We’ve all heard about micromanagers. They try to control every aspect of their direct reports’ work-life and in doing so, make most of them miserable. One thing micromanagers fail to understand is that they typically contribute to overall lower productivity by creating more distraction through their micro approach.
There’s also another management tendency that does not get the same attention as micromanagement, but can contribute just as much to counter-productivity: Micro-Updates!
Micro-updates are the constant updates relayed throughout the day that have little relevance to any immediate action or attention required. Some of this is dependent on the type of work you are involved with. For instance, if you are working within a relatively stable job function that performs routine type tasks, you probably don’t have too many updates. If you are working in a project type role, which ebbs and flows consistently, you might be getting lots of updates.
The problem is not necessarily the amount of updates, but how, and when, they are delivered. If a manager receives an update and always relays it right away to their employees, that manager will start contributing to constant distraction which leads to lower productivity. The better approach is to accumulate updates throughout the day and relay it to employees once a day. The main exception being if an update would immediately impact the work they are currently performing. If an update would obsolete a current task being performed, it would be counterproductive not to relay it immediately.
What to do if you’re constantly receiving micro-updates?
If you are the recipient of micro-updates, you are probably an employee under a manager who has a tendency to give them.
If you have a good relationship with your manager, just have a conversation and give them the advice below for “what to do if you’re constantly giving micro-updates?”
If your relationship is not one where you would be comfortable confronting them, the best strategy is to take yourself out of the update communication equation. When you need to focus, find some quiet space where you will not be distracted. Turn on your do not disturb and work! If this becomes a problem (it shouldn’t as long as you get your work done) it might be a sign that you need to move out of that situation altogether. Move to a different department or maybe even find another job. This might sound extreme, but when you get your productivity back, you’ll have wished you’d done it sooner.
What to do if you’re constantly giving micro-updates?
You might be reading this and have come to the conclusion that you are that manager who tends to give micro-updates. So what do you do? You’ve already gotten the most important part figured out. You have accepted that you are creating this problem. Now, commit yourself to accumulating updates throughout the day and notifying your employees only once or twice a day. Keep those updates concise and limited so you start reaping the rewards of a still informed but more productive team!
System Tinker 