When I was working with a private equity fund, some of the companies we invested in were performing poorly.
So what was our response? We would start doing monthly ‘performance review’ calls to put pressure on the management to act faster and smarter. And when even that did not improve the performance, we would start doing weekly calls.
In one particular company, I literally went and sat next to the CEO for a month, to ‘guide them.’ I was doing the worst kind of micromanagement.
And what was the end result? A big zero. In EVERY single case.
Yet, I sometimes even see global thought leaders justify micromanagement. Why? Because they misunderstand the word.
When a CEO gets into the weeds, that is not micromanagement. Nor is a manager coaching a new employee micromanagement.
Micromanagement is like sitting in a car next to the driver, and then grabbing the steering wheel because the “driver is incompetent.”
If the driver is incompetent, train them, replace them, or get into another car.
Don’t co-drive a car — you will soon crash and die (while hating each other).
– Rajan