Micromanagement: a new direction

When I was a very young man, I became a site manager for the first time. My original management style was sort of the bull in the china shop plan. I pushed ever forward, head down, eyes open. It came to light that no person on our payroll then liked that program very much. That was a long time ago. At about that same time, the general philosophy of how to manage people began to change across the business world. Hundreds of books filled the stores with a very new way to look at management. Micromanagement then became a dirty word in the world of business throughout most industries. These new books suggested that we managers needed to lead people, allowing them the freedom to do their jobs as we moved forward with a softer voice, a lighter touch. The era of the micromanager quickly began to fade into the distance. It was time, these books suggested, to develop people, allowing them the chance to stretch, try things, and become more self-assertive. The manager then became a coach, offering feedback against organizational goals.

While I absolutely concur that no employee wants to be micromanaged; having senior people thinking for them, this post will actually reintroduce micromanagement, but in a far different form.  Although I firmly agree that no manager in 2023 should be hovering over the efforts or workspaces of any employee, I do suggest leaders have the opportunity, actually the responsibility, to support the team, measuring and managing expectations against stated goals. When it comes to getting things done, it is time for supporting, coaching, and not in your face management of any type. This In My Opinion post offers three ideas about how to help the organization succeed. Here is my opinion:

Be close to the action: it is pretty clear that managers who hang in their offices, who “lead” from afar, miss not only the opportunity to coach and support, they miss the invaluable opportunity to offer immediate recognition for a job well done. No doubt, managers wear several hats. There are certainly those times when the manager needs to step back, be in the office, working through information pertinent to the daily nature of the enterprise. Once the day kicks in, once golfers gather to play, the leader must put on the hospitality hat, becoming fan and friend to both golfer and staff member.

Be clear with your expectations: it is essential for leadership to be clear and concise as to what is expected. From the time a golfer enters the clubhouse, the team should be in execution mode, creating a great day of golf. When you send your team out into the day with a clear vision, service standards go up, as complaints melt away. In order to be a good follower, each staff member needs to be trained on the expected end results within their role. How does it look and feel when my job is done well? Training then is another essential piece, with ongoing reminding as an important supplemental part of the service plan.

While it is not OK to micromanage people: it is more than OK as the leader, to micromanage results. Every property has key performance indicators. These indicators are the true standards of the operation. Although your staff members know their roles, things happen. Interruptions create detours and other things that interfere with seamless execution. As the property leader, it is important that you support the team by making sure these KPI’s are always top of mind. It is rather a good thing then to micromanage expectations and results. In this new world of work know that people just would not accept or stand for any type of old style management. The world has changed. Every leader should quickly recognize keeping good people is about feelings. Create that place that feels great to both staff member and golfer in order to win the day. Excellence in business is about making good people decisions every day.

Jack Dillon writes the In My Opinion post. Jack is a speaker, writer, and consultant. He is available to speak to your team or help your club with a background of experience hard to match. Jack can be reached at jackd@careerdividends.com. You can also call him at: 407-973-6136. Jack is available to support you and your team. He lives in Orlando.