How Do You Handle a Micromanaging Leader Who Criticizes and Ignores Team Input?

As an HR professional, I would like to know the views of HR professionals on the following query:

How to deal with a person who micromanages, lacks trust in the team, criticizes all efforts, and never listens to other views and opinions, especially if he/she is in the top management team?

Dear member,

You have mentioned the negative personality traits of the top-most management team member. But what about positive personality traits? Are there no positive personality traits at all? Or is it that the negative traits outnumber or override the positive traits?

Have you noted down the instances why he shouted or why he became frustrated? Was his disapproval reasonable, but the method of expressing disapproval unreasonable? Please record the events and try to find out a pattern.

The Boss's Environment

Going further, has the boss surrounded himself with low-IQ persons, and are they bound to commit mistakes because of their low IQ?

Understanding the Boss's Behavior

Anyway, the description of the boss that you have mentioned is not new. There are millions the world over. These people, by virtue of their financial power, start a business and start thinking that not just business, but they also own their employees. Hardly do they think that humans are important resources and not just physical infrastructure for financial resources; people grow the businesses. People come up with innovative ideas and help develop products or services. However, to come up with innovative ideas, they need encouragement or motivation. The dominating bosses, on the contrary, destroy motivation. So, what is the way out?

Possible Solutions

The way out is to quit the job, if possible. I do not know how big Muttupalyam is and what job opportunities exist there. But if opportunities are available, then look for a change. However, please note that in a large number of companies, you will find bosses of this kind. They consider their employees as chattel at their disposal. Their focus is on managing people rather than managing the business.

It will be sheer luck if you come across a boss who listens to juniors. Therefore, even after changing a job, you could experience landing in a frying pan from the fire.

Adapting to the Situation

When you cannot change the external world, it is better to change oneself. You could be a sensitive person. Therefore, desensitize yourself. Be a "don't care" master. I know it is easier said than done; however, for the sake of protecting employment, you may do so. When I checked YouTube, I found a few videos on how to manage difficult people. You may click the following link to refer to those:

https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...fficult+people

A few people may advise you to learn a pseudoscientific approach to communication. Their claim is that it changes the person and all. However, how tall their claims are, they know best. Long ago, our sages have told us:

"जैसा सुभाव देकर व्यक्ति की स्वभाव नहीं बदलती | जल उबालने पर भी कुछ समय बाद वह फिर से अपने सामान्य तापमान पर पहुँच जाता है।"

English Meaning: One cannot change the nature of a person by giving him advice or telling him good things. (as even) If water is heated, after some time it again attains its normal temperature.

Final Comments

Working under a boss who distrusts juniors leaves devastating effects on the minds of the juniors. Therefore, take care of your health. Check your blood pressure every year. Earn money but also think that there is a life after 60!

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

It is difficult to deal with such a situation when the person is from the top management team. But as an HR person, you should not keep silent. It is your duty to report such attitudes in black and white without looking into the minute aftereffects of such reporting. If you don't report, then the morale of the entire team will come down, and they will start criticizing you for not taking the initiative to report the bad attitude of their team leader. And of course, if you report, the management may take it differently. You can expect a negative reaction, but that does not mean that you should keep silent. If the question is, "Who will bell the cat?", then I would say that HR is the right person to bell the cat here! You can do it by including this issue in your monthly reports to top management.

Is this a question relating to an actual issue in your workplace, or just a theoretical or assignment question for a course you are doing? If it is a real case in your workplace, please provide more context around the situation.

Micromanagement is undesirable. It is even more troublesome if the top manager himself exhibits that behavior. In such situations, please consider the options with the associated risks in every option.

1) IGNORE
You will be the sufferer. If no other option is available, patiently wait for a change to come.

2) BOLD
Be bold and try to speak. Try sending a confidential email.

3) CONFRONT
I don’t know if it will work. Consequences may be severe, even to the extent of losing your job.

4) CHANGE
Try to change your job as soon as possible.

5) INTROSPECT
Ask yourself what you would do if you changed jobs. You may end up with a worse personality.