Keep a Watch; Don't Keep Watching!

“Don’t sit in the window seat. Even if you do, don’t open the window; you’ll catch a cold. Wear your sweater and the monkey cap if it’s cold. Don’t go too deep into water when you visit rivers or beaches. Don’t go away from your friends and teachers…” an 8-year-old child’s mother keeps listing her instructions while sending her child on a short trip.

What do you call it? Mother’s love? Precaution? Care? Protectiveness? It’s a mix all of these.

Imagine the same scene after sixteen years when the same son is going on a trip with his colleagues.

Doesn’t it sound awkward? Mother’s love, care, protectiveness are still true, but they become irrelevant and we call it Micromanagement.

The son has seen the world. He has encountered so many people and situations. He has seen his own ups and downs. He has faced many challenges and has overcome them. Can’t he manage his own silly body from bad weather, risky places and masked people around him? He can. He must!

This happens at workplaces too.

The shop owner teaches his employees how and when to pitch for a sale and what words should be used with customers. A manager assigns a project module to his team member and suggests each line of code to be written. A boss assigns a poster to a designer and tells him what colours and fonts to be used. A movie director tells the lyricist to include the words to be added in the song.

Why do people micromanage?

There are many reasons.

One, they forget that their children and their subordinates have some capability. Two, they forget that each individual has some experience, some knowledge, some ideas and thoughts that they can apply to complete the task. Three, they forget that it’s the other person’s responsibility too.  Four, they are too possessive to assign their work to somebody else with the fear of getting it spoiled. Five, they do not want to give the share of the success to others. Six, lack of trust on others’ capability. Seven and the most important one: love! The same love that’s so blind that it can’t see that the time has passed!

What’s wrong if we micromanage as long as it gives expected results?

No stagnant water can be drunk for a long time. Only the river, that keeps flowing new water every moment remains drinkable. Even the best batsman cannot strike the bat on the pitch for the entire life time.  He should become a coach giving way to new batsmen. The owner, even with years of experience handling customers, must let his salesman apply his own techniques. Who knows! The salesman may have a better timing and techniques. No boy or girl can learn riding a bicycle if their parents keep holding the carrier and running after the child’s bicycle.

We cannot grow if we do not let others grow. The best parent, the best team leader, the best teacher, the best manager never want their children, team mates, students and subordinates to become their replica. The world needs new thoughts, new ideas and new methods. If we keep micromanaging and guiding through minute details, how can we expect others to create something new, to handle themselves and to see the world through their own eyes.

Show them the road. Don’t walk their steps. Let us give them the joy of their confusing diversions, contradicting choices, falling down, rising up and finding routes. If they are correct, they will reach their destinations. If they are wrong, still better, they will get an experience to find better destinations.

Just keep a watch; don't keep watching!