Do you find yourself dreading the start of the workday?  Are you feeling tired or just plain overwhelmed with everything you need to get done?  Unfortunately, you are not alone. According to a recent Work in America Survey , 57% of us experience negative impacts of stress. You can reduce stress at work, even with a demanding manager or environment. Let’s examine how you increase stress by not getting clear on priorities, making assumptions, and protecting your reputation. No Priorities Is your to-do list a never-ending assortment of everything brought to your attention? Are you often overwhelmed with the sheer volume of work? You may find yourself jumping from task to task, never feeling like you've accomplished anything significant. Not having a defined direction leads to stress and pressure as you struggle to determine what should be done first. Additionally, without clear priorities, you may end up spending too much time on less important tasks, leaving you feeling pressure...

Working with a micromanager is often frustrating, stressful, and demotivating. Especially when that manager believes they are the only person in the organization capable of doing the job correctly. While this can be infuriating and demoralizing, there are things you can do about it. Use this information to understand what drives your Doer manager and how to adapt your communication style. Ultimately, Devouts micromanage because they desire control over the situation and outcome. If you haven’t yet, check out this overview of micromanager types:  It’s your fault you are being micromanaged . The Devout Micromanager Most people fear the Devout micromanagement style. They enjoy micromanaging or believe that they must rule with an iron fist. I find them to be rare. They often show up in retail or food service, where speed of service is believed to be necessary. Many Devouts will be incredibly busy at work, with too much work on their plate to spend any time talking to you. While...

 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 seve...

Working with a micromanager can be a stressful experience. Especially when the manager constantly asks for updates and pushes you to meet that next date. While this can be distracting, aggravating, and demotivating, there are things you can do to make it bearable. Use this information to understand what drives your Taskmaster and how to adapt your communication style. Ultimately, Taskmasters micromanage because they are uncomfortable with uncertain timelines and outcomes. If you haven’t yet, check out this overview of micromanager types:  It's Your Fault You're Being Micromanaged . The Taskmaster Taskmasters are one of the more common micromanager traits. These managers need to know the plan and how much progress has been made. If they don’t see every step the team takes, the project's outcome is not certain enough to satisfy them. Taskmasters hold many meetings and impromptu check-ins to get updates on short-term progress. Taskmasters are battling some key concer...

Working with a micromanager can be an unfortunate experience. Especially when that manager used to do the same job as you, they can get quite controlling or directive about how to get the work done. While this can be frustrating and demotivating, there are things you can do about it. Use this information to understand what drives your Doer manager and how to adapt your communication style. Ultimately, Doers micromanage because they are uncomfortable with not knowing the daily details about how the work is getting done. If you haven’t yet, check out this overview of micromanager types: It's Your Fault You're Being Micromanaged . The Doer Micromanager 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 for their talent at getting the job done and struggle with letting go. These micromanagers will usually give you detailed steps and checkl...

I have had the fortune of learning a lot about development processes and how people approach work. It is always amazing to understand what excites people about work and how they see their role in creating our products. I find great pride in helping people evolve their practices to improve how products come together. Let's explore some observations I have made about what drive people to optimize, and some ideas on how to move to a different way of thinking. What drives optimization? I have noticed a typical driver in how many groups and companies define their development practices. These practices start by working to prevent pains the team has encountered in the past. We build our documentation, processes, and automation around avoiding things that have happened to us before.  “This happened once, three years ago, and in response, we implemented a rule to prevent it from happening again.”  I will share a scenario from my experience.  One of the teams I work closely w...