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Management & Leadership vocabulary · Delegation and Accountability

Micromanage

Meaning in management & leadership, with examples

/ˌmaɪkroʊˈmænɪdʒ/verbCore term

In management & leadership, micromanage means: To control every small detail of other people's work, checking constantly and making decisions for them instead of trusting them to do the job.

In Turkish: her ayrıntıya karışmak, mikro yönetim yapmak

How it is used

Almost always negative. Employees complain that a boss micromanages them; the noun is micromanagement and the person is a micromanager. It is often mentioned as the opposite of delegating well.

Example sentences

  1. I don't want to micromanage you, so just tell me if you need help.

  2. Several people left the team because the new director micromanaged every email.

Common collocations

  • micromanage the team
  • tendency to micromanage
  • stop micromanaging
  • feel micromanaged
  • delegateTo give part of your work, responsibility or decision-making power to someone else, usually a person in your team, while still checking that the result is achieved.
  • empowerTo give people the authority, confidence and resources to make decisions and act on their own, instead of waiting for approval at every step.
  • ownershipIn management, the attitude of treating a task or problem as your own and taking responsibility for getting it done, rather than waiting for someone else to act.
  • hands-onPersonally involved in the practical, day-to-day work rather than only directing it from a distance; also used for training that involves doing things.
  • authorityThe official power or right to make decisions, give instructions and use resources, usually linked to a person's role in an organisation.

More terms: Delegation and Accountability

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