Are you frustrated with managers' over-involvement in your projects? Do they check in on your status too often? Does your manager think they know more about the work than you do? What about those times when they redo your work for no reason? All of this is your fault; follow along to learn how to get your manager off your back. You have to wonder with how busy our managers must be, how do they find so much time to control everything? The Micromanagers To answer this question, we need to explore why different managers end up micromanaging. Over time, I have observed various kinds of micromanagement, each with distinct ways and reasons for managers to get over-involved. These are not one-size-fits-all situations; at some point, every manager will probably exhibit each of these personas. The Doers One of the most common micromanagement styles is the doer. These are the managers who were once good at their team's job. More often than not, these people were promoted into management ...

Do you find yourself struggling to manage up? Are you frustrated with the idea of managing your manager? Building a strong, collaborative, and trusting relationship with your management is critical to career development and a healthy work life. However, we should not do this by managing up. Do it by showing your work. Let’s talk about what we get wrong when we try to manage up and how showing your work will lead to better results. Don’t Manage Your Manager It’s time to change our language around this critical career skill. Nobody expects you to manage your boss; ultimately, it doesn't make sense. It is not your job to manage your boss. Your job is about doing great work and ensuring people know what is happening. Let's review how managing up creates the wrong relationship dynamic and where we miss the point. The Relationship Dynamic We often don’t think about how much information our managers are working to keep track of daily. Many people mistakenly believe their managers shou...

This is a weird situation. You were likely promoted into leadership because you excelled at problem-solving and getting things done. You have naturally used those skills to help your team succeed, but at what cost? Do you want a vacation, but your team stalls when you are not around?   Are there projects you can’t get done because you are busy answering questions for your team? Have you been overwhelmed by the number of decisions you have to make? How well does your team accomplish goals without you consistently following up with them? What’s the common factor in all those questions? That’s easy—it is you! Your choices and actions keep your team from sharing the burden of problem-solving. There is hope, though. You can start changing how you interact with your team to help them run smoothly, even if you cannot be immediately available. Your Job Is Not to Solve Problems First things first, it is time to acknowledge that your job is no longer about solving problems.  You are sup...