Avoiding the unintended consequences of micromanagement

A project manager of a distributed team writes: I'm responsible for a high-visibility project that can make or break the company's bottom line this year. If I succeed, I'm next in line for a coveted senior position. If I don't, I may be next in line to collect unemployment benefits. Team members are scattered around the world, and none report to me. How can I make sure they're getting the work done, without micromanaging?

You're wise to be concerned about the danger of being perceived as a micromanager. Nothing can cause a project team to tune out faster-especially when the members can escape unnoticed.

Think about the following as you decide how best to make sure everyone's on track, on target, on schedule-and on board.

• Gain agreement on how project updates will be handled. For example, what level of detail is needed, by whom, by when? Will updates be sent to everyone, to just a few, or will details be posted somewhere instead? Under what conditions are delays acceptable, and who needs to be notified when unforeseen circumstances occur?
  
• Create an environment in which it's okay to acknowledge problems or to raise issues that can hamper success. Make sure team members are not withholding vital project information because they fear retribution or criticism, for themselves or their team members- especially in a public forum. If you punish the bearers of bad news, you'll find it harder to get any news at all.
  
• Verify that the perceived value of creating project updates justifies the time and effort that may be required to produce and attend to them. If not, some team members may put dealing with project updates at the bottom of their priority list. For example, do all team members have equal access to the means by which project-related information will be documented and shared? If so, do they actually have the time required to plug in and routinely update their data, and do they have time (or inclination) to read everyone else's?
  
• Recognize the importance of an agreed-upon communications plan. Be sensitive about how team members prefer to provide and receive information. While some may agree to populate a spreadsheet, for example, they may feel more comfortable offering verbal updates on weekly calls. Be aware of how cultural and language differences may affect the frequency, content, formality, and timeliness of communications. "A brief status report sent out early in the week" may be interpreted a hundred different ways.
  
• Listen to how people receive your requests for information. Are their email or verbal responses increasingly terse? Do they seem pleased or annoyed that you're interested? If the latter, ask yourself why. Better yet, ask them-diplomatically-and encourage them to give you an open, honest response.
  
• Evaluate whether your requirements for information are realistic or even necessary. When a team is far flung and you feel a need to keep vigilant watch over their activities, consider the impact your requests for information will have on their morale and workload.
  
• Be conscious of whether you're assuming the best or the worst about people, and assess how your actions and attitudes reflect your beliefs. For example, if you believe that most team members are doing all they can to fulfill their commitments, think about what kind of message you're sending by insisting on daily written reports and weekly con calls.
  
• Be flexible at different intervals of the project. Some phases require more intense, frequent communications than others. Ask yourself-and others-when enough is enough and whose purposes are really being servedatany given time.
  
• Realize that you may be the only person whose full-time job is bringing this project to a successful and swift conclusion. By reflecting this understanding in your thoughts, words, and deeds, you'll go a long way toward getting cooperation when you most need it.

When so much is on the line, micromanagement is a natural tendency. But that management style poses many threats to any team, and is particularly damaging to remote teams, when trust is difficult to create and cultivate. If you can thoughtfully balance your desire for control with the need for team members to focus on their most important work, everyone wins.

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