A colleague of mine recently described a common fear of many managers: being labeled as micromanagers. He is someone who over-supervises people, gives instructions when they are not necessary, and is very demanding about how and when things are done.

What my colleague shared – backed up by research conducted by Blanchard® – is that the problem in today’s workforce is not too much supervision, but too little.

In the Blanchard® survey, we asked respondents what kind of leadership they wanted from their boss. Most respondents said they wanted various combinations of senior management and high support. When we asked a follow-up question about what kind of leadership they experienced most often at work, they said it was just the opposite: a combination of little direction and little support.

It’s not that managers don’t want to help their people; most do! But management time is in short supply these days. Managers responding to a survey conducted in 2022 by Blanchard indicated that their own agendas were full.

• 70% was spread over too many projects
• 66% had too many targets
• 60% had too many priorities to focus on
• 59% had unclear priorities

At Blanchard, we believe that one of the ways to help your organization’s managers become more effective is to teach them to be more efficient with their time. Blanchard’s SLII® model shows how people progress through four predictable stages of development when faced with a work goal. Effective managers tailor the amount of direction and support they give to their team members on each specific objective, based on their needs.

Development level 1 is beginner with enthusiasm.

This direct boss is eager to start a new assignment, but has not demonstrated any competence. You need specific instructions from your superior: details on how to perform the task and what a good job should look like. There is no danger of micromanagement here. Unfortunately, the opposite leadership style is more common in this case: A manager assigns a task and confuses the person’s enthusiasm with his or her competence. When the complexity of the new task becomes apparent to the team member, the manager is not present to give instructions on what, when or how to perform the task. Instead, the student is left alone to solve the task on his or her own. What is the result? A lot of trial and error and wasted time.

Development Level 2 is the Disillusioned Apprentice.

Even in the best of circumstances, sooner or later a person who has taken on a new task or objective realizes how little he or she knows about how to accomplish it successfully. In this phase, the student struggles and does not obtain results. You need a boss who can provide you with a high level of direction and support, and you will appreciate any help you can get. Again, no need to worry about micromanagement: the team member needs a plan to complete the task. The manager’s job is to provide direction and support to increase the individual’s competence, confidence and commitment to the task.

Development level 3 is that of a capable but cautious collaborator.

This is the stage at which micromanagement can begin. At this level, the person has developed some competence for the task, but their confidence and commitment may be affected on a regular basis. The good news is that the team member has demonstrated that he or she has the necessary skills to do the job. All it takes is for the manager not to rush in with all kinds of directions when what the person really needs is a little reassurance and encouragement. A skilled manager will stop giving instructions and focus on providing the right amount of support, keeping the direct subordinate firmly in charge of the process.

Development Level 4 is the self-sufficient Achiever.

This person has demonstrated full competence and confidence in his or her ability to complete the task. It does not need much direction or support. The self-sufficient achiever is a true asset to his boss and should be treated as such. In this phase, the manager’s role is to help the individual grow and develop by challenging him or her and identifying ways for him or her to share his or her knowledge with others.

If managers don’t have time to supervise in depth, what actually happens? I would suggest that this is a very specific pattern of mismanagement, where managers announce targets at the beginning of the year and leave their people alone until things go wrong. Then they go back to the charge, point out where a person is falling short, push them to improve, and leave without knowing quite how to help them in the learning process. The repetition of sporadic senior management and low support throughout the life of a project is a terrible way to develop people. It happens all too often and often leaves an aftertaste of micromanagement.

If you really want to avoid being labeled a micromanager, Blanchard’s SLII® model offers a proven three-step process for giving people the direction and support they need, when they need it, in a way they will appreciate.

Here’s what you should do.

1. Set clear objectives. Work with your people to clearly identify what needs to be worked on, what the priority level is, and what good work looks like. Add as much detail as possible and put it in writing. Get a clear agreement on what they are going to do and when they are going to accomplish it.
2. Diagnose the level of development. Spend time identifying a team member’s level of competence in each task. Have they performed this task successfully in the past or will this be their first time? If this is your first time, you will have to give him a lot of instructions. If they have already successfully completed it, you will be primarily responsible for providing support.
3. Provide an appropriate leadership style. Meet with your people regularly. Set aside time in your individual meetings to review objectives, check progress, and provide direction and support when needed. Maintaining active engagement with your team members is always welcome and will never be perceived as micromanagement, as long as you offer a style that fits.

Managing today is an essential, rewarding and challenging task. As a manager, you have to be efficient with your time to find ways to support your people, help them, your department and your organization achieve their goals, and do your own work. Setting clear objectives, diagnosing the level of development and providing an appropriate leadership style will help.

For more information about SLII® visit the SLII® page.

Note: This article is a translation of the original article by David Witt, Blanchard® Program Director.