Do you find micro-management worthwhile in the workplace?

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The underlying question is whether it helps or hinder productivity? What's your personal experience?

I turn the floor over to you.
 
I think the answer depends in part on what you consider to be micro-management. A place I worked for monitored you through the computer. I had my supervisor run out into the parking lot to tell me my break time was over.
 
It depends; your management style varies based on each employee's skill level and maturation. Some need, and sometimes enjoy micro-management.

However; the bottom line is: don't hire Michealangelo to carve the Venus diMilo and then look over his shoulder. While other, not so talented employees, will require some level of micro-management.

The silver bullet for all managers is to hire all Michealangelos and never have to worry about them, but that never happens.
 
I've always been in positions of management during my time working in "corporate America" and can agree that micro management is appropriate only in certain situations.

For example, I was a manager of a call center for an undisclosed company (a major ISP) once and was instructed to micro manage the employees from the higher ups. I didn't enjoy it very much but everything was tracked from the time spent on the phone, the hold times, and even how long you were signed out of the phone for a restroom break. When or if the numbers dipped below average, you'd be put onto a plan to improve or let go.

I've also managed a team of developers at multiple companies and didn't micro manage them as long as they were on track. If an employee begins to fall out of the track to success (for both the individual and the company), the management style would change. I'd much rather find the root of an issue if there is one than to disrupt the work day for everyone else. :)

I had my supervisor run out into the parking lot to tell me my break time was over.

Were you late on coming back in? If so, how late? Was it a first for you to be late (assuming you were)? I've sent employees in the past an email to alert them that they ran over on their break or lunch... but I don't think I've ever had to actually step outside to call someone in. If it continued to be an issue for that employee, I'd have to take a different approach to rectify the issue.
 
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She was a stickler for meeting numbers. Being late wasn't a habit of mine. I was inside a car conversing with a fellow employee. Less than five minutes late that me and my fellow employee kept track of on our watches. To mention this was a 24-hour call center so I could have made up the time (there were seats available).

I'm wondering if she would have chased me down inside of the bathroom instead of the parking lot?
 
Managing a hotel you have to play the game in many different ways at the same time.
I have 2 employees that if left to their own devices, will goof off more than the rest of us combined. They get micro managed. The rest are given tasks to keep them busy that they carry out and when done submit them to me and are given something else to do.
I don't care for micro managing as a whole. It takes up too much of my time that is needed to get the things done I need to be doing. My paperwork should take at most 30 minutes to complete. Some days they have to be rode herd on so much I have to sit up at night ( on my time ) and do the paperwork. If I have to stay on these 2 for too much longer I will place an ad in the paper to replace them.
 
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Managing a hotel you have to play the game in many different ways at the same time.
I have 2 employees that if left to their own devices, will goof off more than the rest of us combined. They get micro managed. The rest are given tasks to keep them busy that they carry out and when done submit them to me and are given something else to do.
I don't care for micro managing as a whole. It takes up too much of my time that is needed to get the things done I need to be doing. My paperwork should take at most 30 minutes to complete. Some days they have to be rode herd on so much I have to sit up at night ( on my time ) and do the paperwork. If I have to stay on these 2 for too much longer I will place an ad in the paper to replace them.

Sounds like a real nightmare...

If I have to address an issue more than once with an employee, they simply don't care that much for their job. If they don't care that much for their job, it's not necessary to be working for me.

I say it all the time but you need to either enjoy what you do, or you need to make the best of it and put 100% into it. If you don't do either, well then, you're not going to get very far in it.
 
The underlying question is whether it helps or hinder productivity? What's your personal experience?

I turn the floor over to you.

Can you just create one thread with all your silly questions? Seriously.

All your threads remind me of painful smalltalk.
 
Can you just create one thread with all your silly questions? Seriously.

All your threads remind me of painful smalltalk.

Remember this is the Social Lounge where we're supposed to chat. Have you ever created any threads of your own to show what you like to talk about? The others posters have found this thread worthwhile. If you think this thread is silly, why did you respond? What do you hope to accomplish? Asking questions show a sign of intelligence which I'll continue doing.
 
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