Working With Your Micromanager - The Amplifier
Working with a micromanager can be frustrating and demotivating, especially when they seem frantic or ask for things they don’t understand. However, there are things you can do to change the story. Use this information to understand what makes your Amplifier micromanage and how to adapt your communication style.
Ultimately, Amplifiers want to be able to confidently relay status
and progress up the chain, probably to someone who is micromanaging them.
If you haven’t yet, check out this overview of micromanager
types: It’s your fault you are being micromanaged.
The Amplifier
Amplifiers are often influenced by the dynamics within the
organization, particularly in larger, multi-layered structures. They strive to
avoid surprises in meetings and may hover until they obtain the information
they seek, inadvertently amplifying the pressure they feel onto you.
Understanding this dynamic can empower you to manage your relationship with
them proactively.
Amplifiers are driven by several key ideas: a drive to
improve their own career standing, fear for their status or job, and pressure
from their micromanager.
Their Career
We are often so focused on getting what we need that it is
easy to forget that our managers and leaders are looking for opportunities to
advance their careers. Sometimes, in this pursuit, a manager may put too much
pressure on themselves to achieve an objective.
In these situations, these managers will push their own aspirations onto
you.
Since many managers lack formal leadership training, they lack
the skill set required to translate their aspirations into mentorship and
coaching. Instead, they rely on working harder and expecting you to do the same
with them.
That micromanagement, you feel, is their attempt to show
career growth.
Fear
This may seem counterintuitive, but the job becomes less
clear as you advance in seniority. It becomes increasingly difficult to know
what is expected and what the right decisions are. This can be scary and
stressful for many managers, especially since the pressure to be a decision-maker
can come from below and above. Also, the stakes get higher and higher. The more parts of a business you are
responsible for, the larger the impact and price tag of every decision.
These fears will cause managers to make safe or shielding
decisions, attempting to protect themselves and their teams. The reasoning is
that they need to protect the reputation of people on their teams and their own
status. Additionally, there may be a worry about getting fired for making
mistakes.
That micromanagement, you feel, is their attempt to protect
both you and them.
Pressure
A common trigger for the Amplifier is pressure from their
leadership chain to accomplish a goal. In these situations, a manager likely
isn’t clear on precisely what needs to be done or doesn’t know how to motivate
their team towards the goal. It is also likely that the managers are
micromanaging themselves. Often, their micromanager
will be a Taskmaster.
That micromanagement, you feel, is them being micromanaged
too.
Showing Your Work with an Amplifier
Now, it seems like more training or stress management for
your manager could solve much of this, which is undoubtedly true but out of
your control. You can, however, control how you communicate with your manager.
By leaning into their needs and fears, let’s explore communication specifics
that match your Amplifier’s needs. Share your plans, share your progress, and
check in when finished.
Share Your Plans
Before starting the project, take some time to clarify the
steps you will take. This is probably the most challenging part. You will
likely want to start working and figure many things out as you encounter them;
resist this. Document the steps and how
long you think it will take to accomplish them.
Here is what is important: stay above the weeds, and do not
get too detailed about how you will do the work. However, do stay detailed
enough that they can see your thought process in breaking down the problem into
manageable chunks. Your Amplifier likely doesn’t, or wants to, understand the day-to-day
details of how you do your work, but they will want to know the outcomes or
milestones they can use to communicate progress.
Share your plans using the phrase “I plan to” and avoid “Is
it okay if.” Be sure to ask for feedback about whether this direction makes
sense. Allow them time to communicate the plans with their leaders, and offer
to be available for questions.
Sharing your plans in this way will help alleviate their fears
by showing them that you have it handled. It will also give them a way to
communicate what to expect, allowing them to work with their micromanager. This
should enable them to show confidence, helping them with their career goals.
Share Your Progress
Next, create a reminder to check in with your manager
regularly. Depending on the project, this could be daily, weekly, or biweekly. Amplifiers
need to be able to share the progress being made. I don’t recommend going
longer than two weeks without a detailed progress update. Your manager has
probably already given you insight into how often this should be. When do they
usually ask you for updates? How frequently do they ask, “How is your project
going?”
In your update, share:
The tasks you have completed.
The challenges you have overcome, with the information about delays.
Any challenges you have not overcome, with questions about how your manager would proceed.
The work you have remaining in your plan.
The tasks you will work on next, with information about how long it will take.
Reminder: be detailed about milestones and outcomes at all
levels of this plan. Share any impacts from challenges or new information. Make
sure they don’t get surprised by learning something from someone else.
Sharing your progress this way will consistently give your
manager the information they need to share. This will allow them to feel confident
and prepared for their leadership. That confidence helps reduce fear and
pressure they feel.
Check-in When Finished
Finally, as you wrap up the project, create a summary for
your manager. Share with them any lessons you learned and any areas in which
you could use their support. Be sure to ask for feedback, asking them what they
are hearing about the project.
Be sure to share your plans for what is next. Remember, “I
plan to”.
Checking in at the end will clarify that you have completed
the work you know about satisfying their need for confidence and fear of the
outcome. Asking for feedback and clarifying that you need their support in
understanding what is being asked helps them know that you are supporting their
goals and that they can trust you.
Wrapping It up
Working with an Amplifier can be demotivating, but it
doesn't have to be. By understanding their concerns and adapting your
communication style, you can turn this challenge into an opportunity to build
trust and achieve common goals.
Don't let micromanagement get you down—use these strategies
to take control of the situation and work effectively with your micromanager.
If you are working with an Amplifier micromanager, support their career goals
and reduce features by proactively sharing your plans and communicating
progress. Help them communicate up by asking what information they need and are
being asked for, and tailor your communication to those asks.
Stop Managing Up and Start Showing Your Work
Working With Your Micromanager - The Doer
Also, check out this post about strengthening relationships at work: Professional Relationships Drive Career Growth
If you are looking for more help in navigating your micromanager, consider reaching out to me.
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