127 | What to do if your boss is a micromanager

HR Coffee Time

Have you ever felt stifled by a micromanager? Whether you're currently dealing with one or want to help someone else navigate their micromanager boss, this episode of HR Coffee Time is packed with practical advice to improve the situation.

Key Points from This Episode

[00:00] Examples of micromanagement

[01:38] Welcome to HR Coffee Time

[03:00] Micromanagement defined

[03:16] Dealing with micromanagement can feel difficult

[04:24] Advice: start from a place of empathy rather than anger

[05:00] Seek first to understand, then to be understood

[05:14] An example of when Fay micromanaged

[05:51] Causes of micromanagement: lack of management training

[06:15] Causes of micromanagement: stress

[07:17] Causes of micromanagement: lack of trust

[07:45] Examples of calling out micromanaging behaviour

[09:08] Causes of micromanagement: lack of trust, clarity, or process

[09:31] Micromanagement negatively impacts both you and the manager

[10:02] Taking a coaching approach by asking questions can be powerful

[11:45] Pointing out the behaviour is negatively affecting the manager

[12:16] Brené Brown’s idea of ‘paint it done’ from her book, ‘Dare to Lead’

[14:16] Using the 5Ws and 1H questions to help your manager ‘paint it done’

[16:12] Examples of using ‘what’ questions

[17:56] Examples of using ‘where’ questions

[18:46] Examples of ‘how’ questions

[18:58] Examples of ‘why’ questions

[19:13] Examples of ‘who’ questions

[19:28] Examples of ‘when’ questions

[20:44] Other relevant HR Coffee Time episodes to listen to

Useful Links

• Connect with Fay on LinkedIn
• Fay’s website: Bright Sky Career Coaching

Buy the Book Recommendation

(Disclosure: the book links are affiliate links which means that Fay will receive a small commission from Amazon if you make a purchase through them)

Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts, by Brené Brown

Other Relevant HR Coffee Time Episodes

• Episode 03: Building relationships with difficult people at work
• Episode 35: Helping teams thrive with personal user manuals
• Episode 41: 3 tips to build a better relationship with a difficult person at work

Looking For the Transcript?

You can find the transcript on this page of the Bright Sky Career Coaching website.

Rate and Review the Podcast

If you found this episode of HR Coffee Time helpful, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. This video shows you how to rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts (because it isn’t very intuitive). If you're kind enough to leave a review, let Fay know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: [e-mail].

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