work of your employees, in this way you often hinder the potential and creativity of your team and you work yourself in all directions. likelihood of burnout by trying to stay on top of everyone's work.

How do you, as a manager, ensure that you avoid micromanagement and empower your employees? Read the 5 tips below:

1. The big picture

Make sure that your employees understand how the work they deliver contributes to the overarching goals of the company. By making these goals clear to employees, they can see the importance of the smaller tasks they perform. This reduces the need for daily micromanagement, as it is up to the specialists themselves to steer towards the overarching goal. In an ideal scenario, every employee remains focused and asks themselves whether the work they do contributes to the success and goals of the company.

2. Clear instructions and expectations

Be as clear as possible when briefing a new assignment or project. Explain what, why and when something needs to be done for this new project. You can test whether the employee understands the objectives of the project by asking him/her questions. It is even better to set clear, measurable goals together with the employees. Do not impose this on the employee, but involve him/her in this process to give them a sense of inclusion and responsibility. The SMART principle is suitable for this.

3. Evaluation moments

Set deadlines together with the employees that you can use as evaluation moments. This way you agree on a time together to receive updates about the work. Of course, the employee can always contact you with any questions for help, but this way you can focus on other activities that have more priority. This also gives the employee a sense of responsibility.

4. Feedback on final resultn

By creating clear expectations and goals, you ensure that you as a manager no longer have to worry about the process. Everyone knows what the overarching goals are and is free to experiment and try new things, as long as the results can be measured. This way you measure whether these efforts have yielded something positive or not, so you only focus on the end result and not on the “how”. For example, in the workplace it is not the will of the manager that determines the way the work is done, but rather the end results.

5. Two-way communication

Be open to feedback and suggestions from your employees. There are several ways to get things done, the specialists within your team may know the best way to do something. Make sure that they know that they can always come to you with ideas or opinions.