Taurus Boss is a micromanager. Help!!!
This topic was created in the Taurus forum by truecap on Tuesday, December 11, 2012 and has 9 replies.
My boss (Taurus) is a micromanager. She is driving me crazy. She makes me feel as if I'm not going to follow up on my work. Duhhh!!! I'm a cap!!
This is what happens: I pend something in our computer system with a reason for the pend (usually because I'm waiting on a missing document). I follow up daily, sometimes twice daily, to see if the document can be completed. She sees the document is in and immediately sends me an email telling me I can complete this now. Usually it has only been pended for one day. She's not giving me a chance to follow up on my own. I could understand if it was a week later.
This action is insulting to me because it makes me feel like she thinks I am imcompetent. It pisses me off because she doesn't trust me to get my job done. (now, the virgo in the office needs following up on because she's too busy in everyone else's business to do her own work. But the pisces and I don't need to be micromanaged).
I sent an email back one day and said, "did you think I wasn't going to follow up? lol!"
She said she was just obsessive compulsvie and couldn't help it.
What is the best way to handle it?
Blow it off?
Confront her?
Ignore the emails?
I want to just tell her it makes me feel insulted. But I said something in a kidding, nonconfrontational way and it didn't help. I've even responded "yep, already completed".
Need some Taurus advice here!!! Thanks so much!
This is what happens: I pend something in our computer system with a reason for the pend (usually because I'm waiting on a missing document). I follow up daily, sometimes twice daily, to see if the document can be completed. She sees the document is in and immediately sends me an email telling me I can complete this now. Usually it has only been pended for one day. She's not giving me a chance to follow up on my own. I could understand if it was a week later.
This action is insulting to me because it makes me feel like she thinks I am imcompetent. It pisses me off because she doesn't trust me to get my job done. (now, the virgo in the office needs following up on because she's too busy in everyone else's business to do her own work. But the pisces and I don't need to be micromanaged).
I sent an email back one day and said, "did you think I wasn't going to follow up? lol!"
She said she was just obsessive compulsvie and couldn't help it.
What is the best way to handle it?
Blow it off?
Confront her?
Ignore the emails?
I want to just tell her it makes me feel insulted. But I said something in a kidding, nonconfrontational way and it didn't help. I've even responded "yep, already completed".
Need some Taurus advice here!!! Thanks so much!
Thanks for the perspective. She does it to everyone, so its just her style . Best probably to not say anything. I have sent her an email and said "Those are done. I completed those this morning".
That is so funny cause I am not a micro-manager at all but it is probally cause I hate it when people are like that so I just expect that if I give somebody on my team something to do they are on it and if there is a problem they will tell me.
I think that the best thing to do would be #4 of what BullGem said. That is how I am with my boss who is a micromanager and it helped brake her of it.
I think that the best thing to do would be #4 of what BullGem said. That is how I am with my boss who is a micromanager and it helped brake her of it.
Confront her, Capricorns intellect crushes Taurus' bossy know it all nature most of the time. Taurus' hate fighting compared to a capricorn which we are more so willing to fight for whats right. Assert yourself that you know your shit, and your boss will probably love it. 
^^^ That's why its a delicate situation.
Any other situation, Tomberjack, I'm right there with ya on assertion!
Any other situation, Tomberjack, I'm right there with ya on assertion!
I'm a bull, and I abhor being micromanaged. As someone pointed out, this is real life, someones job, so you can't just go in charging; however, I would highly recommend when you have your next review, that you bring it up.
Example:
You: (once review is completed, and it's pretty much done) Thank you for all of the information and feedback on my performance.
Tau Boss: You are welcome. Do you have any other questions?
You: Just one thing that I noticed, and I just want to make sure I am handling this with the correct protocol for the company. Occasionally I will pend something in the morning after I've reviewed it and see that a. I need additional information, b. awaiting contact, or c. other circumstance, and when I've done that, I noticed that sometimes you will make a note on that account for follow-up. Is there some way I should be coding this to show that while they are pending? I am/have followed up and am just awaiting additional information so I can complete the file/case and get it closed, so if there is someone I can signal in my file that it's being handled/addressed/touched on a regular basis, please let me know, so I can also save you additional work from having to place a note in my file on something that is being handled.
Tau Boss: Sure, when you are actively working a file/case, please make sure to note the date and time of contact at the top of the case, so I can quickly glance and see it's already been handled w/in (whatever the time frame/parameters are).
You: Great! That will make both of our jobs easier.
*
Ok, that's the perfect world, but at least your boss will see you are serious about doing your work AND that you see when they are in your files, and you (being subtle) don't want them in your files unnecessarily; especially if you are doing your work.
I've managed people, and I am NOT a micromanager, and I know how much it sucks! With my team, they had a set way they handled their files, so when I had to do my (mandatory) file reviews during the month, I could quickly see (by their notes) if they were on task, or if they needed some assistance. It worked for all of us, because it made my work much easier; versus having to search through pages and pages of screen notes!
Hope this (lengthy) suggestions helps in some way!
Example:
You: (once review is completed, and it's pretty much done) Thank you for all of the information and feedback on my performance.
Tau Boss: You are welcome. Do you have any other questions?
You: Just one thing that I noticed, and I just want to make sure I am handling this with the correct protocol for the company. Occasionally I will pend something in the morning after I've reviewed it and see that a. I need additional information, b. awaiting contact, or c. other circumstance, and when I've done that, I noticed that sometimes you will make a note on that account for follow-up. Is there some way I should be coding this to show that while they are pending? I am/have followed up and am just awaiting additional information so I can complete the file/case and get it closed, so if there is someone I can signal in my file that it's being handled/addressed/touched on a regular basis, please let me know, so I can also save you additional work from having to place a note in my file on something that is being handled.
Tau Boss: Sure, when you are actively working a file/case, please make sure to note the date and time of contact at the top of the case, so I can quickly glance and see it's already been handled w/in (whatever the time frame/parameters are).
You: Great! That will make both of our jobs easier.
*
Ok, that's the perfect world, but at least your boss will see you are serious about doing your work AND that you see when they are in your files, and you (being subtle) don't want them in your files unnecessarily; especially if you are doing your work.
I've managed people, and I am NOT a micromanager, and I know how much it sucks! With my team, they had a set way they handled their files, so when I had to do my (mandatory) file reviews during the month, I could quickly see (by their notes) if they were on task, or if they needed some assistance. It worked for all of us, because it made my work much easier; versus having to search through pages and pages of screen notes!
Hope this (lengthy) suggestions helps in some way!
I had to laugh -- this reminds me of the time I drove my T guy's car.
He told me when to shift (every single time), when to downshift instead of braking, what lane to be in, that I was checking the mirrors wrong, and exactly which space to park in and at what angle. Kudos to him for letting me drive in the first place but I decided -- for the mental health of both, and so that I don't throttle him -- that it's easier for him to be the designated chauffer. At least for the time being.
I don't think he'd be so bossy if I were driving my own car. I live in a big enough city that I don't have one.
On this occasion I figured he was nervous about handing me the keys to his identity so I let him natter and followed his directions with a smile, though I ground about half an inch off my teeth.
Generally I find that it never occurs to him that somebody else might also know how to do things so he assumes his way is the only way -- if I suggest a different way before or after the fact (asking him to change his mind quickly is a nonstarter) he'll be all logical, consider it, and often change his mind. His charm is that he's perfectly willing to give way when convinced by rational reasoning; he doesn't get defensive or insist on things for no reason.
Strategy?
Perhaps you could start working on your boss by discussing, in exhaustive detail, expectations of you and tasks you are to complete. Tell her you'll be on it. And then, do everything specified. It may be a case of learning how to make her comfortable rather than "breaking her" of those habits or creating confrontation. If you can make her feel secure, she'll stop driving you crazy.
Win-win.
"Boss, I feel that you're not confident I'm doing my assigned tasks. Could we sit down to go over my responsibilities? That way we'll both be clear on what I need to be doing, and you can be sure I'm taking care of it."
(Is that too corny?)
He told me when to shift (every single time), when to downshift instead of braking, what lane to be in, that I was checking the mirrors wrong, and exactly which space to park in and at what angle. Kudos to him for letting me drive in the first place but I decided -- for the mental health of both, and so that I don't throttle him -- that it's easier for him to be the designated chauffer. At least for the time being.
I don't think he'd be so bossy if I were driving my own car. I live in a big enough city that I don't have one.
On this occasion I figured he was nervous about handing me the keys to his identity so I let him natter and followed his directions with a smile, though I ground about half an inch off my teeth.
Generally I find that it never occurs to him that somebody else might also know how to do things so he assumes his way is the only way -- if I suggest a different way before or after the fact (asking him to change his mind quickly is a nonstarter) he'll be all logical, consider it, and often change his mind. His charm is that he's perfectly willing to give way when convinced by rational reasoning; he doesn't get defensive or insist on things for no reason.
Strategy?
Perhaps you could start working on your boss by discussing, in exhaustive detail, expectations of you and tasks you are to complete. Tell her you'll be on it. And then, do everything specified. It may be a case of learning how to make her comfortable rather than "breaking her" of those habits or creating confrontation. If you can make her feel secure, she'll stop driving you crazy.
Win-win.
"Boss, I feel that you're not confident I'm doing my assigned tasks. Could we sit down to go over my responsibilities? That way we'll both be clear on what I need to be doing, and you can be sure I'm taking care of it."
(Is that too corny?)
the next time you have to mark something "pending" or whatever, shoot her an email and let her know the status, why you marked it that way if necessary and that you will let her know when the status has changed. when you've completed it, send her the update.
either she will appreciate the fact that you keep her in the loop may suggest others do the same. or conversely, maybe she will recognize that you are competent and will learn to trust you more thereby not needing the updates.
point is, take the initiative. if you recognize that it's not personal and that she wants to control everything, well, help her out by showing her that you're not someone she needs to control.
if you send her the initial status email and she asks for an update before you've provided it, forward her the initial status again and in that forward state that you are aware that issue is pending and will update her accordingly. if she pushes back, if she demands immediacy, well then, she's a bitch. keep offering the status reports so that when it's time for a review, you can bring up this issue then and suggest a method by which she can be kept in the loop without riding your ass.
either she will appreciate the fact that you keep her in the loop may suggest others do the same. or conversely, maybe she will recognize that you are competent and will learn to trust you more thereby not needing the updates.
point is, take the initiative. if you recognize that it's not personal and that she wants to control everything, well, help her out by showing her that you're not someone she needs to control.
if you send her the initial status email and she asks for an update before you've provided it, forward her the initial status again and in that forward state that you are aware that issue is pending and will update her accordingly. if she pushes back, if she demands immediacy, well then, she's a bitch. keep offering the status reports so that when it's time for a review, you can bring up this issue then and suggest a method by which she can be kept in the loop without riding your ass.
Thanks for ya'll's responses. It helps alot in easing my mind and yall have given me some very good ideas on what to do with this. I do realize it's about her responsibilities (I've been in management before) and that she is making sure everything is done timely. After all she's gotta cover her own butt. I just realized she knew and understood how she is making us feel....
We haven't worked together that long, so perhaps time will be the solution. I will definitely take all your ideas in consideration.
Life's all a matter of perspective, right?
We haven't worked together that long, so perhaps time will be the solution. I will definitely take all your ideas in consideration.
Life's all a matter of perspective, right?
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