Managers often feel compelled to maintain control over every detail and individual within their reach, an annoying habit that is also known as micromanaging. If you’re suspicious of your boss micromanaging you or you’re a manager yourself, take note of the following 17 key traits that are typically seen in micromanagers.
They Talk A Lot
According to WordsRated, the average person speaks around 16,000 words in a day. However, micromanagers tend to exceed this, as they’re usually very chatty people, due to their desire to control conversations and steer them where they would like them to go. They’re normally the person who talks the most in a room.
They Crave Perfection
Micromanagers are perfectionists. They need to feel like they’re doing everything to the best of their abilities and are always trying to overachieve. When they can’t do things perfectly, they feel down and depressed, replaying what went wrong in their minds over and over again.
They Feel Stressed
While there’s no denying that micromanaging is frustrating to deal with, it’s not always the manager’s fault. Micromanagers often feel stressed because they can’t control every eventuality in their lives as they would like to. As a result of this lack of control, they often take it out on their staff, whether they realize it or not.
They Lie
Forbes says that how much we lie fluctuates from day to day, but people who micromanage are more likely to lie to get people to act the way they want. Lying is just one of the tactics they use to ensure they stay in control of others.
They Struggle to Listen
Figures from WordsRated say that 45% of a person’s time awake is spent engaged in some kind of listening, which amounts to around 7.58 hours per day. Micromanagers, however, struggle to pay attention when others speak, as they like to be the center of conversations.
They Manipulate
People who micromanage have to have things their own way and will manipulate, coerce, or even bribe whoever they need to reach their goals. These kinds of people thrive in friendship circles with people who have more submissive and yielding personalities, as they’re easiest to manipulate.
They Are Tired
Data from Statistica shows that 27 percent of people said they wake up tired four or more days per week. People who micromanage are more likely to be tired, as they spend a lot of time controlling situations and trying to be in charge of everything.
They Can’t Delegate
Micromanagers can’t delegate tasks to others. The fear that things will not be done exactly as they would like them to be is too much for them to handle, so they try to do everything themselves. This lack of delegation leads to fatigue and stress.
They Can’t Forgive
The Fetzer Institute says that 62% of people agree (strongly or somewhat) that they need more forgiveness in their personal lives. Although forgiving is important, micromanagers struggle to do so, as they like to be in control of every situation. Forgiving is like giving something up, and micromanagers don’t do that.
They Are Never Satisfied
A micromanager is never fully satisfied. This is because they can’t have everything go their way in life. So, when the slightest thing doesn’t go according to plan, they feel disappointed. This kind of person is always thinking about the future, so they’re never currently happy.
They Finish Sentences
A micromanager is someone who likes to be in control of everything, even what someone says and how quickly they say it. Micromanagers like to finish people’s sentences because they know where the conversation is going but can’t bear for someone to reach the conclusion before them.
They Won’t Adapt
A person who micromanages can’t adapt to other people’s preferences or circumstances. They are unyielding. This kind of person has to have everything their way, and when they can’t, they aren’t shy about expressing their disappointment. They’re often reluctant to change their way of doing even simple things.
They Overplan
A micromanager tends to overplan every situation. They do this because they like to be in control of everything and know exactly what’s going to happen in any given situation. So, they carefully think about all possible outcomes of an event and plan their reaction to each one accordingly.
They Are Demanding
People who micromanage are very demanding. They expect everything and everyone to follow their rhythm, and when this doesn’t happen, they’re not afraid to express their disappointment. They easily become annoyed with others whom they cannot manipulate or coerce into doing things their way.
They Give Up
Micromanagers like it when everything goes their way. So, when they suspect that something won’t go as planned, they give up and won’t go ahead with it. They often spend so long thinking about what will happen if things don’t go their way that they psych themselves out of the activity before they’ve started.
They Overthink
Micromanagers tend to overthink everything. They do this because they like to be in control of everything and don’t want to come up against any surprises in life. They think about their last move and their next move, and they’re even concerned about the actions of others.
They Don’t Express Themselves
People who micromanage have no problems talking, but they’re very selective about what they talk about. As they like to be in control and don’t like to appear vulnerable, they don’t tend to express deep things about themselves and find it hard to open up honestly to others.