– He corrected my file again, without a word.
– She told me to reply to the email following her template, even though we agreed I would act independently.
– My boss comes by every day to ask “what stage is this at?”. Every day.
Sound familiar? If so, you may be dealing with micromanagement. But don’t worry — before you hand in your notice or send this article to your boss as a passive-aggressive link, read on.
At NESSE we talk about this with our clients more often than you might think. And no — it is not only employees who struggle with it. Bosses come to us too and ask:
“Am I… perhaps overdoing the control a little?”
We answer: it depends. But there are certain signs that say a lot.
When is control care – and when is it already “keeping you on a leash”?
Micromanagement is not about someone setting high requirements. It is about the fact that they can’t stop – even when they already trust you (or at least should).
Here are the classic symptoms:
Checking everything despite delegating:
They give you a task, but before you do it – they correct it. After you’ve done it – they correct it. After correcting it – they take another look. Because maybe it’s still not right.Corrections that don’t improve anything:
“You did it well, but I would have put it differently”. In other words, exactly the same, just… in a different font.No room for initiative:
A new idea? “Submit it, we’ll analyse it, we’ll come back to it, and then maybe we’ll do it the way we always do.”A culture of asking for status 3 times a day:
Not because something is on fire. It’s just that one has to “keep a finger on the pulse”, even if that pulse is your patience.Undermining your competence, but with white gloves:
“I used to do it differently”. — without asking why you do it the way you do. Without acknowledging your style.
Once upon a time in a corporation… not so long ago
Kasia (name changed, but a real life) worked as a communications specialist. Experienced, on top of things, with a lot of autonomy… until her boss changed.
The new manager was thorough. Very thorough. So thorough that he corrected commas in internal emails. To teammates. In a company that had no punctuation ISO.
After 3 weeks, Kasia stopped suggesting anything.
After 5 — she stopped understanding why she was working at all.
After 8 — she came to us for coaching with the question:
“Am I losing my self-confidence, or is someone just systematically taking it away from me?”
No, Kasia. Not you. It’s the system.
What happens to you when you are micromanaged?
A recurring pattern emerges from our conversations with course participants and coachees:
You feel undervalued — because your decisions carry no weight.
You doubt yourself — even when you are right.
You do only what is required — no more. Because why stick your neck out?
You live in tension — will you hear “that should have been done differently” again?
This is not “softness”. It is not a “lack of resilience”.
It is a normal reaction to an abnormal relationship at work.
Mini-test: check whether this applies to you.
Think about how many times this week you...
Changed a decision to avoid friction with your boss?
Did something “their way”, even though you had a better idea?
Felt your work was being examined under a magnifying glass?
Gave up on an initiative because “it won’t get through anyway”?
Heard: “That’s not how I did it” – without an explanation why?
If you answered “yes” three times – we are dealing with micromanagement.
If five – it’s time to act.
At NESSE we say: first name it, take a good look at what you have named, then decide what you will do about it.
In our coaching processes we don’t look for culprits. We look for possibilities for action – even in unfavourable conditions. Because you can’t always change your boss. But you can always regain influence over how you react.
And that is the beginning of change.
Short (but concrete) tips:
Don’t take everything personally – you are not the problem; the management style is.
Provide information proactively – anticipate questions, don’t wait to be checked.
Choose your battles – not every fight is worth the energy.
Find micro-alliances – one kind word from a colleague can work wonders.
Write down your successes – even if nobody else notices them, you are keeping count.