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Hey Unfiltered Folks,
Leadership Challenge - "HOW DO I STOP MICROMANAGING WITHOUT LOSING CONTROL?"
Answer: You don't.
You're asking the wrong question. The question isn't "how do I keep control?" The question is "why do I need control?"
You need control because you don't trust them. You don't trust them because you haven't trained them.
That's your fault.
Train them, trust them, or stay a micromanager and watch everyone quit.
Question to Consider: What are you afraid will happen if you stop?
Why: Micromanagement is about fear, not quality.
You hover. You check their work constantly. You think you're ensuring quality. You're not. You're destroying their initiative.
Why try if you're going to redo it anyway? Your team stops thinking. They don't develop. Your best people quit because they can't stand being treated like children. The ones who stay are comfortable being micromanaged. Now you're stuck managing children.
You created this by not trusting them.
But you don't trust them because you didn't train them.
Train them on HOW to execute.
Then let go of the HOW.
But you still set the WHAT and WHY.
Micromanaging execution is wrong. Providing strategic clarity is your job.
Train them on execution, then trust their methods. But never stop clarifying priorities.
Action: Pick one person this week.
Give them a project.
Set the outcome.
Don't tell them how.
Let them do it their way.
When they're done, review it.
Coach what needs to change.
Then let them own it.
Repeat until you trust them.
Stop checking every step.
Start checking outcomes.
You set what outcomes matter.
They figure out how to achieve them.
Stay Unfiltered,
— Andy
P.S. Train them, trust them, or stay a micromanager and watch everyone quit.
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