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 Ima Non Controversial Girl
Posts: 4168
  
Location: where the wind blows | Cowgirl Up!_1 - 2014-01-08 4:26 PM RLB - 2014-01-08 1:33 PM aggiejudger - 2014-01-08 1:21 PM I also work for a micromanager. I think mine truly believes she is helping, when she's really just a pain in the arse.
Here is what I do to cope:
- I try to head her off before she does one of her micromanaging stunts. For example, we have flex time in our office. At the end of each month, we either have to put in any out-of-office time as sick, vacation, or comp time. If we do comp time, we have to send her an email stating as such. So before she can send the lovely helpful reminder to each of us, I beat her to the punch.
- Take her with a grain of salt. If you recognize her for what she is, the reality is that others do as well.
- I do my job to the best of my ability and plot my escape to another position. I know I won't be here forever, so I just try to keep that in mind when I deal with her.
To me, what are you going to tell HR if you go and complain? Will it come off as valid points or will it sound like whining? If it is valid, then heck yes, go talk to them. But if it's just annoying behavior, it won't look good on you. If you can prove that she is abusing the WFH situation, go to HR with proof. If the WFH is causing her to be an ineffective manager, that is more valid.
Her WFH has probably made her wose as a a micromanager. She doesn't know what you are doing all day. And when we don't know something, it's human nature to assume the worst.
In the future when taking a day off, email her ahead of time about the plan for making sure things are taken care of. Cut her off before her annoying managing style can surface. Kill her with kindness, bombard her with details, and keep her in the loop. If you are always ahead of her and letting her know about things before she can ask, it helps dealing with that type of manager.
Good luck. Thank you for this advice - very helpful!
I sent out emails & planned ahead before my week-long vacation before Christmas. It was a better transition than it has been in years' past but I still got calls/emails/IMs from her asking questions that I felt I had already answered in previous conversations. She wanted more details, more information than I had at the time. I chalked it up to her controlling nature & tried to sound smiley & happy in all of our conversations.
A major problem you pointed out is the WFH = her not knowing what we do & talk about all day. I mentioned that my co-worker & I are a good team, constantly communicating & have each other's backs 100%. When we tell her that we have things handled for each other when one of us is out, she wants detailed lists of who/what/when/where/why/how & then she scrambles around trying to 'help' anyway. I don't mind giving her the information she wants, if I have it, but when she tries to help it just puts another hand in the pot to stir things up.
The HR complaint is difficult for me to distinguish as well, which is why I've been hesitant to actually move forward. I know a lot of my complaints are just that, complaints, & not actual issues. Everyone deals with those regularly & I don't need to run to HR every time she bugs me for something. You basically answered your own question by stating most of your issues are complaints, not actual problems. I ran the HR dept of the company I work for, for several years. I've dealt with and worked for/with all kinds of managers, including the micromanagers. The management has established processes for a reason. That's what works for them. There's not really a nice way to say it, but if that doesn't work for you, then perhaps you don't need to be working for them. I'm not saying that to be mean, I'm saying that in an employer/employee relationship viewpoint. When there are issues or tasks you handle that you feel could be better done a different way, you can't just decide to not do thing the way they're supposed to be done. The best approach is to handle business as it comes up, then bring up, through the proper management chain, your suggestions or ideas for how to make improvements. Make it worth their time by making sure you explain how you are streamlining/saving money/saving time, etc. You don't want to walk in and have "I like this way better because I'm me" (i.e. The Special Snowflake excuse ) be your backup for your request. Give them reasons and an outlined process and be prepared to be rejected. In the day to day operations, unless you are aware of some kind of fraud/waste/abuse hotline or policy that affords you the chance to rat on your boss, you don't really have recourse except to suck it up and keep working. Whatever she's doing is working for her managers, as far as you know, so unless you're asked for input, it's probably best that you leave things alone. This person's micromanagement style, as annoying or flawed as it may be, doesn't seem to be hindering your ability to do the duties you are tasked, especially since as an hourly employee, you're paid for your time. I don't see how this is a hostile work environment either since "being a nag" isn't considered abuse. You need to learn how to bite your tongue and teach yourself how to be an adult and cope with the situation. What it comes down to, is you're being paid to do a certain job a certain way. That appears to include indulging the micromanagement behaviors of your supervisor. It's not always easy and it's definitely not fun, but neither is life.
Op no advice other than I've gone from someone who loved to doing like one other poster said. I show up, go to my desk and try to do my job to the best of my ability. I'm just biding my time so to speak. But I hear ya. It's not fun.
Edited by jkrm 2014-01-08 6:03 PM
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
 
Location: Phoenix | Man.....I couldn't handle it there.
My boss hardly interacts with us. He knows we're grown up enough to get our stuff done. So when he DOES contact us, we know it's him cracking the whip.
Before I ask for time off, I schedule a plan for who will be covering, that way he can approve it and get on with his day.
good luck--I wouldn't last a second at that job. | |
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 Uh....never mind
Posts: 2696
Location: Midwest Farmer's Daughter: Central Illinois | jkrm - 2014-01-08 6:01 PM Cowgirl Up!_1 - 2014-01-08 4:26 PM RLB - 2014-01-08 1:33 PM aggiejudger - 2014-01-08 1:21 PM I also work for a micromanager. I think mine truly believes she is helping, when she's really just a pain in the arse.
Here is what I do to cope:
- I try to head her off before she does one of her micromanaging stunts. For example, we have flex time in our office. At the end of each month, we either have to put in any out-of-office time as sick, vacation, or comp time. If we do comp time, we have to send her an email stating as such. So before she can send the lovely helpful reminder to each of us, I beat her to the punch.
- Take her with a grain of salt. If you recognize her for what she is, the reality is that others do as well.
- I do my job to the best of my ability and plot my escape to another position. I know I won't be here forever, so I just try to keep that in mind when I deal with her.
To me, what are you going to tell HR if you go and complain? Will it come off as valid points or will it sound like whining? If it is valid, then heck yes, go talk to them. But if it's just annoying behavior, it won't look good on you. If you can prove that she is abusing the WFH situation, go to HR with proof. If the WFH is causing her to be an ineffective manager, that is more valid.
Her WFH has probably made her wose as a a micromanager. She doesn't know what you are doing all day. And when we don't know something, it's human nature to assume the worst.
In the future when taking a day off, email her ahead of time about the plan for making sure things are taken care of. Cut her off before her annoying managing style can surface. Kill her with kindness, bombard her with details, and keep her in the loop. If you are always ahead of her and letting her know about things before she can ask, it helps dealing with that type of manager.
Good luck. Thank you for this advice - very helpful!
I sent out emails & planned ahead before my week-long vacation before Christmas. It was a better transition than it has been in years' past but I still got calls/emails/IMs from her asking questions that I felt I had already answered in previous conversations. She wanted more details, more information than I had at the time. I chalked it up to her controlling nature & tried to sound smiley & happy in all of our conversations.
A major problem you pointed out is the WFH = her not knowing what we do & talk about all day. I mentioned that my co-worker & I are a good team, constantly communicating & have each other's backs 100%. When we tell her that we have things handled for each other when one of us is out, she wants detailed lists of who/what/when/where/why/how & then she scrambles around trying to 'help' anyway. I don't mind giving her the information she wants, if I have it, but when she tries to help it just puts another hand in the pot to stir things up.
The HR complaint is difficult for me to distinguish as well, which is why I've been hesitant to actually move forward. I know a lot of my complaints are just that, complaints, & not actual issues. Everyone deals with those regularly & I don't need to run to HR every time she bugs me for something.
You basically answered your own question by stating most of your issues are complaints, not actual problems. I ran the HR dept of the company I work for, for several years. I've dealt with and worked for/with all kinds of managers, including the micromanagers. The management has established processes for a reason. That's what works for them. There's not really a nice way to say it, but if that doesn't work for you, then perhaps you don't need to be working for them. I'm not saying that to be mean, I'm saying that in an employer/employee relationship viewpoint. When there are issues or tasks you handle that you feel could be better done a different way, you can't just decide to not do thing the way they're supposed to be done. The best approach is to handle business as it comes up, then bring up, through the proper management chain, your suggestions or ideas for how to make improvements. Make it worth their time by making sure you explain how you are streamlining/saving money/saving time, etc. You don't want to walk in and have "I like this way better because I'm me" (i.e. The Special Snowflake excuse ) be your backup for your request. Give them reasons and an outlined process and be prepared to be rejected. In the day to day operations, unless you are aware of some kind of fraud/waste/abuse hotline or policy that affords you the chance to rat on your boss, you don't really have recourse except to suck it up and keep working. Whatever she's doing is working for her managers, as far as you know, so unless you're asked for input, it's probably best that you leave things alone. This person's micromanagement style, as annoying or flawed as it may be, doesn't seem to be hindering your ability to do the duties you are tasked, especially since as an hourly employee, you're paid for your time. I don't see how this is a hostile work environment either since "being a nag" isn't considered abuse. You need to learn how to bite your tongue and teach yourself how to be an adult and cope with the situation. What it comes down to, is you're being paid to do a certain job a certain way. That appears to include indulging the micromanagement behaviors of your supervisor. It's not always easy and it's definitely not fun, but neither is life.
Op no advice other than I've gone from someone who loved to doing like one other poster said. I show up, go to my desk and try to do my job to the best of my ability. I'm just biding my time so to speak. But I hear ya. It's not fun.
@CowgirlUp: I understand what you're saying. This was more of a vent than anything. My direct boss was once in my position, but she's more ambitious than I am in the sense that she will do what she is told, how she is told, when she is told & she never asks questions or looks for better ways to do things. This is why she has advanced. She expects the same of my co-worker & me, which makes sense because that's her personality. It is really hard for her to be happy about someone doing something differently than she does. She quickly forgets all of the good things I've done come review time & instead focuses on the things I've done wrong. My company, in general, prides itself in the employees thinking outside the box, but she does nothing of the sort. There are multiple managers who I would get along with much better, but she is in charge of my department for now. So yes, I need to suck it up & quit whining.
@jkrm: You nailed it. I used to work under the VP in my office & he's very free-flowing, easy-going, highly intelligent. I never felt like he was looking over my shoulder or spending ridiculous amounts of time trying to find more & more work for me to do, he trusted me to do the work I was responsible for & find my own opportunites to grow. Now I feel stifled & pressured all at the same time.
I read the exit interview form one of my co-workers filled out last month. I won't go into detail but I think VERY highly of this man, as does everyone in the company. One of his comments was that due to certain changes in atmosphere & managerial practices, he felt the company morale has been falling & continues to plummet. People are not nearly as excited about projects & happy to work, not like when I hired on four years ago. Budgets are tighter (not due to a cash problem, but due to a different attitude in the exec room), pressure is higher, people feel like they're constantly looking over their shoulder for someone to wave a modified policy at them & there are high-level employees quitting to pursue other opportunities, which not only adds workload on others until they are replaced but also adds pressure from the execs. The VP in my office was denied a year-end bonus out of spite & people are really uneasy about the vindictive, controlling things that are coming out of exec sessions. It's really disappointing, actually. | |
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Uh....never mind
Posts: 2696
Location: Midwest Farmer's Daughter: Central Illinois | Well here's the update folks:
My supervisor, in my review, dinged me for all the little things that she herself has done incorrectly as well. She also is now not my direct supervisor, they've made my co-worker (who I get along with well) my direct supervisor. That's worked out well until today.
The company has a 'bad weather' policy in that if the office is closed, the hourly people still get paid. If the weather is bad & we don't feel safe coming in, we'll have to take PTO, but it's excused. The office closed early on Tuesday & was closed all day yesterday. Today I got up & watched the reports - the interstate & highway from here to the office has black ice patches & there have been wrecks, people in the ditches. I made the decision to stay home for now & keep an eye on the reports & do as much work as I can remotely. I'm bored out of my mind but I don't want to end up in a ditch, or worse.
I just got a phone call, from my now indirect supervisor: she told me that my absence was putting the team in a bind because that meant no admin in the office this afternoon. It meant that my hands-on work wasn't getting done & that she just wanted to let me know...but if I didn't feel safe coming in of course that was my prerogative & she wasn't trying to push me to do anything I wasn't comfortable with.
WHAT DO I SAY TO THAT? Yes ma'am, I'll brave dangerous travel conditions to come in despite company policy stating otherwise?
Earlier this week, I talked to the man who runs the office - he hired every person (including me) in the office so I will always consider him a boss/person with seniority. He looked at me & said "At the end of the day, it's just a f*cking job, there are other jobs out there. And if you ever decide to go elsewhere, I will back you 100% & be glad to give you a good reference." So, there's that.
Sigh. Again, thanks for the vent space & sorry for the book. | |
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  Semper Fi
Location: North Texas | RLB - 2014-02-06 12:24 PM
Well here's the update folks:
My supervisor, in my review, dinged me for all the little things that she herself has done incorrectly as well. She also is now not my direct supervisor, they've made my co-worker (who I get along with well) my direct supervisor. That's worked out well until today.
The company has a 'bad weather' policy in that if the office is closed, the hourly people still get paid. If the weather is bad & we don't feel safe coming in, we'll have to take PTO, but it's excused. The office closed early on Tuesday & was closed all day yesterday. Today I got up & watched the reports - the interstate & highway from here to the office has black ice patches & there have been wrecks, people in the ditches. I made the decision to stay home for now & keep an eye on the reports & do as much work as I can remotely. I'm bored out of my mind but I don't want to end up in a ditch, or worse.
I just got a phone call, from my now indirect supervisor: she told me that my absence was putting the team in a bind because that meant no admin in the office this afternoon. It meant that my hands-on work wasn't getting done & that she just wanted to let me know...but if I didn't feel safe coming in of course that was my prerogative & she wasn't trying to push me to do anything I wasn't comfortable with.
WHAT DO I SAY TO THAT? Yes ma'am, I'll brave dangerous travel conditions to come in despite company policy stating otherwise?
Earlier this week, I talked to the man who runs the office - he hired every person (including me) in the office so I will always consider him a boss/person with seniority. He looked at me & said "At the end of the day, it's just a f*cking job, there are other jobs out there. And if you ever decide to go elsewhere, I will back you 100% & be glad to give you a good reference." So, there's that.
Sigh. Again, thanks for the vent space & sorry for the book.
Happy Job Hunting!
Unfortunately I too am job hunting due to Company Downsizing. | |
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Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | It's PTO--you're entitled to it. Coworker needs to suck it up. Yeah, sometimes unexpected things happen. I've been left stranded when my coworker unexpectedly leaves and doesn't come back for the rest of the day. You deal with it and move on. | |
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| Okay - so I am going to chime in here as a boss who has been forced to "micromanage" several individuals who work in my office. It is definitely not the way I would choose to do things, however it is the ONLY way that I have found to be able to get any productivity whatsoever out of these two. Neither of them have any motivation to do a good job, and have been "talked to" for browsing the web, texting, etc. during work hours. And that's just the beginning.........all of their work is substandard, with numerous mistakes in important matters being made daily. I have to keep after them and micromanage them because what they do reflects on me directly. Quite frankly it is exhausting to micromanage them.
I have reported them on a regular basis and unfortunately one of them is a relative of the owner, and the other one threatens to sue if she is fired, so I just do the best I can. And go home every night exhausted.
Keep in mind I am in no suggesting that the OP does not do her job or is substandard in any way - I just wanted to bring up another perspective. | |
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