Don't Micromanage Your Employees

Learning to manage your company is a trial and error process. There is no tried and true formula that works for each company or even for each employee in a company. There is, however,one management technique that you will be sure to want to avoid.

The most common mistake that many managers, especially first-time managers, make is to try and be involved in every aspect of the business. It is difficult to properly manage your business and your employees if you are constantly distracted with the small details of the day to day business. That is why you have employees in the first place. In fact, micromanaging your employees can actually hinder their performance. Scott Reeves of Forbes Magazine says “Micromanaging is the surest way to kill and employee’s enthusiasm. To succeed, employees need to know that they’re trusted and their work is valued. Micromanaging tells the employee just the opposite, and constant checks are as annoying as a fussy elementary-school teacher telling you to print your name and the date in the upper right-hand corner of every assignment.”

Allowing your employees to do their jobs has many benefits. First, you may find that they become much more productive without you leaning over their shoulder. Often times the presence of a supervisor will make employees hesitate to offer new ideas for fear of being shot down. Sometimes these new ideas can trigger efficiency and growth that would otherwise go undiscovered.

Delegating responsibility will also allow you to recognize the weak spots in your company. Occasionally when a died-in-the-wool micromanager finally decides to allow his employees some independence, things go south quickly. This does not affirm micromanagement as a viable management technique, but it does mean that the newly independent employees may not be up to the task of running the business.

Delegating responsibility to your employees will also allow you free time to pursue other aspects of business. Use your new found freedom to focus on finding new customers, start a new company, or improve your golf game!

Source

http://www.forbes.com/2006/02/01/training-employees-management-cx_sr_0202bizbasics.html

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122566866580091589.html.html