2/28/2006
Shades of Grey - Micromanagement Hell
The following is an Instant Message chat: (it's on the long side today, bear with me)
Friend A: why do I even get out of bed?
Friend B: what happiness was she spreading today?
Friend A: She sent me 3 emails to confirm that Worker Bee A called out sick.
Friend B: ok
Friend A: then Miss Manager emails me a 4th time with this huge paragraph about the analysts' hours and how she needs to know when they're working, when they're late or making up time. Then she ending by saying to call with any questions. So I did. And asked her - Is there a problem???
Friend A: then she called me into her office
Friend A: Yadda yadda, she's on me about keeping her in the loop when I have an employee out. I told her that I always let her know. Then she makes a face and says, "Not always." Oh really? I asked her when exactly I failed to mention something like this and she got up to shut the door because she said the conversation was getting out of hand. But she never answered the question. I asked her if she needed to know every time one of them is late 10 minutes or 15 minutes or if they're making time up at lunch or after work hours.
Friend A: she says they're here after 6p alot and what are they doing here and am I aware of it? I answered that they were either finishing things or making time up and yes, I was aware of it.
Friend B: ok
Friend A: then she accused me of twisting her words and of seeing things only as "black or white" and that this was a "grey area"
Friend A: So I asked her again, "Do you need to know everytime they're late or making up time?"
Friend A: she said "No - we just need better communication. If they're here after 6p, I'd like to know what they're working on."
Friend B: so ask them
Friend A: so then I asked her again, "Ok - so you want me to tell you when they're late and making up time?"
Friend A: and she said, "you're twisting my words." and I said, "No - you're either asking me that or you aren't"
Friend A: that's when she said that I was seeing things black or white only
Friend A: So I told her that this was really a yes or no question - does she or doesn't she want me to tell her these details?
Friend A: and she said to me, "well, you tell me when you're late and when you make up time." and I said "yeah - that's because you're a stickler for it."
Friend B: that's a polite way of calling her a micromanager
Friend A: I told her that I wasn't a stickler and that I was aware they tend to run in late but that they make their time up. I told her the work was getting done and that's what mattered to me -- I'm not the stickler.
Friend A: she was pissed
Friend B: haha
Friend A: but we ended it w/me saying that I would talk to my team. was I wrong?
Friend B: not only that, if you tell her about your time it's because she is your manager, that is who you should tell
Friend B: they should tell you and that is enough. you're their manager.
Friend A: that's what I said to her. she either wants to know or she doesn't
Friend B: does she tell her boss so he can then tell his boss that you are making up time?
Friend A: and she said No - we're a TEAM
Friend A: I almost laughed in her face
Friend B: no we in team
Friend A: no s***
Friend A: so I asked her why she was getting questioned, and not me -- since they report to me. That's when she was all, "well we're a team"
Friend B: you should have asked her for a trade
Friend A: trade?
Friend B: in sports players get traded from one team to another
Friend A: yeah lol
Friend B: many times at their request
Friend A: I requested, remember? I got stuck
Friend B: yeah
Friend A: I mean, come ON -- this is nonsense
Friend B: yes it is
Friend A: I mean, she WAS asking to know their comings-and-goings, no?
Friend B: She was - you can't do one without the other. you can't tell her what they're working on and when they are late without telling her that they are staying late because they came in late
Friend A: but she doesn't micromanage
Friend B: indeed
Copyright 2006 Pied Piper Consulting
Friend A: why do I even get out of bed?
Friend B: what happiness was she spreading today?
Friend A: She sent me 3 emails to confirm that Worker Bee A called out sick.
Friend B: ok
Friend A: then Miss Manager emails me a 4th time with this huge paragraph about the analysts' hours and how she needs to know when they're working, when they're late or making up time. Then she ending by saying to call with any questions. So I did. And asked her - Is there a problem???
Friend A: then she called me into her office
Friend A: Yadda yadda, she's on me about keeping her in the loop when I have an employee out. I told her that I always let her know. Then she makes a face and says, "Not always." Oh really? I asked her when exactly I failed to mention something like this and she got up to shut the door because she said the conversation was getting out of hand. But she never answered the question. I asked her if she needed to know every time one of them is late 10 minutes or 15 minutes or if they're making time up at lunch or after work hours.
Friend A: she says they're here after 6p alot and what are they doing here and am I aware of it? I answered that they were either finishing things or making time up and yes, I was aware of it.
Friend B: ok
Friend A: then she accused me of twisting her words and of seeing things only as "black or white" and that this was a "grey area"
Friend A: So I asked her again, "Do you need to know everytime they're late or making up time?"
Friend A: she said "No - we just need better communication. If they're here after 6p, I'd like to know what they're working on."
Friend B: so ask them
Friend A: so then I asked her again, "Ok - so you want me to tell you when they're late and making up time?"
Friend A: and she said, "you're twisting my words." and I said, "No - you're either asking me that or you aren't"
Friend A: that's when she said that I was seeing things black or white only
Friend A: So I told her that this was really a yes or no question - does she or doesn't she want me to tell her these details?
Friend A: and she said to me, "well, you tell me when you're late and when you make up time." and I said "yeah - that's because you're a stickler for it."
Friend B: that's a polite way of calling her a micromanager
Friend A: I told her that I wasn't a stickler and that I was aware they tend to run in late but that they make their time up. I told her the work was getting done and that's what mattered to me -- I'm not the stickler.
Friend A: she was pissed
Friend B: haha
Friend A: but we ended it w/me saying that I would talk to my team. was I wrong?
Friend B: not only that, if you tell her about your time it's because she is your manager, that is who you should tell
Friend B: they should tell you and that is enough. you're their manager.
Friend A: that's what I said to her. she either wants to know or she doesn't
Friend B: does she tell her boss so he can then tell his boss that you are making up time?
Friend A: and she said No - we're a TEAM
Friend A: I almost laughed in her face
Friend B: no we in team
Friend A: no s***
Friend A: so I asked her why she was getting questioned, and not me -- since they report to me. That's when she was all, "well we're a team"
Friend B: you should have asked her for a trade
Friend A: trade?
Friend B: in sports players get traded from one team to another
Friend A: yeah lol
Friend B: many times at their request
Friend A: I requested, remember? I got stuck
Friend B: yeah
Friend A: I mean, come ON -- this is nonsense
Friend B: yes it is
Friend A: I mean, she WAS asking to know their comings-and-goings, no?
Friend B: She was - you can't do one without the other. you can't tell her what they're working on and when they are late without telling her that they are staying late because they came in late
Friend A: but she doesn't micromanage
Friend B: indeed
Copyright 2006 Pied Piper Consulting
