Written by Lynn Homisak, SOS Healthcare Management Solutions, LLC

Originally shared in the July/August 2021 PPMA Newsletter

Are you a micromanager? Answer yes to any of these?...

• Feel like you are the only one who can do things right and therefore must DO everything yourself;
• Refuse to delegate or share responsibil-ity for the above-mentioned reason;
• Constantly point out to employees things they have done wrong but ignore or fail to compliment what they do right;
• Do not trust that employees can accom-plish their work on their own, without you observing their every move;
• Feel a need to babysit employees;
• Do not make time to participate in employee training, guidance, and support; yet get annoyed when certain, expected outcomes are not achieved;
• Put little trust in their ability to prop-erly accomplish tasks;
• Believe your employees “just don’t get it” and never will;
• Make yourself unavailable when staff have questions; or are bothered when asked;
• Feel it necessary to be informed and take control of every detail of every situation;
• Feel your voice is the only one that matters in what should be a productive “dialogue” with staff during meetings or performance reviews;
• Feel completely exhausted, drowning in work, AND bordering on burnout at the end of the day;
• Have difficulty prioritizing critical vs. routine tasks (everything is critical in your eyes);
• Must approve every action – big or small;
• Expect perfection rather than excel-lence (you consider errors a sign of incompetence);
• Wonder why your staff is not motivated;
• Have an inordinate amount of employee turnover;
• Focus too much on undesirable results and too little on strategies to reorganize and improve;
• Feel reluctant to accept new ideas because change is hard or “This is the way we’ve always done it.”

...then, read on!

Truth is that micromanaging stems from several things. For example, dealing with one negligent employee can lead an employer to think ALL employees need constant watching and none can be trusted. Or it could be the result of an employer’s innate desire for perfection; something they think only THEY can achieve. Finally, some employers may have difficulty understand-ing where that line is between good and bad management because while possibly busi-ness trained and clinically proficient, they never received proper guidance to manage. Some micromanagers acknowledge their controlling behaviors; others dismiss it as part of doing business.

If you have responded “yes” to many of the checks above but refuse to “come clean” …hold on to your ivory tower, because you have the makings of a micromanager! This article is not intended to target anyone in particular; however, as the saying goes… “If the shoe fits…”
The best part… it is never too late to turn things around.

WELCOME TO THE MICROMANAGER’S 10 STEP PROGRAM: 

1. Delegate some tasks to staff that will help you gain more confidence in them. After doing so, take a step back, let it go and see what they are capable of. Guidance and instruction are necessary and always appreciated; breathing down their necks is not. Neither is babysitting them. Initially, expected outcomes may not be consistent with your standards, but allow them to start small, discuss ways to improve, and build your trust through their accomplishments.

2. Employees really CAN undertake essential tasks without your involvement if given the chance to prove themselves. They may even surprise you! Refrain from requiring your approval for every little decision. Give praise freely. Allow the necessary space for employees to present and solve problems on their own without your input.

3. It is important to have a handle on the business side of the practice. And it is important to request and review regular reports to keep informed. Rather than concen-trate on every little, microscopic detail, look instead for progress made and the big picture outcome. Discuss potential modifications and encourage suggestions to improve.

4. Try not to make mountains out of molehill errors. Mistakes are not only expected; they are an excellent and necessary source of learning.

5. Do not be afraid to place others in charge of certain tasks (i.e., running the staff meeting). Assigning them responsibility helps build their strong character and gives you the opportunity to develop confidence in their abilities.

6. Stop insisting that doing everything yourself will save time. Teaching staff how and why tasks are done a certain way will allow you to spend YOUR valuable time being the doctor. As you should.

7. Refrain from second guessing every decision or action your staff takes and recognize that YOUR way is not the only RIGHT way to do something. Think of it this way. 4 + 4 = 8, but so does 3 + 5. Do not shut out alternate pathways that may prove more productive and efficient.

8. Seek out thoughts and participation from staff. If given the chance, their observance of patient flow and activities firsthand offers unique, front line ideas towards the advancement and growth of the practice.

9. It is not necessary to stay on top of your employees. Part of their commitment, enthusiasm and motivation comes from having challenges, as well as the space and freedom to be a creative and an inclusive member of the team.

10. Take a good hard look at your style of management and whether it directly impacts the frequent staff turnover or low employee morale. Many times, an anonymous employee survey can offer constructive criticism and define specific areas of unintentional neglect.

In the end, the best way to determine if you ARE a micro-manager involves a bit of self-analysis and honesty. Just ask yourself, “Would I enjoy or want to work for someone like me?” If your answer is an unequivocal “yes”, you pass. Carry on. If not, a good recovery program involves taking a “One Step at a Time” approach to reach a desired goal and ‘engage in what is right’. You can do it!