A Time and a Place for Micromanagement and Macromanagement

The business topic is micromanagement vs. macromanagement in a corporate environment. Depending on the manager's position level in their own corporate structure their application of micro or macro management is emphasized or reduced. As they go up in management level they are more relatively distanced from the micro details and more focused on the bigger picture macro.

First let uncover the basics. Micromanagement is detail oriented - it focuses on oversight of small details -for example: each word and the order of words in each sentence in a paragraph in a chapter in a book. Macromanagement is the focus on the bigger picture - for example: the chapters in a book and the order of the chapters rather than each specific word in each specific chapter. Either of these business oversight systems can be effective if implemented and managed properly.

Micromanagement has a bad reputation because of the horror stories relating to the obsessive in corrective management style relating to the detail and efficiency processes of poor managers who do not seem to understand finesse in obtaining the best any employee can give. Everyone has heard the horror stories of new managers being placed in position of authority being dictatorial and creating a situation where the existing employees are not performing at peak levels and the new manager not understanding that without these employees doing the real work nothing gets accomplished.

Macromanagement is generally seen as not having enough oversight on the up to the minute processes that can make or break an organization. Again the problem is with the manager that is implementing the process, not the process itself. Either can give good results if applied with judicious care. Depending on the corporate environment application of these techniques can yield positive or negative.

The flexibility to apply both techniques as needed gives any level manager higher positive gains as they are then seen by all levels in the company as having the willingness to flexibly lead, manage and assist teams and individuals in succeeding at the tasks needed. The ability of a manager to back off and not micromanage an employee or team will always yield positive feedback from the "trust factor". Because management is not about control so much as it is about supporting as an assisting action for employee accomplishment. Once an employee is delegated specific responsibilities within their scope of accomplishment and given the tools to accomplish the goals given the responsibility for successful accomplishment is primarily on that employee's shoulders. Without that level of trust the positive gains from accomplishing that goal are reduced. While the job may be finished, the goal may be met, an employee will not gain the maximum short and long-term benefit from the structure of management provided in the support environment. This does not allow the employee to grow and further benefit the company. It also does not allow the manager to achieve complete success. Therefore it can be said that many factors play a role in the function of the management of a business but some of the most important management skill factors are any management's ability to exhibit a sincere trust of a employee who has the skill and expertise to accomplish the job assigned while being extremely careful in the obvious application of micromanagement or macromanagement techniques.

There is a time for micromanagement in the business environment. Think of micromanagement as a delicate tool-for example: like adding specific spices (basil, oregano, rosemary, etc.) to the main dish you are cooking. If used appropriately it adds to the end result. Micromanagement techniques can be carefully and subtly applied in group meetings by using leading specific questions aimed at determining the level of completion on any process or project. Wording questions carefully can yield answer data that is relative to accomplishment of goals and indicates the subtle psychological effort made by the employee. These worded questions must give the impression that the manager strongly believes in that employee and their skills. This believe exhibited in the employee will create both short term and long-term positive gain which will be more successful to motivate the employee then peeking over the employees shoulder to seemingly correct small details or in a case of macromanagement ignoring the employee unless they fail to achieve their goal then taking corrective action.