You can pay attention to detail or you can be a micromanager. Micromanagement is the sign of a poor leader while attention to detail is the sign of a strong leader. The list below shows some of the differences between a micromanager and a leader that has a strong attention to detail.
Micromanagement:
- Failing to supervise those you lead
- Doing tasks yourself that you should delegate to others
- Losing sight of the big picture
- Not trusting others to do what they are fully capable of doing
- Constantly meddling in tasks that you have, correctly and justifiably, already delegated
When you are a micromanager, you find difficulty giving others control because you have a strong mindset that whatever you give to others will be done substandard. You feel that your work is superior to the work of anyone else. That mindset permeates your work and bleeds into other aspects of your life. As a result, you alienate yourself from others because you always have to be right and you always have the best idea.
When you micromanage others, you hover over them and constantly ask them for the status of their projects. If they aren’t exactly where you want them to be on their project at every moment, you reprimand them and then ask questions afterwards.
Attention to Detail:
- Seeing how each part fits into the big picture
- Trusting those you lead to do what they are supposed to do
- Knowing what others are doing
- Understanding the processes that your team members are doing
When you pay close attention to detail, you understand the big picture and how each part has its own place. You also understand how your part fits into that big picture. You know that although the work of others may not be quite the same quality as your own work, but letting them do it you are providing them with a growth opportunity.
When you pay attention to detail, you ask for periodic status updates and offer to help out with guidance as needed, but you don’t hover over others constantly. You trust that others will do their job. When others aren’t on pace with your expectations, you ask them to help you see the full picture so you can understand where the challenges arose. When they explain the process to you, you are understanding and help them identify measures that can be taken to prevent the challenges from arising in the future.
Wrap-up
There are many micromanagers in the world and there are many leaders that pay close attention to detail. The explanations given above show the two extremes and each person usually falls somewhere in between the two extremes.
Are you a micromanager or a leader that pays attention to detail? How do you pay attention to detail without letting yourself become a micromanager? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!
it is correct what you said. But 99% bosses are becoming micromangers instead of leaders.
thank you