Mirco-managers vs Macro-managers

It’s not easy being a great manager. If you under supervise your team, you could end up with disengaged, unproductive people. If you over supervise your team, you risk having dependent, demoralized people.

We appreciate the dedication and feedback from our avid readers. At the request of one of our readers, in today’s article we discuss ‘Mirco-managers vs Macro-managers.’

Almost every seasoned professional could attest to having worked with a micro-manager and or a macro-manager and the result is always the same – unhappy employees. Let’s look closer at the two.

Workplaces are littered with micro-managers; it is the go-to management style. Although this management style is often linked to ‘bad management’, it serves a definite purpose. It gives greater control over the operation and performance of the team. It is effective in managing small problems before they become big. However, micro-management can lead to low employee morale, less productivity and creativity and a low scope of learning.

The opposite of a micro-manager is a macro-manager. Macro-management style focuses more on the end result. Macro-managers let employees navigate their own path to the desired result. They empower their employees. They don’t give employees the answers, but rather allow for creativity and innovation. On the other hand, Macro-management can lead to inefficiency on the part of employees. Under supervision can leave employees feeling isolated and unsure of whether they are doing the job correctly.

The saying is true – too much of anything is bad. So, what is the best management style? I recommend a healthy balance between the two. A great manager harnesses the good in both the micro-management style and the macro-management style and use them to his/her advantage.

For examples: a successful micro-manager can be “proactive in providing support and guidance to his/her team without wasting his/her time giving them a play-by-play on how to do their job. He/she can set priorities for the work he/she wants completed – at a high level, not setting every single detail of the projects and how to accomplish them”.

A successful macro-manager can “focus on providing the support and feedback that his/her team members need to succeed on those paths. He/she can set long-term goals for the company’s success and what it will look like in 6 to 12 months.”

Visit us at www.searchlight.vc or https://www.facebook.com/Searchlight1.We’ll help you get noticed.