This can be especially hard for new managers, who are working to make their mark as a leader while feeling pressure to perform well and prove themselves to their direct reports and boss. But fear not, here are three ways to break the cycle.
As a new manager, you care. A lot. We get it. We appreciate it. But when caring turns into having to control every single thing, from the wording choices in a consequential email to the shade of blue used in the internal team website, you’ve taken it to the extreme, and it’s time to rein it in.
When we think of the controlling boss, we often think of someone yelling at their employees, telling them they can’t cut it, and creating an all-around hostile work environment. But this is often not the case. It can be a slippery slope from kindly “wanting to be looped in” to full on micromanagement. By micromanaging, I mean being overly prescriptive on tasks and follow ups — to the point of taking learning opportunities away from your team. Yes, your greatest weakness can be that you care too much.
Read more at Harvard Business Review.
