Finding out you have been promoted to a manager-level position is the first step in fulfilling the career dreams laid out by any employee. The company displays its trust in you and expects you to undertake more responsibilities by leading a team of individuals. The role of middle management is a test from the company to observe your leadership abilities. It is easy to take this opportunity and ruin it by micromanaging your team, especially if it is your first time.
Read on to see how the responses differ to various scenarios between micromanagers and macromanagers.
Meeting Your Team
Upon meeting your team, the contrasting leadership styles of a micromanager and a macromanager become readily apparent.
Reaction of a Micromanager
After being allotted the team, a micromanager immediately starts inputting their ideas towards improving it. They have not listened to the team, nor have they properly spoken to any members. This creates a negative first impression on the team.
Reaction of a Macromanager
A macromanager first greets the team and has a quick huddle with the team to get to know them. After this, having a one-on-one with each member to understand their role and contributions helps in understanding the various components of the group. Furthermore, they will also observe the team to understand its dynamics before making any major changes to its structure and work pattern.
Allotting Work
The contrasting leadership styles of a micromanager and a macromanager become even clearer when it comes to work allocation.
Reaction of a Micromanager
A micromanager is skeptical of delegating work to their team. They lack trust in the working capacity of their team. This is a consequence of not properly interacting with their colleagues. Micromanagers, due to a lack of trust, start completing the work themselves, which leaves less time for them to focus on managerial tasks and other high-priority items. They will also not provide access to key resources and withhold them from the team. Moreover, doing this might make the team excessively dependent on them.
Reaction of a Macromanager
Since the macromanager has met with the team and understood their input, they can assign work to their crew while supervising the tasks. The team will fulfill the tasks and any necessary resources required by the team are provided by the manager. Their work allows the manager to genuinely check the level of their work and later see where they can improve.
Team Interactions
Team interactions are important for team building. Occasionally, the team will partake in casual conversations.
Reaction of a Micromanager
A micromanager will limit team socialization by isolating employees. They do not understand how group cohesion and coordination are affected by a lack of fraternization.
Reaction of a Macromanager
While a macromanager may not outright encourage fraternizing while working, they will not act as a barrier during. They know that their colleagues need some space and time to discuss, vent, ideate, or even grab a cup of coffee. This works towards making the team a tight-knit unit.
Conclusion: Be a Macromanager Not a Micromanager
Now, you have understood how to deal with some situations as a manager. Many other scenarios will arise where your decision will decide whether you become a micromanager or a successful macromanager. Keep in mind that while you may not be micromanaging them, you are still responsible for their output. Be stern with your work but understand the importance of trusting your team while managing them.
