Stop Micromanaging. Start Trusting.




Stop Micromanaging. Start Trusting.

Micromanagement is the workplace equivalent of clenching your jaw. It’s tight, it’s controlling, and it’s exhausting — for everyone involved. It says to your staff, "I don’t trust you to do your job," even if that’s not what you mean.

In community services, where the work is emotional and complex, this becomes especially damaging. When we micromanage, we reduce practitioners to checklists. We rob them of clinical judgement. We create environments where fear overrides initiative.

Micromanagement is often born from anxiety. We fear something will go wrong. That the client will be harmed. That the report will reflect poorly on us. So we try to control every outcome. But in doing so, we create something worse: a disengaged, unmotivated workforce that does the bare minimum.

Trust is risky. But it’s also the foundation of growth. When you trust your staff to own their work, they rise to the occasion. They take responsibility. They innovate. They stay.

So what does trust look like in action? It looks like inviting feedback. Delegating without hovering. Letting someone try, even if they don’t do it exactly how you would. It looks like being available but not overbearing.

Of course, boundaries matter. Staff need clear expectations, access to supervision, and safety nets for high-risk work. But within those parameters, they need freedom to breathe. Micromanagement chokes progress. Coaching inspires it.

The best leaders I know ask their teams, "What do you need from me to do your best work?" Then they listen.

If you’re finding yourself micromanaging, ask what fear is driving it. Then decide what matters more: total control or building a team that thrives without you in the room.

Because the goal isn’t just to lead. It’s to grow leaders around you.


About the Author,

Niki has worked in Child Protection, Family Law, Juvenile Justice and NDIS for over 20 years.  Having worked extensively with families, government departments, not for profits and privately owned large and small businesses, Niki understands the needs of families, the pressures of compliance, quality and sustainability, and the need to work smart, be resilient, and know who we work for and who we work with.

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