I am a candidate that will be specific with my ideas. I understand that I might lose some votes with my policies, but it’s important that I share how I will change the American workplace.
Identifying Micromanagers
Micromanagers are individuals who have moved up the ladder largely because they look busy. They often carry a notepad and a sharpened pencil with them. They are often more comfortable in the work environment because this is the only place in which they have a position of authority.
Micromanagers do whatever possible to catch employees doing things wrong. During the performance appraisal, they pay close attention to the areas in which you failed to meet expectations. By finding fault in your work, they feel more important.
A major problem with micromanagers is that they major in minor things. They are more focused on checking items off the list, and less concerned about doing productive work. It’s a no-go!
First Week
There is no need to wait 100 days for me to take action. During the first week, I will make micromanaging illegal in the United States. In other words, looking over one’s shoulder to make sure that work is getting done is a thing of the past.
I’m unsure of the punishment, but this person will no longer have the “manager” title. Each organization will implement a process by which to identify micromanagers. These individuals will be allowed the opportunity to dispute the evidence against them. If they lose their appeal, they are removed from the management track.
Justification
While I agree that oversight is important, micromanagers take it too far. They track the work done by employees largely to find where a misstep takes place. A competent manager, on the other hand, looks for ways to help one succeed.
Here is an example of a conversation I had with a micromanager:
David: Jimmie, do you have the report ready?
Me: Which report?
David: The one that is due today.
Me: Which report do you mean?
David: The one that was assigned last week.
Me: David, which report was assigned last week?
David: You and Cindy were working on the GPS report. Cindy emailed it to me two days ago.
Me: From your email, this report had no due date. My understanding was that it was due by end-of-month like all other progress reports.
David: No, sir!
Me: What do you mean, “No, Sir”?
David: We have a meeting at 10 a.m. with Jack, and he expects to have the reports ready. So … you have about 15 minutes to get it ready.
Me: Why didn’t you call me to remind me of this requirement?
David: I got a little busy and, anyways, no one calls these days. We send emails.
Me: Why didn’t you send me an email?
David: I thought I did.
This is an example of a micromanager at his best. David was more interested in catching me do something wrong. He informed me of the report shortly before the meeting. I was fortunate that Jack understood the miscommunication, and I provided the report to him later in the day.
As president, I will bring change to the workplace, and it starts by eliminating micromanagers. A bold step for America!