Micromanagers—those nitpicky individuals who have to check every little detail and find problems with everything—can make a job stressful and demoralize employees. So how to cope?

Understanding what drives the micromanager’s impulses is the first step.  Some people want to be in control. They cannot possibly do everything, yet they want everything done according to their standards. This leads them to continually check on others.

Experts suggest a number of actions employees can take to help deal with a nitpicky boss. First, those being micromanaged should examine their performance to see if the micromanager has a legitimate cause for concern. If so, that behavior should be altered.

Another way employees can handle hovering supervisors is to finish tasks the boss will consider the most important and notify him or her when the chore is complete. Likewise, if the employee keeps a log of progress on an assignment, the micromanager can see that the job is moving forward.

One thing the experts say harassed workers ought not do—fight with a micromanager. Not only is it counterproductive—it’s futile.

Discussion: How can you show a fussy boss you are trying your hardest? What might you do to gain your supervisor’s trust? How can you keep your self-confidence if you have a critical boss?

Source: Russell, J. (2013, November 3). Career coach: Managing the micromanager. Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com