In the workplace environment, extremely close supervision and control of the minor details of an individual's workload and output is called micromanagement. This happens when a manager or a supervisor becomes too obsessed with knowing what's happening in a given project and makes superfluous demands.  

Whenever I go to the department store, I am often annoyed when a saleslady excessively follows me wherever I go. Note: excessively. My annoyance is a plain personality issue - I am an introvert who is awkward with people. So I'd always appreciate it if people spare me a little distance. 

That same annoying and creepy feeling I get from nosy clerks is the same feeling I get from micromanagers.

While some may find micromanagement as being too diligent and detail-oriented, it somehow borders on an unhealthy face of perfectionism.

Why do some people micromanage?

They want to connect to people doing the heavy lifting

A good reason why some want to micromanage is that they want to know their people on a deeper level. They are looking for ways to connect with them, establish relationships and create an impression that they are approachable. However, even if the intention is good, it does not always produce the best result.

I know someone who tries so hard to connect with her staff, that she failed to notice her actions were no longer pleasant. She's becoming too nosy and even during breaktimes and day-offs, she asks for her people's whereabouts, something that's uncalled for. As a result, her people drag themselves to work - until one by one they resigned. 

They don't know how to delegate

Another reason why some people micromanage is that they don't know how to delegate. In theory, they want to pass on certain tasks to people, but in reality, they can't let go of the duties he has done for perhaps a long time. 

This happens when a person's identity is connected with what he's always doing. Assume a driver who drives for a living for more than a couple of years. When the time comes that he has to pass the baton to a younger driver, he can't resist the urge to give instructions and directions even if the new driver knows exactly what to do. 

They are afraid that people might mess up

Proper delegation involves trusting the person you've given the job to. While being concerned for the welfare of your people is commendable, too much control can paralyze them more than helping them grow. 

When we lead people, we should trust them that they will do their best for the project. There will always be a risk to fail and commit mistakes, and they know that! But our job as a leader is to help them acknowledge the risks involved, teach them to mitigate these risks and inspire them to be resourceful in dealing with the risks.

Micromanagement reveals much about our incapacity to trust people, that we can not usher them to growth, and we are selfish because we take from them the opportunity to learn on their own.

Cease Micromanaging Now

Micromanagement is unhealthy. It can be said that it is one of the worst things to happen in a work environment. It damages manager-employee relationships, saps the morale of the people, and affects productivity greatly. 

Micromanagers pose a risk to the mental health of their employees because it might give them stress, anxiety, or worse, depression. No regular person would want to be monitored most of their time, so micromanagers need to stop obsessing themselves with updates, outputs and results in an unbecoming manner. 

And just like how a mother eagle allows her eaglets to take on their flights no matter the risk of falling, to flap their wings and soar, so micromanagers need to let their people soar on their wings and fly on their own.