Micro-Management Has No Business in Nursing
It has unfortunately become necessary recently for me to research the term "micro-management." I wanted to be sure I understood exactly what it was so I could be capable of identifying it correctly if I see it.
Turns out, I sure can, and with complete confidence. Now, since this is a blog, and not a research paper, I'm not citing my sources for you, but you can find exactly the same thing I did by just doing a Google search on micro-managing. From psychology to The Harvard Business Review, the bottom line is, it's NOT a good thing. Listen to some of these quotes;
1) "Last week I wrote about scaring your employees into submission, this week, I have a few words about squashing them into non-thinking androids. A style of leadership that is cousin to the technique of fear; a management approach that keeps a tight reign on everything. That is, no one but you decides anything. This inefficient management style is known as "micro-managing," a petty approach to managing every detail of your business-even to the preposterous notion of an inventory control of paper clips."
2) "The notion of micro-management can be extended to any social context where one person takes a bully approach, in the level of control and influence over the members of a group. Often, this excessive obsession with the minutest of details causes a direct management failure in the ability to focus on the major details."
3) "Nursing Leadership who micro-manage can kill the creative and proactive spirit."
4) "If you are in the unfortunate position of being managed by a micro-manager you are likely dealing with a very insecure person plagued by perfectionism and narcissism. People who have difficulty delegating and trusting those who work for them are like an anxious mother who watches over her children so much she creates tense, unhappy children."
Micro-management has no business in nursing. It destroys teamwork, self-esteem, and autonomy. And when recognized, administration has the ultimate responsibility for stopping it immediately.