0:02
Welcome to the powerhouse Revolution Podcast. I’m Lucy Gernon, Ex corporate leader turned CEO of my dream business, helping corporate female leaders just like you to create your dream career and life. At 40, I quit the corporate world as I was tired of doing a job that no longer led me up and wanted to live my life my way. I created the power house Revolution podcast, to give you simple, actionable tips and strategies to help you create the perfect career and lifestyle that you and your family deserve. So if you’re a corporate female leader or manager who is ready to step into her superpowers, and live the life you were born to live, you are definitely in the right place. Because life is way too short to dread Mondays. Okay, let’s jump into today’s episode.
1:01
Hello, there gorgeous. And welcome back to another episode of the powerhouse Revolution podcast, how is your week going? I hope it’s going well. What’s going really well for you, things are going super well for me at the moment. And it’s so important that we just stop and celebrate our successes. Because I know that your world is so fast paced, and you’re always looking forward to the next project or the next task or the next metric or the next deadline. But when you do that you miss out on the whole joy of celebrating all the little wins along the way. So something I do with my own clients is every single Friday in our mastermind, we have a private LinkedIn community, where all the ladies I put up a post, I encourage everyone to share their weekly wins. And it’s so so rewarding. Just seeing everybody, you know, pausing and actually looking at all they have done and every single Friday, they all tell me that they feel so much better. And they’ve always done way more than they thought. So for you, I want you to start doing that start just thinking of three to five things every single week that you could be proud of something you can celebrate. And what it will do is it’s going to start to shift your mindset from everything that’s wrong and everything that you have to do to everything that you already are doing because you’re doing an amazing job.
2:17
So, this week, I want to talk to you about a topic that has come up a lot with different clients with me over the years and that is working with a micromanager. There is nothing as bad as somebody who is taking away your autonomy and micromanaging your tasks. But there is method to their madness. And that’s what I wanted to talk to you about today. I was talking to a client of mine and again it was a topic that came up in my mastermind group was you know, the there was one lady’s boss who just was micromanaging her. And we were talking about this, this particular topic and there’s one thing that I really want you to understand first before I get into some tips on how to handle it is what’s going on in the mindset of a micromanager. So, we’re going to talk about today we’re going to talk about what’s going on their mindset and then I’m going to give you five tips to help you to handle a micromanager. So, it’s gonna be a good episode, get your pen and paper, take a couple of notes and I want you to commit to taking action within 48 hours of this podcast being aired if you have a micromanager and because if you don’t do it now you are never going to do it. So let’s dive straight in.
3:28
What is going on in the mindset of a micromanager? Well, I have spoken to you about this before but all of us have different inner critic different saboteurs different voices that are hijacking us every single day. And one of those saboteurs that I would see with some women would be, not just women, some of my clients because they happen to be women would be what’s called a controller saboteur. So if you are a micromanager or you find it difficult to let go of control or if your boss is, it’s most likely because you are being hijacked by probably a controller saboteur or a perfectionist saboteur. So what does that mean? It means that you have this voice telling you things like or your boss does, whoever the micromanager is, you must know all the detail or something’s going to happen to you. The devil is in the detail and if you don’t know the detail, you’re gonna get something’s gonna go wrong, everything is going to happen. And all this pressure you place all this pressure upon yourself and when you’re a micromanager because it is really really stressful being a micromanager and because you can’t let go of that control. And I want you to understand that it’s not your fault or the person’s fault. It usually comes from childhood as everything does. So what I would say a lot with my clients who would be perfectionists or who would have these kind of micromanaging or controlling tendencies. It’s not that they wants to be like this, it’s that it’s the only way they have ever known. And usually, it’s people who have grown up in some sort of a chaotic environment where they needed to be in control as a child in order to survive. So, you know, if you had like lots of siblings or your house was always really busy or your house was always really messy, or there was conflict in your home or there was, you know, some sort of trauma that was happening in your home, if you were dealing with a parent who was an alcoholic, there’s so many reasons that this particular saboteur, controller saboteur or perfection saboteur is there to protect the child, keep them safe. So the child is trying to seek order amongst this kind of chaotic environment. And as a result, they find solace and they find safety when they’re in control. So what happens then is as you progress through your teenage years and into adulthood, this just becomes a reinforced subconscious pattern. So even though you know when you’re a child, you know the you’re relying on your parents or whoever your caregivers were for safety. When you become an independent adult, you still we all do you want to you know better see, see the world through the the lens of that seven year old child, right. So I want you to know that if your boss is behaving that way, it’s because they most likely had some sort of trauma or even many trauma in their childhood doesn’t have to be anything significant, where they needed to be in control or where they needed things to be perfect. So that’s the first thing is that you need to understand that and instead of being resistant to this micromanaging or instead of yourself, it’s about really being compassionate with the other person. And understanding that it takes a lot of energy to be a micromanager and it is extremely draining of energy. So definitely, I hope that helps you a little bit in terms of maybe understanding a little bit. So just reflect now, you know, if you do have a micromanager for a boss, just reflect on you know, when you see them, do they look happy? Do they look like they’re under pressure? Do they have a pained look on their face, just reflect on that and just know that that person has probably just been hijacked by their own mind. So it’s not their fault. Okay? So that’s the first thing so now you have a bit more of an understanding of maybe why they’re like that.
7:26
Now I’m going to give you five tips to help you to deal with a micromanager. So if you’re multitasking, come back to me. Tip number one is communication is key. If you’re feeling suffocated by a micromanager or you’re feeling like they’re taken away your personal power, the worst thing you can do is to keep quiet and let things build up. Instead, what I invite you to do within 48 hours of listening to this podcast is to schedule a meeting with your boss, and have an open and honest conversation about how you’re feeling. Be respectful, be professional, be compassionate, but make it clear that you need more autonomy to do your job effectively. Make a clear with them exactly what’s going on for you how it’s making you feel. And I’m promise you that is the very, very first step.
8:18
The second thing to do then is in that conversation is set clear expectations. One of the main reasons that micro managers tend to do that is because they don’t trust their employees to do the job, right. So to combat this, you want to make sure you’re setting clear expectations for your work, and providing regular updates on your progress without them needing to ask, this will help make your boss feel, you know, they’ll feel more confident in your abilities. And hopefully, that will give you some breathing room. So what you would do in the conversation then is is tell them that and just go like look, you know, step number one you’re going to communicate, you’re going to share what’s going on for you. Step number two is you’re going to set your expectations and your boundaries and you’re going to tell them that you will provide regular updates and check in and say is it okay? Right? I’ll send you an update every Friday does that work for you? So make sure you’re getting alignment with your boss as well.
9:16
Tip number 3 then is to establish boundaries. So if your boss is a micromanager and if you’re constantly getting emails or texts outside work hours, asking you to do tasks that you know aren’t part of your remit or their last minute.com It’s really is time for you to establish some boundaries. So if you haven’t already listened, I have a full podcast episode. It’s episode number two, I believe called The Ultimate Guide to setting boundaries. And in this podcast, I walk you through my three step method for setting boundaries. So definitely go check that one out. There’s another one that I recorded. I believe it’s episode 66 How to push back politely and professionally at work. And again I take through some things you can do there around setting boundaries. So you want to just make sure that you know, you let your boss know that you’re with them that obviously, you’re happy to help. But that you need to be able to switch off and have a work life balance, too.
10:13
There has never been a better time than now to set boundaries. Because since COVID, I mean, the whole world has changed when it comes to work life balance. And again, that’s a lot of work I would do with my own clients is who are struggling with work life balance, it’s usually because of limiting beliefs they hold about themselves and about their abilities, as well as not being on top of the workload and not being as organized as they could be, which is where I teach them all my secrets on how to prioritize like a pro CEO and how to keep on top of your workload, which really helps too. Okay, so we’ve gone through the first three. So the first one is communication. So it’s about setting up a meeting, don’t keep quiet. The second thing to do in that conversation is to set clear expectations with them, and agree that you’re going to, you know, provide regular updates. Number three, then is to set your boundaries. And again, go check out those episodes I mentioned earlier, episode number two, and episode number 66.
11:07
And then the fourth tip, I would say is to build trust. So micro managers often struggle with delegation and choices because they don’t trust that you’ll do the job right. So to combat this, make sure you’re building trust with your boss by consistently delivering high quality work, take untaken ownership for your tasks, and then being proactive where problem solving. And again, the other thing around building trust is really to really understand the ask, and to try to gain some perspective on the pressures that your boss is under and what they’re looking for. Unfortunately, not everyone in the corporate world is good at communication. And one of the biggest mistakes I see leaders make is we make assumptions that people understand the ask, but you can never be too explicit when it comes to communication. It’s like tell ask thme like they’re five. So if your boss isn’t doing that, you need to ask questions like a five year old to make sure that you’re crystal clear. And they ask because the more questions you ask, the more curious you are, the more you’re going to get on the same page as your boss as well.
12:10
And tip number five is to consider your options. So if all else fails, and you’ve tried the first four steps and it’s not working, it might be time to consider what options you have. That might mean having a conversation with hate, or it could mean looking for another job or requesting a transfer. Ultimately, all you can do is do your best, all you can do is try to do the steps that I have suggested. But if it’s not working out, I mean, you only have two choices. You either stay and continue to be suffocated, or you look at your other options.
12:45
So just to quickly recap on the steps. The first thing is I suppose before we get into the five steps is just remember that that person is most likely being hijacked by either a controller saboteur or perfection saboteur. And if you know somebody like that, or if you are one, I can absolutely help you overcome that mindset very, very quickly. So don’t be afraid to contact me at hello at Lucygernon.com. Or just DM me on Instagram or on LinkedIn as the first thing. And then when we get into our tips, the first tip would be to communicate, schedule a meeting, like I said, within 48 hours of this podcast, and have an open and honest conversation about how you’re feeling in that meeting. Then Tip number two is to set clear expectations. Remember, currently, if they’re micromanaging you, it’s because they don’t trust you. So you want to make sure that you’re setting expectations and that you are agreeing that you will send regular updates to them agree in the frequency that feels mutually Right. Like if your boss is looking for an email every day, that’s not reasonable, I would say. So just agree something that feels doable for both of you. Number three, then is to set your boundaries. So again, if your micromanager boss is always emailing or contacting you outside work, and that’s not cool with you, you got to set your boundaries. So again, work life balance is a core value of mine and my company, I don’t believe that you are at the beck and call of your company, no matter what level you’re at, and I believe it’s healthy, you’ve got to have boundaries. Okay. Number four, then is to build trust and how you do that is by consistently delivering high quality work. How do you do that? By understanding the Ask by making sure you ask lots of questions to understand what is actually needed and taken ownership and being totally proactive about problem solving. And then tip number five if all else fails, consider your options. So again, you may speak to hate or you may speak to a colleague or some other influential person who might have a good relationship with your boss. Or if all else fails, you might need to look for another job art request a transfer. So remember being a leader means advocating for yourself and setting boundaries. Okay? You are a role model for your team as well. They are watching you so it’s really, really important that you remember who you are, step into your power and remember that you don’t need to put up with that if it’s suffocating you Okay? Once you’ve done the other things, just don’t be afraid to speak up. And hopefully with these five tips, you will be able to handle your micromanager like a pro and take control of your work life.
15:18
So that is it for this week’s episode. If you enjoyed this episode, can you please please just take two seconds now to rate and review my podcast, hit that follow button it will really really help me to grow this podcast and I would so so appreciate just a little five star review on Apple or on Spotify. It will really help me to push my podcast and more people just like you. And you can be part of the journey of the growth of the powerhouse Revolution podcast. So until next time, I hope you have a wonderful week and as always, if I can ever do anything to support you, I love having the chats in DM So slide into my DMs on Instagram or on LinkedIn and we can have a conversation there. Have a great rest of your day. Talk to you soon.
