I’ve worked with micromanagers throughout my career. It’s not easy.
One of the things that I learned about micromanagers is that you can’t change them.
Instead, you have to change how you think and maybe what you do.
Try these tips if your attorney is a micromanager.
1. Reduce their perceived need to micromanage.
First, look at your productivity and track record with this person to ensure you’re not doing anything inadvertently to give the micro-manager more reason to hover.
Here’s an example: I had a paralegal who came to me about the micro-manager partner.
After quite a few talks and looking into things, I learned that this partner was the type who showed up at the office at 7 am every day…and was extremely frustrated with the fact that his paralegal didn’t usually make it in until around 9:30; and some days even later if traffic or other things came up.
So the partner was working for 2-3 hours before the paralegal ever got into the office, and by the time she did, he would just bombard her with questions about all the outstanding projects, which would drive her crazy.
What she wasn’t taking into account was that it was driving him crazy that she would come in so late.
We didn’t completely eliminate all of his micromanaging, but we reduced it significantly by her sending a status update on all of her projects when she left the office at 5:30. And we got her to come in at 8:30 to 9 instead of 9:30 to 10.
2. Proactively provide updates on projects.
If you know that they’re coming in your office every day after lunch wanting to know what you’ve done this morning, send them a status update before you leave for lunch. Often, a micromanager feels a loss of control, and that perceived loss of control could be reduced if they were kept updated.
3. Get them the completed projects in advance of the deadline.
For a month, try to get them their completed projects WELL in advance of the actual deadline if you can. If they’ve asked for this research by Tuesday afternoon, get it to them on Monday afternoon. Because you know that even though they told you Tuesday afternoon, they’re going to be hovering on Tuesday morning.
4. Talk to them about the micromanaging.
Maybe pose it this way “By the way you’re checking in on this project so often, it seems like you are concerned that I’m not going to do something right or on time. I’d like to figure out what I can do to earn your trust and know that I’ll get it done right and on time. How about if I do _________________?”
Join me for this Paralegal training
If you want to take a deeper dive into How to Work (Better) With Difficult People, I’m going to do a 60-minute webinar in November on this topic.
It’s going to be different than your typical “watch someone go through a PowerPoint slide deck for 60 minutes.”
Instead, it’s going to be 30 minutes of teaching and 30 minutes of live Q & A time so that we can discuss the exact issue you’re dealing with and I can give you advice on how to handle it.
Topic: Working (Better) With Difficult People
Date: November 13, 2024
Time: 1:00 p.m. Eastern
Cost: $97
Recording: Access for 30 days
Seats are limited to 40 people!
Meet the Author
Ann Pearson is the Founder of the Paralegal Boot Camp, and host of the Paralegals on Fire! Podcast Show, and passionate about promoting the paralegal profession.
Ann spent 20 years working as a paralegal manager and a litigation paralegal before opening the Paralegal Boot Camp in 2010.
Ann’s training programs focus on adding immediate value to a paralegal’s career and bridging the gap between what a paralegal learns in school and what they actually do on the job.
Visit the About Us Page to learn more about why Ann started the Paralegal Boot Camp.
