Get more autonomy with this 5 min strategy.
By Assertive Way
A controlling boss sometimes just isn’t getting enough information or isn’t feeling confident about what is happening.
There is one strategy that many of my bosses and I have agreed in the past that allowed them to feel more confident about what I was working on. It allowed them to be more hands off therefore giving me a lot more autonomy.
…allowed them to be more hands off therefore giving me a lot more autonomy.
Regular updates initiated and led by You
Agree with your boss on how to keep them updated on what you are working on and on your progress. This could be weekly or daily emails with an update in easy to read bullet points with 3 key items:
- What you’ve accomplished
- What you plan to work on next (for that month, week or day)
- What you need from your boss
It’s a type of journal you maintain for yourself and share with your boss. They loved these emails. It was predictable, easy to understand and gave them peace of mind.
Alternatively, it could be a weekly or monthly update meeting. You’d still need to proactively share a form of the 3 items to give them confidence in your work. If you let them manage the meeting and keep asking you questions, they will continue to micromanage because they won’t feel you are being proactive or honest enough.
Staying in control
Over time with these regular updates, your boss will feel more secure with your ability to manage your projects, time and resources, and is likely to seek fewer updates from you.
It may feel like a different form of micromanagement and a waste of time at first, but with practice it can take as little as 5 min to do every day and could completely satisfy your boss for weeks, leading to greater autonomy.
Plus, when you proactively share this journal format, you are fully in control. You are deciding what you do and how you do it. All you are doing is giving your boss an update to keep them in the loop. You still maintain the control over your activities.
Added benefits
Adopting this shared journal with your boss can provide many additional benefits:
- Increases autonomy
- Increases trust
- Makes you look proactive
- Highlights your achievements
- Gives you better outcomes on your annual performance reviews
- Makes writing up your achievements on annual performance review a lot easier
- Increases your confidence and motivation because you can easily visualize your progress
- Saves time on writing your resume and improves it
- Reduces miscommunication
- What you’ve accomplished
- What you plan to work on next (for that month, week or day)
- What you need from your boss
Sometimes you need to give a little to get a lot. Empathize with your boss to understand their needs, then satisfy those needs in a way that works for you. That way you keep the control.
SUMMARY
A controlling boss usually doesn’t fully trust you or likes to be fully aware of what the team is working on. In either situation, they may micromanage you and frequently tell you want to do. One easy but effective way to build trust and keep them updated on your work is to send regular email updates with 1. What you’ve accomplished 2. what you plan to work on next and 3. What you need from your boss. This keeps you in control over your activities while satisfying the boss’s need for information. Over time the updates may even be reduced or completely dropped. This mini journal can also help you in your performance evaluations, CV updates and build your confidence.
ADDITIONAL POSTS
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“Autonomy is different from independence. It means acting with choice.” – Daniel Pink, author on motivation and career