7/03/2006
You Know You’re a Micromanager if…
You quibble over the use of parentheses in a document.
If the work is correct and looks presentable, that is all that should matter. Be happy that you have employees that can do the job right.
Let me tell you what happens when you nit-pick over ridiculous issues like the placement of parentheses: It DE-MOTIVATES your staff!!! Ask yourself how truly important it is where commas and other punctuation marks go. Especially if you’ve hand-picked your people, you should know if they have half a brain. Give them the benefit of the doubt. If you need parentheses in a document, tell them ONCE where they belong and let it go. Give your people the opportunity to do it that way the next time.
Unless you work in the publishing field where correct grammar is paramount, these little things should never make or break a person. In this fast-paced business environment, people seek information in a concise, neat little package. NO ONE CARES ABOUT THE DAMN PARENTHESES. Let it go.
Stop and ask yourself another question: WHY do you manage this way? Go out on a limb and foster bright and motivated workers. If for nothing else, put yourself in their shoes: Would you want to be treated like a child? How would you react if this was done to you? Even if it is happening to you, it does NOT make it okay to do to someone else.
True, you need to be respected and need to be tough in some circumstances, but be human too.
If the work is correct and looks presentable, that is all that should matter. Be happy that you have employees that can do the job right.
Let me tell you what happens when you nit-pick over ridiculous issues like the placement of parentheses: It DE-MOTIVATES your staff!!! Ask yourself how truly important it is where commas and other punctuation marks go. Especially if you’ve hand-picked your people, you should know if they have half a brain. Give them the benefit of the doubt. If you need parentheses in a document, tell them ONCE where they belong and let it go. Give your people the opportunity to do it that way the next time.
Unless you work in the publishing field where correct grammar is paramount, these little things should never make or break a person. In this fast-paced business environment, people seek information in a concise, neat little package. NO ONE CARES ABOUT THE DAMN PARENTHESES. Let it go.
Stop and ask yourself another question: WHY do you manage this way? Go out on a limb and foster bright and motivated workers. If for nothing else, put yourself in their shoes: Would you want to be treated like a child? How would you react if this was done to you? Even if it is happening to you, it does NOT make it okay to do to someone else.
True, you need to be respected and need to be tough in some circumstances, but be human too.
