Leading from the Library: Micromanaging Library Leaders Rarely Know the Damage They Do

Leaders are advised to relinquish control in favor of empowering staff. Giving up that control can be hard for some, especially when they are apt to micromanage workers. The key is to recognize it and then work on behavior change.

When librarians get together to talk about their organizations and how they are managed, the discussion often turns to the plague of the micromanaging supervisor. Library workers all too willingly express their disdain for leaders who constantly meddle in their work, telling them how to do their job and showing little respect for their talent. This behavior, in addition to insulting workers, undermines their commitment to the organization and likely lowers their confidence levels. It’s little coincidence that micromanaging bosses lack the basic self-awareness to know the damage they’re doing to staff morale, because they are often completely unaware of their own micromanaging behavior. The good news is that it may be possible for the habitual micromanager to do something about it, but recognizing it must the first step to change.

Read the whole article @ Library Journal.

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