Micromanagement

Micromanagement is a management style characterized by excessive oversight, detailed control over how work is performed rather than what outcomes are produced, and insufficient trust in employees to execute their responsibilities without constant supervision. It is one of the most consistently cited drivers of voluntary attrition: employees who feel micromanaged report lower engagement, lower sense of autonomy, and higher intention to leave than almost any other management condition. The causes of micromanagement are typically anxiety-based rather than competence-based: managers who micromanage are often high performers in their previous individual contributor role who have not developed the trust and delegation skills required to lead effectively — and who revert to doing the work themselves because it produces faster or better immediate results than developing employees to perform it independently.