Micromanaging Executive Director – 6 Strategies To Win

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Is your Executive Director over your shoulder daily and not only setting goals but telling you each step you need to perform to accomplish the goal?

I know first-hand how difficult this can be, but we started working in the social impact, nonprofit space for a higher purpose, right?!?!

Let’s looks at 7 strategies that may help you move from feeling micromanaged to being accountable and communicative as a trusted team member.

Recently, we were engaged in a conversation in a Facebook group regarding the topic of micromanaging executive directors. This could apply to any leader in a nonprofit, government agency or for-profit business.

Below we’ve included specific quotes from nonprofit leaders that are helpful and reinforce our recommended strategies.

Is It Micromanaging Or Grant Reporting? (Gain Perspective)

Most of my employees have to account for their time on a log because we have to submit their timesheets for reimbursement from a grant. Could that be the reason?

Kim – Facebook Group Member

If you feel like you are being micromanaged because you need to log your activities and hours, it may not be what it seems. Some grants require reporting time allocations and hours for each employee where the grant funds are used.

Yup, it’s a pain in the rear, but it may be grant reporting requirements that are making you feel micromanaged. If that’s the case, take a step back and don’t judge your Executive Director (ED) as a micromanager just because they are doing what they need to in order to secure funding for your pay.

So, I recommend just being honest and asking the question of the need for reporting activities at such a granular level. If it turns out to be grant reporting requirements, then you can help develop a plan to make the reporting process as efficient as possible so it doesn’t take away from your productivity.

Maybe it’s not grant reporting, but perhaps another onus placed on the ED. You won’t know unless you ask.

Overcommunication To Build On

Over communicate. I had that situation once and I would just send them email updates regularly until they felt comfortable with the work I was doing. It seemed ridiculous and it did help.

Tom – Facebook Group Member

When you feel like you are being micromanaged, it can be frustrating. You may start to feel like your every move is being watched and that you can’t do anything without someone looking over your shoulder.

One way to combat this feeling is to overcommunicate. Keep your manager in the loop on everything that you are doing. Send them regular updates, even if it feels like you are oversharing. Not only communicate only when asked, but show initiative and be proactive in providing updates, sharing news, and communicating challenges with solutions.

This will help to build trust and understanding between you and your manager. They will see that you are doing your work and that you are being transparent about your activities.

A side effect of this approach is that you’ll be providing so much information, that they may eventually realize they don’t want so much information from you, asking you to reduce updates to be more specific and/or less frequent.

Establishing Trust Can Diminish Micro-Management

It’s definitely a trust issue and sometimes the conversation has to be framed exactly that way, I believe we have a trust gap. What can we do differently besides this spreadsheet to build trust?

Michelle – Facebook Group Member

When there is a lack of trust, it can often lead to micromanagement. The ED or manager may feel like they need to keep a close eye on what you are doing because they don’t trust that you will do the work properly. Remember, their butt may be on the line.

One way to combat this is to try to establish trust with your manager. Show them that you are reliable and that you can be trusted to do your work. Ask questions to understand their goals while interjecting your process into how you can help them achieve the desired outcomes.

Be open and honest with them about your work and your process frequently. Show them that you are willing to work with them to find a solution that works for both of you.

If you can establish trust, it will go a long way in reducing the feeling of micromanagement. Very commonly, as the leader learns they can count on you, the amount of detailed management they do will diminish. It’s fantastic to just be pointed toward the goal and report back along the way.

Use And Share Task and Project Tracking Tools

Our team just started using Asana a couple months ago and I’m in love. If anyone on our team, including our supervisor, has a question on the status of a specific task or if we need something from one another we just throw it straight in there. It’s cut down on so many impromptu meetings and email chains!

Kayla – Facebook Group Member

There is a variety of task and project tracking tools available that can help to reduce the feeling of micromanagement. These tools can be used to track tasks, deadlines, and progress. We even created a list of project management tools for you.

By using these tools, you can keep your manager up to date on your work without them having to constantly check in with you. They can simply look to see the latest status and updates at any time.

You can also use these tools to ask for clarification or feedback on tasks if they are actively using the tool as well. The benefit is their direction is now documented in one tool for you both to refer back to.

Some task tracking tools that you may want to consider using are Asana, Trello, and Basecamp. These are just a few of the many options that are available.

Additional Resources

• Best Project Management Tools for Nonprofits
• Quickly Create A Nonprofit Business Plan [Just The Basics]
• 7 Deadly Sins of Nonprofit Failure And How To Avoid Them
• Ask Tom: We Don’t Have a Nonprofit Turnover Problem