Micromanage Much? The Brussels Sprout Parable on Overhelping
I love gardening and growing fresh vegetables. Recently I had checked in on my Brussels sprout seedlings and well…they looked AWFUL! The reason quickly became obvious to me…I had overwatered them.
I was so excited about growing Brussels sprouts this year, I didn’t want anything to happen to the seedlings so I tended to micromanage and overwater them.
It didn’t help.
I think the same is true when we try to micromanage our team members. Sometimes we have the best intentions. We want to help them grow. We want to support them. But micromanaging actually hinders their growth instead of promoting it. For example, when you overwater a plant, you stifle or limit the amount of oxygen available to the roots so they can’t develop effectively to anchor the plant well. The same is true when you are overly involved with team members. Giving them too much information or too much guidance means they don’t learn how to figure things out on their own.
Another negative impact of overwatering plants is you reduce their resilience, making them more susceptible to disease. They become weaker without that wet-dry cycle. Similarly in leadership, when you micromanage and handhold a team member, you weaken their ability to stand on their own and have the confidence to tackle challenges and opportunities that are present in their role.
Thirdly, a big danger of being too hands-on is missing opportunities for effective growth that could yield an abundant harvest. The same holds true when you overcrowd team members — you limit their ability to reach their full potential in your organization.
The question becomes, “How do you avoid overwatering and micromanaging?” Here are 3 tips for the garden and the office:
- Find the right balance of check-ins and autonomy.
If I had checked on my Brussels sprouts more frequently instead of drowning them, I would have seen their true needs. Similarly, check in with team members regularly to gauge if they need guidance or are ready to run independently.
2. Resist providing all the answers.
Even when you know the right way, allow team members to try figuring it out themselves sometimes. Give them room to take ownership and find their own solutions without excessive handholding. Provide coaching, but don’t overprescribe. This helps build their confidence and resilience.
3. Prepare them for the future.
Give stretch assignments that challenge team members to spread their wings while you’re still available for check-ins and support. The goal is to develop their abilities to soar independently when you’re no longer micromanaging in the future.
Micromanaging, like overwatering plants, stunts growth. But with the right balance of support and autonomy, you can allow your team to truly flourish. Find that sweet spot, and they’ll yield an abundant harvest.
How can you find the right balance between providing guidance and allowing autonomy for your team members to grow and develop?
