Manager's micromanaging tactics need to be dealt with

I have been in my position for over eight years. My marketing, management, accounting, etc, experience has made my company more "in the eye of the public" than it was before. When I came it had a bad rap and now people are very positive.

My problem is that a new boss has come on board and now I need to ask how does one communicate and work with a new boss whose management style is much different than my own?

I have had great success with the company. People know that if they ask me to do something it will get done. I put in countless unpaid hours of overtime to get the job done (I'm salaried). My job description changes constantly because of outside sources and ever-changing needs. It is broad enough to let me have the latitude to take on these needed duties.

My recent performance review has given me much loss of sleep. My new boss praises me for my organizational abilities, meeting deadlines, high quality work, and attitude about getting the job done. He praises my self-confidence but then tells me I need to report to him daily to tell him what I do all day. He knows there is never a complaint and I work very hard. He knows I put in overtime. He says he signs my paycheck and wants to know what I do, even though I have been giving him updated reports all along. Now he wants minute by minute. Why doesn't he trust me? Is he looking for a schedule to train a replacement with?

My salary increase was less than I desired. I was not given more than the standard increase. I heard no "great job" nor was I rewarded for adding new responsibilities to my job. He tells me the fact that I have learned my knowledge and abilities through my work experience (I ran my own company and sold it), and the fact that I don't have a degree is why I'm paid less. He will not give me a job title of office manager, but keeps it as secretary, because he says he will have to pay me more if he changes my title. When I ask why others doing my type of work in other businesses get paid more, he states it is because they have a degree and I do not. I told him that I know of several people who have a degree and still cannot do the job. It takes more than just book learning and a certificate to do the job. But he will not acknowledge it.

I love what I do and love the people I work with. I have been made offers for jobs all the while I worked here and have not taken them seriously because I enjoy what I do. Do I have to start looking for another job because of my boss?

Answer:

It's dangerous to pass judgment without hearing your manager's side of the story but on the surface, I'd say he's being dollar-wise and pound-foolish (a.k.a. "cheap"). Let's take the issues one at a time and try to look at them from both points of view.

You say your manager praises you for "high quality work" "organizational abilities," and "meeting deadlines," yet, he wants to see a detailed accounting of what you do? There's something wrong with this picture.

Your manager has a right to understand what he is paying you for, but it sounds as if his micromanaging tactics are extreme. If your job description is too broad and he doesn't see the output of your work, he may think you are doing too much "busy work". Instead of just giving him reports and updates, why not show him what you do. Be specific about how the work is adding value. Be receptive if he wants to change some of your priorities…it's his prerogative.

Tell him that doing an itemized list of everything you do each day will take you away from more productive work but if he insists, fill out a log for a week. Instead of the itemized list, offer to meet with him on a weekly basis to go over what you are working on. In addition, ask him if you are meeting his needs. For instance, are you getting his work done on time and is your work meeting his expectations? If you do a log and he still questions how you spend your time, ask him directly, "It seems as if you don't trust me or, perhaps you don't approve of how I allocate my time. In either case, I'd appreciate some honest feedback."

Your manager's excuses about pay are just plain lame. Where you got your expertise is immaterial and the fact that you don't have a degree doesn't hold up. Many office managers don't have degrees. On the other hand, if you are asking to be paid what a marketing or accounting graduate is paid (you said you do some of this type of work), he will probably refuse. The reality is that the marketplace would pay more for those credentials. If this is the case, perhaps you should start some college level courses in marketing or accounting. Whether you stay or leave, a degree would be an asset.

This "I'm worth it" "No you're not" argument will get you nowhere unless you can clearly articulate your job duties, specify measurable results and then provide salary data that shows what others are earning in the same circumstances. To get this data, check out some of the salary data on the Internet, try www.officeteam.com or www.salary.com, which not only include salary information, based on job title, description and region (city & state), but also have links to other great resources. Also, call up staffing firms in your area and ask them what skills like yours are going for in the marketplace, and check out the jobs in the classified section of your newspaper and on online job boards. Write an objective report with this data and present it in a professional, unemotional meeting.

If these steps fail to improve your standings with your manager, it's time to make a fresh start. In the meantime, take the responsibility to prove what you're worth to your new boss.


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Joan Lloyd is a speaker, trainer & consultant for companies of all sizes, from start-ups to the Fortune 500, as well as trade & professional associations across the country. Reach her at (800) 348-1944, Email info@joanlloyd.com, or www.joanlloyd.com.