Your ways of handling a Micro-Manager

[z1ggy]

Long story short, my boss is a micromanager. It's really annoying. Every day, multiple times a day he wants status updates on every little thing I'm working on. We have to fill out an action item matrix for every little thing the team is doing.

Only way I feel like I can get him to back off is to troll him and update him on what I'm working on every 30 minutes, or every hour maybe. But, I don't want to end up pissing him off and making my life a nightmare. I'm also not really inclined to tell his boss (whom I actually like, and knows this guy is a tool) about it, because he basically already knows.

In the past three hours, he's pinged me twice on the status of some task I'm doing. I work at a huge company, even simple tasks take hours to get done. Jeeeeeeez.

 

[MtnMan]

Status: In process, delayed by constant interruptions....

 

[KLin]

Status: In process, delayed by constant interruptions....

This is the most appropriate reply.

 

[Nograts]

"Still working on it...I'll let you know as soon as I'm done....did you need anything else?"

 

[OutHouse]

We have to fill out an action item matrix for every little thing the team is doing.

does he have a MBA? just asking because when our VP got her MBA EVERYTHING turned into a tick on a matrix.

 

[WHAMPOM]

Reply 'The more you bother me, the longer it will take to get done." every half hour. "Break my chain of thought one more time and I will kill you!" may be too much to the point. Office motto, YOU GET WHAT YOU PUT UP WITH, bring it up to your manager's attention.

 

[maddogchen]

does your status updates give a projected time of completion?

If you say i'm working on job 1 will be done at 2PM at 10AM.
Does he still ping you every hour on the status?


Doesn't he have work to do too? or does he just collect status updates and updates your bigger boss. maybe the bigger boss is causing all this with status updates too

 

[JulesMaximus]

Quit. I fucking hate working for people like that.

 

[cbrunny]

Over-reporting can work, but you have to be careful about it. In the past I've reported every time they have required me to but often asked a difficult question about the project that would add work to their plate to respond. That helped in a hurry.

 

[LevelSea]

13:54 - Shitting
13:57 - Still shitting
14:04 - Wiping
14:06 - Not done, more shitting
14:13 - Sweating profusely
14:25 - Initiate soft moaning
14:37 - Denial
14:45 - Anger
14:48 - Bargaining
15:14 - Depression
15:32 - Acceptance
15:48 - Wiping
15:52 - Skipped washing hands
15:55 - Drinking coffee

 

[Kaido]

Your ways of handling a Micro-Manager

I quit. Loved the job, loved the people, loved the awesome pay, hated being micro-managed. Stayed there for far too long.

 

[vi edit]

Don't answer. Especially if it's not a corporate/divisional policy to report out. Just go on your way and ignore. They'll stop bugging.

 

[ultimatebob]

does your status updates give a projected time of completion?

If you say i'm working on job 1 will be done at 2PM at 10AM.
Does he still ping you every hour on the status?


Doesn't he have work to do too? or does he just collect status updates and updates your bigger boss. maybe the bigger boss is causing all this with status updates too

Yeah, giving an solid time estimate would likely help.

Subtle reminders that these interruptions are slowing down your productivity might help as well.

But, seriously... every hour? I only asked for status updates once a DAY when I was a boss.

 

[CraKaJaX]

I know where you work. Get a new job

 

[rh71]

It's amazing the differences between companies. I work at a huge company also and I've never even met my last 3 managers in person, which spans nearly a decade. I talk to my boss directly (instant messenger or phone) maybe once a month. We have a lead who we're in contact with almost daily but they don't ask for updates more than once a week. Most of our tasks are projects that we are left alone with once given the requirements.

 

[purbeast0]

find a new job.

both of my previous companies that was a major reason i left.

 

[Newell Steamer]

You report to him what he wants reported to him at the intervals he requested. I am not sure what the problem is,.. oh, wait - it's you.

If you don't like it, go find another job. This particular job requires you to perform in a specific manner. I doesn't matter what you think is right or wrong, because you aren't the boss.

Now, you COULD come up with a proposed suggestion, like; "Hey, mind if I report to you twice a week on the status of the projects you gave me?" Or, "How about a daily meeting for 30 minutes on where I stand?"

Instead, you are looking to fuck shit up in some manner. It will make things worse, not better.

 

[Ns1]

reply "still on track" and move on with your life.

Now, you COULD come up with a proposed suggestion, like; "Hey, mind if I report to you twice a week on the status of the projects you gave me?" Or, "How about a daily meeting for 30 minutes on where I stand?"

or this.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

The interruptions really are problematic though.

And each time a worker was distracted from a task, it would take, on average, 25 minutes to return to that task.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/16/magazine/meet-the-life-hackers.html

Your boss is probably having a measurable negative impact on your productivity. His boss should be mentoring him on this. You can't really (professionally speaking) do more than lay a few hints about "Constant interruptions, from, you know. People."

Maybe write a script that automatically generates your status reports for you?

 

[Brovane]

Long story short, my boss is a micromanager. It's really annoying. Every day, multiple times a day he wants status updates on every little thing I'm working on. We have to fill out an action item matrix for every little thing the team is doing.

Only way I feel like I can get him to back off is to troll him and update him on what I'm working on every 30 minutes, or every hour maybe. But, I don't want to end up pissing him off and making my life a nightmare. I'm also not really inclined to tell his boss (whom I actually like, and knows this guy is a tool) about it, because he basically already knows.

In the past three hours, he's pinged me twice on the status of some task I'm doing. I work at a huge company, even simple tasks take hours to get done. Jeeeeeeez.

Just give him the status updates, exactly how he wants. Also as other people suggested give him a estimate for when it will be completed.

For example if you are working on a task that you estimate will take 6-hours, tell that in the status update. Then be sure to include in the status update, when he can expect the next status update. You could tell him, will update status via e-mail before departure today.

Also make the status updates as easy as possible. Setup some type of standard e-mail format that basically becomes fill in the blank for you but provides it in a pretty format, these types of Manager usually like this. If you want to be a little passive aggressive you can include some questions around the task in the status update, makes the boss feel important and also gives you a chance to check to see if he/she reads them.

 

[lxskllr]

"Fuck if I know. I just push buttons"

 

[Platypus]

find a different job to be perfectly blunt.

 

[z1ggy]

does he have a MBA? just asking because when our VP got her MBA EVERYTHING turned into a tick on a matrix.

Not that I'm aware of.

does your status updates give a projected time of completion?

If you say i'm working on job 1 will be done at 2PM at 10AM.
Does he still ping you every hour on the status?


Doesn't he have work to do too? or does he just collect status updates and updates your bigger boss. maybe the bigger boss is causing all this with status updates too

He does have other work, but he doesn't actually produce products per say like I do. And yes, I usually give him an ETA and he'll come over RIGHT at the ETA time for a status.

Don't answer. Especially if it's not a corporate/divisional policy to report out. Just go on your way and ignore. They'll stop bugging.

I can't. He sits all of 15ft away from me. It's not so much a company policy thing as he will just bug the shit out of me non stop if I don't give him what he wants.

 

[Ns1]

He does have other work, but he doesn't actually produce products per say like I do. And yes, I usually give him an ETA and he'll come over RIGHT at the ETA time for a status.

Maybe you should give him a longer ETA, so that you can y'know, give him the deliverable in time instead of having him come to you? I mean, I don't know that this is actually happening, but the way you wrote that text certainly implies it.

underpromise and overdeliver yo.

 

[z1ggy]

I know where you work. Get a new job

You guise need any project managers/process improvent guys?

find a new job.

both of my previous companies that was a major reason i left.

Working on it. Getting a few certs in my down time to help increase my value once I am ready to move on. Currently, I need to sell my house before I make a move. I'm looking to leave states.

Just give him the status updates, exactly how he wants. Also as other people suggested give him a estimate for when it will be completed.

For example if you are working on a task that you estimate will take 6-hours, tell that in the status update. Then be sure to include in the status update, when he can expect the next status update. You could tell him, will update status via e-mail before departure today.

Also make the status updates as easy as possible. Setup some type of standard e-mail format that basically becomes fill in the blank for you but provides it in a pretty format, these types of Manager usually like this. If you want to be a little passive aggressive you can include some questions around the task in the status update, makes the boss feel important and also gives you a chance to check to see if he/she reads them.

the biggest issue is these status updates are in person meetings. It's not a "hey print me out an excel file/email me it." They are 60-90 minute meetings where he asks us what we have done for the past few hours, what we plan on doing for the rest of the day, then setting up another meeting for the end of the day, or the following morning.

I just met with him again at 1pm. He wants to meet again at 3. Kill me.