“Just Stop It,” Rarely Works

Recently Harvard Business Review (subscription required)  had an article by a former CEO  explaining that he used to be a micro-manager.

He’s retired now, but the executive said that he didn’t realize what he was doing until one of his senior employees  told  him to “back off,” because he was “driving them all crazy.” Of course the CEO did and the the company has gone on to reach great heights. Everyone lived happily ever after.

While the whole premise of a CEO pointing out his or her own failures (in the magazine’s Failure Chronicles section) is a bit self serving, I have to admit I find it a bit disconnected from reality. The point was brought home recently when a new client of mine, called to ask for some career help.

We talked about why she might be leaving her current job, and she made the same point. ‘My boss is driving me crazy, with her micro-managing,” she said. My client has been with the company for almost 10 years and her boss has been there even longer, so she’s no rookie, and she admits her boss has always had the same problem.

She’s a senior manager and told me she’s tried to confront her boss, but that her boss  just did not see the issue the same way. As an example she told me that  in 2010 they had decided to update their logo, and marketing materials. The project was supposed to be completed by January 1 of 2011, but as of mid-May they are still awaiting decisions on a host of minor issues that the CEO insists on making.

It would be fine, except the CEO travels extensively and will not let anyone make decisions in her absence.

My client says she has tried to talk to the CEO about micro-managing but the boss just sees it as her job and refuses to acknowledge that anyone else could make the decisions.

In my experience, this is closer to reality. CEO’s, particularly those who have come up through the company ranks, have a tough time letting go of decision-making, especially in areas where they feel comfortable. They may take on new responsibilities but they have a tough time letting subordinates make decisions.

There are other factors leading my client to look for a new opportunity, but micro-managing executives are an all  too common problem in most companies  – and a simple “stop it, you’re driving us crazy,” very rarely works.

It’s like psychotherapy the “stop it” approach may not be the best technique. If you don’t believe me, watch this.

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