Are You a Micro-Manager? Here Are 3 Ways to Change

Every business owner knows how to wear a lot of hats. When first striking out on your own, you have a hand in finances, social media marketing, product design, and everything in-between. But as companies grow, they need empowered employees to feel that same sense of independence.

Autonomy is one of our fundamental human needs - an essential component of a healthy workplace - our need to be driven by personal interest and enjoyment.

Employees that feel empowered are happier, more motivated, more committed to their jobs, and less stressed. The latter is especially true for demanding workplaces since independence gives workers a sense of control in stressful situations.

The benefits for business owners are clear. Consider these three tips to give employees independence without giving up control:


1. Specify the goal, not the means.

To encourage creativity, give clear guidelines for a project's quality, deadline, and purpose, but leave the rest up to your employees. Your team may not execute the project exactly as you would have, but their strategy may be just as good or better.

2. Set up checks and balances.

As a business owner, you need to be passionate about your ideas, but that enthusiasm can become a liability when there's no room for second opinions.

3. Know yourself.

As you allow others more freedom and responsibility, understanding yourself can help ease the transition. Try taking a free, online personality test to assess your strengths and weaknesses.

It's important to understand your own feelings and have a sense of what others are experiencing around you, which is referred to as emotional intelligence. You can then identify what motivates each of your employees and empower them in ways they'll find fulfilling.

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